SINGAPORE’S heartland businesses can get funding to organise innovative “placemaking” activities such as community engagement, public art installations, workshops and thematic festivals, under the new Heartland Enterprise Placemaking Grant.

The grant will cover up to half the eligible costs for selected placemaking activities in the heartlands, capped at S$10,000 per project, Minister of State for Trade and Industry Low Yen Ling announced in her ministry’s Committee of Supply debate on Friday (Mar 1).

Eligible costs include those for third-party consultancy; hardware, equipment and software; marketing; and professional services such as event management and auditing.

The grant will not cover operational costs, nor common activities such as festive light-ups, bazaars and traditional night markets.

Applicants must be Singapore businesses with at least 30 per cent local shareholding; a physical storefront in the heartlands; no more than 200 employees; and an annual turnover no higher than S$100 million.

Interested applicants can contact the Heartland Enterprise Centre Singapore from Mar 1.

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The placemaking grant is part of efforts to transform and revitalise the heartlands, said Low. Two pilot heartland rejuvenation projects will be launched in Bukit Gombak and Tampines West.

Bukit Gombak Neighbourhood Centre will be turned into a “modern heritage heartland hub”, with a festival in April to showcase its history and heritage.

Tampines West Neighbourhood Centre will become a “heartland events hub”. Citing its pop-up lifestyle event Wunderground, which attracted over 30,000 visitors over 10 days last October, Low said: “Residents can look forward to more such events in the future.”

Separately, a new Alliance for Action on Business Competitiveness will study how businesses can remain competitive amid an uncertain global economic environment.

Set up by the Ministry of Trade and Industry and the Singapore Business Federation (SBF), it is co-chaired by Low and SBF’s deputy honorary treasurer Mark Lee. The private-public partnership comprises 18 representatives from the government, industry, trade associations and chambers, as well as trade unions.

Said Low: “It will deepen engagement between the private and public sectors, foster discussions and make joint recommendations on strengthening competitiveness in critical areas like manpower, land and regulation.”

The Alliance for Action will hold industry consultations and aims to put out recommendations by the fourth quarter of 2024.