SINGAPORE – Some 40 heartland merchants have applied for a new grant to conduct activities in community spaces to bring out the unique aspects of each heartland precinct and to involve the community.
The Heartland Enterprise Placemaking Grant was announced during the 2024 Budget debate in March.
It helps merchants increase customer footfall through community activities and tap professional services such as event management and auditing. The grant defrays up to 50 per cent of eligible costs for selected initiatives by these merchants, capped at $10,000 per project.
Other areas of support include third-party consultancy, equipment, software and marketing.
A spokesperson from Enterprise Singapore said on Sept 21 that there have been about 40 applicants since the grant was announced.
Several recipients were among the 18 brands featured at a weekend pop-up marketplace in Marine Parade. Called the Easty Breezy Bazaar, it coincides with the 50th anniversary celebrations of the estate and ends on Sept 22.
The bazaar is also a heartland rejuvenation project to increase the liveliness of heartland precincts and drive business.
The Our Heartlands 2025 initiative helps heartland merchants grow their revenue, boost their operational efficiency and attract more customers to the heartland. It is developed by Enterprise Singapore to help the merchants stay relevant and competitive.
Minister for Manpower Tan See Leng, who visited the bazaar on Sept 21, said that with about 85 per cent of Singaporeans living in Housing Board flats, it is important to encourage heartland businesses to tap the placemaking grant.
“Our heartland shops will have to up their ante… whether it’s digitalisation, marketing, packaging… you know, just to have new activities to reinvent themselves and really have a better, broader outreach,” said Dr Tan, who is also Second Minister for Trade and Industry.
One of the recipients of the grant is Inner Child Creations, a shop in Mei Ling Street which obtained $3,400 in funding to hire three part-time staff and widen its product range.
Co-founder Chng Ying Tong, 32, told The Straits Times at the bazaar: “The crowd has been awesome. We started doing pop-ups only this year, and the people here said they are enjoying the event.”
Her shop’s bestsellers include colourful tokens that can be used in supermarket trolleys in place of one-dollar coins, laser-engraved wooden keychains and stickers.
40 heartland businesses applied for support to organise activities in neighbourhoods
