Minor and Major Project Grants

MINOR AND MAJOR PROJECT GRANTS

The NHB Heritage Grants Scheme consists of both the Minor Project Grant and Major Project Grants.

The Minor Project Grant (supporting up to 50% of relevant total project costs, subject to a cap of $50,000) supports a wide range of community heritage projects; these include programmes, events, and exhibitions.

The Major Project Grant (supporting up to 50% of relevant total project costs, subject to a cap of $150,000) aims to provide a higher level of support for projects with the potential to make a significant and lasting contribution to Singapore’s heritage scene.

WHAT DOES THE GRANT SUPPORT

The Minor and Major Project Grants support a wide range of community heritage projects.

Note: Projects related to the performing arts with performance as a primary component do not fall under the list of supportable project categories. Applicant may consider applying for the grants schemes under the National Arts Council (NAC).

ABOUT THE GRANT	MINOR PROJECT GRANT	MAJOR PROJECT GRANT
Funding Support	Capped at $50,000 or up to 50% of total qualifying project cost, whichever is lower	Capped at $150,000 or up to 50% of total qualifying project cost, whichever is lower
Suitable For	First-timers, with little/no experience in heritage projects Starter projects Projects on recurring heritage themes School Heritage Corners/Galleries Projects costs typically below S$100,000	Applicants with experience in developing heritage projects Applicants with good track record in grant projects Impactful projects that address a research gap Projects on lesser-known heritage themes, ethnic communities, traditions, and trades Projects costs typically S$100,001 and above
Examples of Common Project Types	✔ Exhibitions ✔ Programmes ✔ Documentaries ✔ Publications ✔ Events ✔ Galleries/Corners Applicants are encouraged to find innovative and effective ways to preserve and present our heritage.

ELIGIBILITY

Eligibility

Singapore Citizens/Permanent Residents aged 18 years old and above, and residing in Singapore
Non-profit organisations, locally registered interest groups and clans/associations
Non-profit educational institutions and educational institutions under the purview of Ministry of Education (MOE)
Informal groups with a nominated individual or local legally constituted organisation (to take legal and financial responsibility for the grant)
Individuals who are applying for the Major Project Grant must apply with a co-applicant; and projects must have a confirmed partnership with a registered society

Not Eligible:

Local/Foreign public institutions receiving operational funding from government agencies
Existing Heritage Grants recipients, or recipients with outstanding grant repayments
Applicants who are involved in other ongoing NHB grant projects
For-profit organisations

For more information, please download the Heritage Grants Scheme Guidelines  here.

HOW TO APPLY

To apply, please visit OurSG Grants Portal and ensure that you have a valid Singpass/Corppass. Applications are only accepted via OurSG Grants Portal.

Note: Organisations must apply via OurSG Grants Portal using a valid Corppass account. Applicants applying for an Organisation using a Singpass account will not be accepted.

Click here if you wish to register for Singpass.
Click here if you wish to register for CorpPass.

WHEN TO APPLY

The grant is open for application two times a year. All applications must reach us before or on the application closing dates by 2359h regardless of whether it is weekends or Public Holidays. Late applications will not be accepted. The table below lists the key dates and windows that you will need to keep in mind as you are preparing for your application.

Application Windows	Expected Notification of Results	For Projects Commencing After	Acceptance of Offer
4 Mar - 15 Apr	End July	September	Two weeks from date stated in the Letter of Award
4 Aug - 15 Sep	End December	February of the following year	Two weeks from date stated in the Letter of Award

Successful applicants must accept the Letter of Award within 14 days from the issuance date of the Letter of Award (failure to do so will result in a lapse of the award). All results are final.

USEFUL RESOURCES

General Resources

Guides

Research Resources

Summary of Research Materials at National Heritage Board and National Archives Singapore

Primary Materials

NewspaperSG (online archive of Singapore newspapers)
National Archives of Singapore (archive of speeches, photographs, oral history interviews etc.)
PictureSG (database of images which document the development of Singapore)
BookSG (an online collection of digitised books and printed materials in the National Library)
One Search Spatial Discovery (database of digitised maps from the National Library and National Archives)
MusicSG (archive of all forms of musical works published in Singapore)
National Online Repository of the Arts (database of literary, performing, and visual art works by Singapore artists)
Biodiversity Heritage Library (archive of literature on Singapore’s biodiversity)

Secondary Materials

Infopedia (online encyclopedia on Singapore’s heritage, events, organisations and more)
HistorySG (online resource guide on events that have unfolded in Singapore’s history since 1299 to present)
Biblioasia (quarterly publication by NHB that features multi-disciplinary articles related to Singapore)
Curiocity (interactive portal featuring digital stories and VR tours on the history of places and buildings in Singapore)

Heritage Grants Clinic

Join us at the Heritage Grants Clinics to learn more about the NHB Heritage Grants Scheme (Minor and Major Project Grants), as well as good practices and useful tips that may come in handy when you prepare your grant application.

The Grants Clinics are organised biannually, in February and July each year. Registration for the clinic typically commences one month prior to the session.

To express your interest in attending the next clinic, please click on the following link. Once the clinic is open for registration, you will receive an email from us containing the details and registration instructions.

https://go.gov.sg/clinicmailinglist

GRANT PROJECT SPOTLIGHT

Documentaries

Events & Heritage Trails

Exhibitions

Games & Websites

Publications

School Heritage Corners/ Galleries

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

APPLICATION

1. Can I or my organisation apply for more than one grant during the year?

Yes, you can apply more than once during the year. However, if more than one of your applications have been awarded the grant, you can only accept one grant award (i.e. you can only have one project that is receiving funding under the NHB Heritage Grants Scheme at any one time).

2. Can I apply for the Minor and Major Project Grants via email?

No, only applications submitted through the OurSG Grants (OSG) portal will be accepted.

3. We missed the application deadline. Can I submit a late application?

No, we do not accept late or incomplete applications. Interested applicants are highly encouraged to submit your applications early to avoid disappointment.

4. I am unable to submit my application via the OurSG Grants portal due to technical issues, how can I proceed with the application?

In the event of technical error, send us a screenshot of the error message at nhb_heritagegrants@nhb.gov.sg. You may also refer to the Frequently Asked Questions on the application and post-application process via OurSG Grants portal here.

5. How are the grant applications evaluated?

All eligible applications will be evaluated based on Merit of Proposal, Soundness of Project Planning and Outreach of Proposal. More details on the assessment criteria can be found on the Heritage Grants Scheme Guidelines.

6. Can I find out why my application was rejected?

NHB is unable to share the details of the grant evaluation. However, please be assured that every grant application is carefully evaluated according to the grant assessment criteria.

7. I am a representative from an MOE school and is interested to apply for the Minor Project Grant for the school’s heritage corner. Where can I find out more about the grant application process?

Please refer to the Heritage Grants Scheme Guidelines. NHB also organises regular Grants Clinics (in collaboration with MOE Heritage Centre) for MOE schools in June and November each year to share on the application process and good practices for grant applications. Interested participants may sign up for the Grants Clinics through MOE Heritage Centre. Schools are reminded to apply using Corppass as it is a requirement for organisational applicants to do so.

8. I am an individual who is interested in applying for the Minor Project Grant for my own project. Where can I find out more about the grant application process?

Please refer to the Heritage Grants Scheme Guidelines and/or sign up for the Grants Clinic (public sessions) that are held in February and July each year. Information on registration to the Grants Clinics will be updated on the NHB Facebook and via our heritage grants mailing list. Please write to us at nhb_heritagegrants@nhb.gov.sg if you are keen to be added to our mailing list to receive information about our grant events.

9. Who can accept the Letter of Award upon successful grant application?

If Singpass is used to apply for the grant, the Singpass account owner can accept the Letter of Award.
If Corppass is used to apply for the grant, only the individual assigned the “Acceptor” role in Corppass can accept the Letter of Award. To find out what your Corppass role is, look for role label next to your log in account name, located on the masthead. For queries about your Corppass, you can contact Corppass or take a look at their user guides.

10. How do I accept the Letter of Award upon successful grant application?

For individual applicants who has applied using Singpass:

Log in to the OurSG Grants portal.
Navigate to the Applications box on the Dashboard to view your most recent applications.
Identify the grant with status Application Approved. Click on the View Offer button.
Follow the steps on the webpage and click Accept Offer when you are ready

For organisation applicants who has applied using Corppass, please check that you are the Acceptor for your company before following the above steps. To find out what your Corppass role is, look for the role label next to your log in account name located on the masthead. For queries about your Corppass, you can contact Corppass or take a look at their user guides.

FUNDING/CLAIMS

1. Does the Minor and Major Project Grants provide full funding for projects?

No, the Minor and Major Project Grants provide partial funding support, where the grant quantum awarded is a percentage of qualifying project costs. The Minor Project Grant provides funding up to 50% of total qualifying project cost, capped at S$50,000, whichever is lower. The Major Project Grant provides funding up to 50% of total qualifying project cost, capped at S$150,000, whichever is lower. For information on qualifying costs, please refer to the Heritage Grants Scheme Guidelines.

2. How will grant funds/monies be disbursed?

The grant will be disbursed in stages upon submission of all the agreed deliverables at each stage. The disbursements of the grant for the initial tranche(s) will be made on an advance basis; and, the final tranche will be made on a reimbursement basis. You will be required to submit supporting documents as proof of payments made (e.g. receipts) at the final disbursement stage for claims processing.

3. My final project expenditure was less than the proposed project expenditure in the proposal during the application, will I still get the full awarded grant amount?

The grant is awarded as a percentage of the total qualifying costs of the project, capped at a maximum grant quantum – i.e. the final grant award for your project will be computed based on the approved percentage awarded of the final qualifying project expenditure. As such, the final grant amount will be reduced accordingly if lower spending is reported in the final qualifying project expenditure; however, the grant amount will not be increased if the final qualifying project expenditure is higher. Grant recipients will be required to return the excess monies to NHB in the event if the grant disbursed exceeds the revised grant award amount.

TIMELINE

1. When can I apply for the Minor and Major Project Grants?

These grants are open for application twice a year, from 4 March to 15 April and 4 August to 15 September. Applications close 2359hr on 15 April and 15 September, regardless of whether it is weekends or Public Holidays. Please visit the section above for more details on the grant application windows and project eligibility.

2. Can my project start before the start date in the Letter of Award (LOA)?

Yes, it is possible. However, please note that the grant does not support completed projects; and/or, project costs that are incurred before the grant commencement date (i.e. start date in the LOA).

3. How long can my project last?

Your project should be completed within the approved project timeline outlined and accepted in your Letter of Award. (Note: all projects must be carried out and completed within 24 months from the date of award to be eligible for support under the Minor and Major Project Grants.)