SINGAPORE - Businesses in Singapore now have a one-stop platform to access financial advisory services and financing partners to raise capital for growth, with the launch of the Centre for Enterprise Financing Advisory (CEFA) on May 18.The centre, first announced in July 2025, is a joint initiative by the Singapore Business Federation (SBF) and Enterprise Singapore (EnterpriseSG).Advisers at the centre can help companies assess their financial health, and identify possible key gaps in areas such as cash flow discipline, financial reporting and risk management. The companies can then take practical steps to strengthen their fundamentals, said Ms Low Yen Ling, Senior Minister of State for the Ministry of Trade and Industry, at the launch.“Singapore’s small and medium enterprises are the backbone of our economy. They drive growth and create good jobs for Singaporeans,” she added.About one in five companies in Singapore is looking for more financing, according to SBF’s National Business Survey 2025. “The additional financing being sought is to look at overseas expansion, the introduction of new products and services and innovation,” said SBF chief executive officer Kok Ping Soon.CEFA will also help enterprises to broaden their financing options. Other than traditional bank loans, other options include asset-based lending, receivables financing, private equity, private credit, and capital market instruments.Each is suited to different growth stages and business needs. CEFA will help companies understand these options and the trade-offs involved. “This includes not only the availability of capital, but also the implications for control, risk, and long-term outcomes. The goal is to help enterprises access financing tools that best support their growth needs,” said Ms Low.CEFA will also collaborate with other partners such as professional services firms, trade associations and chambers, and SME centres to enhance the financial literacy and readiness of Singapore enterprises, enabling them to make more informed financing decisions aligned with their business strategies.Through CEFA, companies will have a suite of resources, tools and training programmes, including a refreshed financial management toolkit to strengthen their financing capabilities. Later in 2026, CEFA will partner the Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants’ business school, ISCA Academy, to roll out courses on effective cash flow management strategies and practical financial forecasting using artificial intelligence, said EnterpriseSG and SBF in a joint statement.CEFA is also working with the SBF Business Institute to develop additional enterprise financing programmes.The Economic Strategy Review (ESR) committees had recommended on May 13 that the enterprise ecosystem in Singapore should be nurtured to be more dynamic by expanding access to growth capital for startups.Local companies should also receive help in international expansion or to restructure or offshore parts of their business, according to the committees.“CEFA can help some of these companies look at their options to see how they can grow,” said Mr Kok.“Given the current situation in the Middle East, companies are also facing strain in their cash flow, so we want to be able to stand ready to support these companies should they require some of these financing options and advice.”