Industry guides
Business Development Internships in Singapore
Business development internships in Singapore develop sales, negotiation, and market expansion skills at startups and MNCs alike. This guide covers what BD interns actually do, top employers, CRM tools, and salaries of SGD 800–2,000/month.
Business Development Internships in Singapore
Business development (BD) internships are among the most versatile in Singapore's job market. BD roles exist at every company type — from early-stage startups needing their first customers to MNCs expanding into new ASEAN markets. The skills developed — market analysis, relationship management, deal structuring, and persuasive communication — transfer across industries throughout a career.
What Is Business Development?
BD is distinct from sales (transaction-focused) and marketing (awareness-focused). BD focuses on:
- New market entry: Research and strategy for entering new geographies or verticals
- Partnerships: Negotiating and managing strategic alliances, channel partners, distributors
- Revenue expansion: Finding new revenue streams beyond the core product
- Pipeline building: Identifying and nurturing long-term opportunities
In startups, BD interns often do everything including sales calls, partnership outreach, and market research. In MNCs, the role is more structured and strategically focused.
BD Internship Role Types
| Type | Where You'll Find It |
|---|---|
| Sales Development Representative (SDR) | Tech startups, SaaS companies |
| Partnerships & Alliances Intern | Tech companies, media, fintech |
| Market Expansion Analyst | MNCs entering ASEAN markets |
| Corporate Development Intern | M&A-adjacent BD at large corporates |
| Growth Intern | Startups with product-led growth |
| ASEAN BD Intern | Regional HQs using SG as APAC hub |
Skills Employers Look For
| Skill | Tools / Application |
|---|---|
| CRM management | Salesforce, HubSpot, Notion CRM |
| Market research | IBISWorld, Euromonitor, government statistics |
| Excel / Google Sheets | Pipeline tracking, financial modelling |
| Communication & presentation | Pitch decks (Canva, PowerPoint) |
| Networking | LinkedIn outreach, conference networking |
| Contract basics | Term sheets, NDAs, MoU terminology |
Top Employers
Technology / SaaS
| Company | BD Type | Monthly Allowance |
|---|---|---|
| Grab | Merchant BD, partnerships | SGD 1,800–2,800 |
| Sea / Shopee | Seller BD, market expansion | SGD 1,500–2,500 |
| Stripe | Partnerships, ISV BD | SGD 2,500–4,000 |
| Google (APAC) | Business partnerships | SGD 2,500–4,000 |
| Salesforce Singapore | Commercial BD | SGD 1,500–2,500 |
| Zoom / Slack / ServiceNow | Channel BD | SGD 1,500–2,200 |
Logistics / Supply Chain
| Company | BD Type | Monthly Allowance |
|---|---|---|
| DHL | Freight BD, account management | SGD 1,200–1,800 |
| Ninja Van | Merchant BD | SGD 1,200–1,800 |
| Maersk | Trade BD | SGD 1,500–2,200 |
Startups (High Learning, Variable Pay)
| Stage | Examples | Monthly Allowance |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-seed / seed | Various Singapore startups | SGD 600–1,200 |
| Series A / B | Carro, Carousell, PropertyGuru | SGD 1,200–2,000 |
| Series C+ | Nium, Funding Societies, Ninja Van | SGD 1,500–2,500 |
Salary Benchmarks
| Company Type | Monthly Allowance |
|---|---|
| Top global tech (Stripe, Google) | SGD 2,500–4,000 |
| Tech unicorns (Grab, Sea) | SGD 1,500–2,800 |
| Logistics MNCs | SGD 1,200–2,200 |
| Series A-C startups | SGD 1,000–2,000 |
| Pre-seed / early startups | SGD 600–1,200 |
What You'll Actually Do in a BD Internship
In the first 2 weeks:
- Shadow senior BD managers; join discovery calls
- Research target accounts or partner categories
- Learn the company's CRM and pipeline tracking
By week 4–6:
- Own an outreach list; send prospecting emails
- Assist in pitch preparation for partner meetings
- Conduct competitive analysis on potential partners vs. alternatives
By week 8+:
- Attend partner meetings (observer → participant)
- Analyse pipeline conversion data
- Present a market entry or partnership recommendation
Outcome: Strong BD interns leave with a quantifiable output — e.g., "Sourced and qualified 40 leads, 3 of which converted to active partnerships"
Path to Sales Leadership
BD internship → Sales Development Rep → Account Executive → Sales Manager → VP Sales
This is one of the fastest career tracks in Singapore's tech sector. BD leaders at companies like Grab, Carousell, and Ninja Van often started as interns. The earnings potential at sales VP level (with commission) at a high-growth company exceeds that of most other career paths for non-finance graduates.
Application Tips
- Demonstrate commercial curiosity: In cover letters, reference a specific company partnership or market expansion you admire and explain what worked
- LinkedIn is your BD portfolio — how you present yourself on LinkedIn mirrors how you'd represent a company in BD outreach
- Salesforce free CRM training: Complete Salesforce's free Trailhead certification in CRM basics before applying
- Startups vs MNCs: Startups give more autonomy and learning; MNCs give more structure and name recognition — both are valid paths depending on your risk appetite
- ASEAN context matters: BD roles at Singapore regional HQs often cover SEA markets; familiarity with Indonesia, Vietnam, and Thailand market dynamics is a differentiator
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