Queenstown, Tiong Bahru and Geylang Serai are among several towns here hoping to take home the 2014 Heritage Town Award.

Launched by the National Heritage Board (NHB) in 2010, the second instalment of the award involves a three-month search for a town which best embodies Singapore's heritage and culture. The award also aims to encourage ground-up community outreach and heritage projects.

The winning town will be assessed by a panel of judges on its vision for the town, track record of heritage activities, proposed heritage activities for the coming year and their level of innovation. The first town to win the award in 2011 was Joo Chiat.

"We are happy to announce the nomination call for Singapore's second Heritage Town and hope that through this, our diverse communities can proactively and collectively take ownership of the invaluable cultural heritage of their local spaces and places," said Mr Tan Boon Hui, the group director of programmes at NHB.

Keen community and interest groups are to submit their entries via the proposed heritage town's Citizens' Consultative Committees. After the open call is closed in March 2014, an assessment and evaluation will be carried out by an external jury, before the successful nominee is notified by mid-2014.