About 2,800 Housing Board shops will benefit from the sixth round of a scheme to make heartland shopping areas more vibrant.

The HDB has set aside $1.9 million for this round of the Revitalisation of Shops scheme, which will cover 29 areas. This is in response to requests from local merchants' associations, the HDB said in a statement on Thursday.

The scheme will co-fund the upgrading of common areas with amenities such as shop directories, fund up to half the cost of promotional events held by the merchants' associations, and give shops a rent-free period of up to one month if they are undergoing renovation under this scheme.

Shops in previous rounds of the scheme saw their sales improve by up to 30 per cent during promotional events. At least 60 events are expected to be held in this round, in conjunction with the Great Singapore Sale, Christmas and New Year countdown celebrations, the Lunar New Year, and so on.

Merchants' associations and shops can choose to apply for some or all of the various components of the scheme. In this round, 27 applied for co-funding for events, and the other two sites applied for co-funding of upgrading works.

About $8.4 million has been spent in the Revitalisation of Shops scheme since it began in November 2007. So far, it has helped 4,600 shops at 52 sites - more than half of all of HDB town and neighbourhood centres.

HDB shop owners and tenants can call the HDB Commercial Properties toll-free line on 1800-866 3073 if they have queries.