SINGAPORE - People with ideas on creating a greener environment, from recycling drives to composting projects, can tap the SG Eco Fund which has announced its third grant call.
The $50 million fund was set up in November 2020 by the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment to support the co-creation of solutions for a sustainable Singapore.
Starting this year, the main category will have a fixed application window, from May 1 to Aug 31, when there was none previously.
The second category, known as Sprout, will be open for applications throughout the year.
The main category is for projects that require funding of between $10,000 and $1 million, while Sprout is for financing needs under $10,000.
On Wednesday (April 27), Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu said: "These changes will make it easier for individuals and organisations to plan their projects in advance and turn their ideas into action."
She was speaking at the launch of a sustainability centre operated by local social enterprise City Sprouts, which received a grant in early 2021.
Co-founder of City Sprouts, Mr Chee Zhi Kin, 28, said: "The SG Eco Fund provided us with the resources we needed to set it up, and it helped us do a lot of outreach in terms of creating the materials needed, in terms of putting together the content, its curation and it allows us to reach out to more people, to schools, institutions and organisations."
The centre in Henderson is meant to be a sandbox for green creators and ultimately a knowledge hub that engages communities.
Through designs that embed green innovations, the space strives to push boundaries of sustainable systems while encouraging ground-up involvement from the community.
Features in the centre include a green wall, which is a lightweight facade system that uses algae to absorb carbon, and a green roof that will decrease its temperature from around 60 deg C in the middle of the day to 28 deg C - reducing the need for strong air-conditioning.
Highlighting the importance of ground-up projects, Ms Fu said: "As we strive towards a greener and low-carbon future, changes to the way we live, work and play are needed. And for this transition to be an inclusive one, we must build a new social compact for the changes to come. Every individual, household, organisation and business can play their part in the green transition."
The SG Eco Fund - which supports the Singapore Green Plan 2030, a national road map to advance the sustainability agenda - has awarded $6.6 million to 105 individuals and organisations so far.
Individuals applying for the grant must be citizens or permanent residents (PRs) living here.
Those applying as a group must ensure they include at least one citizen or PR, and everyone in the group must be living in Singapore.
Organisations must be registered in Singapore.
Interested applicants can learn more and apply for the fund at the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment's website.
