Budget 2026: $50m set aside to fund ground-up community projects in Singapore

SINGAPORE – Some $50 million will be set aside to fund ground-up initiatives that benefit the community, said Prime Minister and Finance Minister Lawrence Wong.

The new SG Partnerships Fund will provide varying tiers of funding over different time frames, including grants of up to $1 million for larger, multi-year projects, he said in

his Budget speech on Feb 12

.

It will build on the existing Our Singapore Fund, which was introduced in 2016 and has supported over 800 ground-up projects by individuals and organisations. Projects under this fund can get up to 80 per cent of supported project expenditure, capped at $20,000.

However, the Government received feedback that the fund can be improved – for instance, by giving out larger grants, funding projects over a longer term and a broader eligibility criteria, PM Wong said.

PM Wong said the move is part of Singapore’s investment in renewing and strengthening the bonds that bind its people together at a time when societies worldwide are becoming more divided and polarised.

“We cannot let this happen in Singapore,” he said.

He also stressed the importance of “strengthening our bonds, looking out for those around us, and putting the common good first”, adding: “That sense of togetherness has carried us through uncertainty and brought us this far.”

PM Wong noted that the Our Singapore Fund received more than 250 applications in 2025, including an initiative by two children – Kaizen, seven, and Kay, nine – and their parents to involve others in community service projects.

For their first project, which was to raise awareness about fire safety, they designed a poster and worked with Nee Soon Town Council to display it at HDB lift lobbies.

The mother, Ms Faith Ong, 43, said exposing her children to current affairs, such as the 2023 Turkey-Syria earthquakes, inspired them to give back to the community.

The family decided to start their initiative, called Little Hands, Big Hearts, to identify and address community needs. It has been granted up to $5,000 under the fund, which will be disbursed as needed.

Ms Ong, a freelance yoga instructor, said some of their plans in the coming months include giving out goodie bags to migrant workers, holding a cake-pop-making workshop at an old folks’ home and a beach clean-up.

“I hope that more families will be encouraged to allow their children to join in such community service to help people,” she added.

In his speech, PM Wong also noted that the arts and heritage play a vital role in building shared bonds as “they help us understand where we came from, express who we are today, and imagine who we can become as a people”.

Multiculturalism is also a defining part of Singapore’s identity, and steps will therefore be taken to strengthen cultural and heritage institutions, PM Wong said.

For example,

the revamped Malay Heritage Centre

, which has been closed since 2022 for restoration and redevelopment, will reopen later in 2026.

The Government will also work with the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre to expand its reach and engagement, and will support the Indian Heritage Centre to enhance its outreach and programming.

Touching on sports, PM Wong said it is another powerful force that brings Singaporeans together.

The authorities will continue to roll out the Sports Facilities Master Plan, so that Singaporeans can easily access affordable and quality sports facilities.

As part of the plan, Sport Singapore will continue to develop and rejuvenate infrastructure to meet Singapore’s diverse and evolving sporting needs and interests.

In the coming years, the new Punggol Regional Sport Centre and

Toa Payoh Integrated Development

will be opened, he said.

The centre in Punggol, which will house sheltered tennis and futsal courts, and indoor and outdoor swimming pools, is set to open in 2026. Meanwhile, the Toa Payoh development will be completed within the current term of government, and will house a polyclinic, library, park and sports facilities.

Sports facilities in Farrer Park and Tengah, and revamped sports centres in Hougang and Queenstown will also be opened.

The Dual-Use Scheme, an initiative where schools open their fields and other facilities for public use during weekends, will be expanded, PM Wong said.

Complementing these facilities will be more sports programmes to bring together Singaporeans of all ages and abilities.

PM Wong emphasised the importance of building a “we first” society, in which a strong sense of solidarity manifests in giving, volunteering and acts of kindness.

To support this, the Government will extend a scheme under which those who donate to institutions of a public character and eligible institutions get a 250 per cent tax deduction. The scheme, which was slated to end on Dec 31, 2026, will be extended another three years until end-2029. It has been in place since 2009.

The Corporate Volunteer Scheme, which offers a 250 per cent tax deduction to businesses when their employees volunteer with institutions of a public character, will also be extended until end-2029. It was introduced in 2016.

PM Wong also announced that the next round of Youth Panels will be launched later in 2026, giving young people a chance to work with the Government on issues that matter to them.

Youth Panels

were launched in November 2023 under Forward Singapore for those aged 15 to 34 to co-create policies with the Government.

In the initiative’s first round, 120 young people contributed to four panels. Each panel delved into a different area: financial resilience, career experience in South-east Asia, digital well-being, and domestic recycling behaviours and mindsets.

More details on the initiatives will be made public during the debate on the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth’s budget.

Read next: 11 highlights from PM Wong’s speech