PUBLISHED ONBYSean LerThe Government will launch a new $30 million scheme to encourage more employers to create further jobs for persons with disabilities.
Called the Stronger Support Enabling Employment Grant (S-EEG), the new scheme caters to firms that employ a meaningful number of persons with moderate support needs, and provides them with a higher level of funding beyond the Enabling Employment Grant (EEG).
Existing grants for firms which hire and support persons with disabilities will also be consolidated into a single EEG in 2027.
These were announced by Coordinating Minister for Social Policies Ong Ye Kung at the Enabling Mark Awards 2026, which was held at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre on Tuesday (Nov 10).
Ong, who is also Minister for Health, acknowledged that employers face practical challenges such as rising business costs and government rules.
"Hiring and supporting persons with disabilities involves additional costs — to redesign roles, provide training, modify the workplace, or put in place additional supervision and professional support.
"Not forgetting sometimes explaining to your customers, asking them to just please be more patient and more understanding."
To this, the coordinating minister pointed out that the Government must be prepared to lean in to help defray some of these costs, if employers are to do more.
He pointed to upcoming enhancements to the Enabling Employment Credit, announced by Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Social and Family Development Eric Chua at the Enabling Mark Business Conference 2026, as an example.
The coordinating minister said that the move to consolidate existing employer grants into a single EEG in the first half of 2027 is intended to defray the costs employers incur, including in redesigning jobs or training.
"This will make support easier to access, and broaden the range of items the grant can be used for. Changes that are much welcomed," Ong said.
But to encourage more employers to create more jobs for persons with disabilities, the Government will also introduce the new S-EEG, catering to firms that employ a meaningful number of persons with moderate support needs, and providing them with a higher level of funding beyond the EEG.
The S-EEG will kick off with a budget of around $30 million to support the first group of firms, with SG Enable launching the first call for proposals by the end of this year.
Ong said that lessons from its implementation will offer insights to understand what employers need to support employment to make it more sustainable.
"From there, we will consider how Government support for disability employment can be further expanded, with the hope that supported employment becomes common practice over time."
More than 190 organisations received their Enabling Mark accreditation on Tuesday. This is nearly double the number from 2024.
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