FirstDate dating pilot by GovTech raises age limit to 45

SINGAPORE – Public officers aged up to 45 can now sign up for FirstDate, a matchmaking pilot by the Government Technology Agency (GovTech).

The initiative was initially limited to those aged 21 to 35, which was a requirement during the previous round of matching.

The service, now in its second round, is open to unmarried public officers aged 21 to 45, including those who are widowed or divorced. Applications for the current round opened on Oct 20 and will close on Oct 26.

In the last round of matching, results came out on Oct 6, after applications closed on Oct 5.

In response to queries, GovTech said age limit was raised to 45 “to allow the team to further evaluate the matching approach with a wider group of participants”.

When asked how many people applied in the first round and how many met their matches in person, the agency said only that the number of participants are “documented for pilot evaluation purposes” and the number of matches that met up is “voluntary information shared by participants”.

“FirstDate is a limited product pilot exploring a different approach to online matching, with fewer introductions based on shared values and preferences. Our focus remains on testing this approach rather than reporting participation or matching outcomes,” said GovTech.

In FirstDate, users see their suggested match’s profile information, compatibility score and personal note – but not their photos – before deciding whether to connect. Both have three days to accept. Contact details are shared only after mutual acceptance.

Participants can indicate their preferred age range.

Some expressed concern on online forum Reddit that some unmarried but engaged individuals may have signed up, and some participants have been “ghosted” or ignored.

GovTech told ST on Oct 1 that it initially focused on those aged 21 to 35 because this group would most likely be actively dating and interested. A defined age range would also allow testing with a more focused group, the agency said.

The pilot began on Sept 29 after originating as an idea at GovTech’s annual hackathon. Its team wanted to test whether emphasising shared values and preferences, with fewer matches at a time, would encourage users to give each introduction more consideration.

GovTech previously said participants would not be matched with colleagues from the same agency.

Participants sign in using Singpass and complete a questionnaire about their interests, habits, values and preferences. FirstDate uses the Gale-Shapley Stable Marriage algorithm, a mathematical approach that pairs participants based on their preferences. Users may receive one match per cycle, though a match is not guaranteed.

Matched participants receive an SMS and have three days to decide whether to connect. Contact details are shared only if both accept.