Available Grants

• WoW! fund
• Advantage! Scheme
• Open Door Fund
• Other Government Grants

The Work-Life Works! (WoW!) Fund was introduced in August 2004 to facilitate employers introducing Work-Life measures at the workplace, with a focus on flexible work arrangements. Response for the WoW! Fund was good - the first $10 million was fully committed by April 2007. Thus, the Government has decided to top-up the Fund with another $10 million.

The $10 million top-up for the WoW! Fund aims to defray the costs incurred by companies while introducing Work-Life measures. The Government will co-fund the costs incurred for approved projects, up to a maximum of $10,000 per project per organisation. The grant is subject to outcomes for the number of employees benefiting from better Work-Life Harmony as a result of the programmes.

New Features of the WoW! Fund

1. Cap at $10,000 per application

    - IT Cap of $2,000
 
2. Increased flexibility in items funded, especially Employee Support Schemes
 
3. Public organisations can apply
 
4. Outcome-based funding

    - Initial disbursement of 40% rewards efforts
    - Final 60% rewards employee outcomes

5. Annual updates for two years after final report submission

Key Features of grant

All organisations (including private-sector, non-profit and public-sector organisations), can apply for the grant. Organisations operating as a group of closely related subsidiaries should submit only one application. Organisations must be able to show proof of at least five paid employees to be eligible for the grant.
The Work-Life Works! (WoW!) Fund will subsidise up to 70% of the costs of approved projects, with a cap of $10,000 per application.

The grant of up to $10,000 will be disbursed in two phases:
 
a) First 40% of approved budget upon the applicant's acceptance of the grant. b) Remaining amount (based on actual costs incurred), upon submission of final report and/or successful audit.


3.   The WoW! Fund can be used to subsidise the following categories:

a)   Training HR managers and line supervisors on how to implement Work-Life Strategies. Funded training includes compulsory training for project leaders, as well as optional courses for line managers and/or affected staff. Only training courses approved by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) will be funded.

 While not compulsory, the Project Leader is advised to attend MOM-approved Work-Life training before the project starts. Some Work-Life knowledge is necessary to develop a proposal grounded in sound Work-Life intention. Having a sound proposal will increase the chance of the application being approved. Successful applicants can list these training costs they incurred before the project as part of their WoW! Fund budget request. Applicants bear the risk of incurring this cost if their application is subsequently rejected.

b)   Engaging a qualified Work-Life consultant - The consultant is an external third party engaged by the applicant to provide assistance and advice on work-life issues. It is not compulsory to engage a consultant. Consultancy costs are capped at $10,000.

c)   Cost of physical or IT infrastructure that facilitates the implementation of Flexible Work Arrangements e.g. IT network systems, clocking infrastructure. IT budgets are capped at $2,000 to encourage applicants to look at a broader spectrum of Work-Life solutions.

d)    Infrastructure and programmes that support selected Employee Support Schemes (ESS). The following categories of ESS will be supported:

·      Personal Work-Life Effectiveness (PWLE) Workplace Programmes -   organisations can defray up to 70% of the cost incurred for approved PWLE Workplace Programmes, subject to a cap of $3,000 per organisation;
·      Flexible benefits programmes;
·      Lactation, family or daycare rooms;
·      Time-saving services, e.g. concierge, internal postal or banking services;
·      Employee counselling services, e.g. for stress or personal issues;
·      Family referral services; and
·      Innovative childcare or eldercare arrangements.

a)      Schemes that enhance personal wellness (e.g. gym membership) or foster employee bonding (e.g. family day, dinner-and-dance);

b)      Recurrent costs after implementation of a Work-Life project (e.g. maintenance of lactation rooms or IT equipment); and c)       GST. The amount reimbursed is based on the principal sum.

5.   Please note that organisations must obtain prior approval for the project before incurring any costs (except for project leader training) related to the project.

6.   Projects must be completed within one year from date of approval.

7.   Only Work-Life consultants approved by MOM may be engaged for consultancy or training. 
 

Today's Efforts, Tomorrow's Manpower Edge 
Our workforce is ageing. In 2006, 52% of our workforce were aged 40 and above. This figure is expected to exceed a million or 55% by 2015. By 2020, we will have more than 500,000 people aged above 65, almost twice the figure in 2005. The life expectancy of our population is now 80 years old and they will need to work longer to have sufficient savings for old age.

Responding to the need for older workers to work longer, the Government has decided to introduce legislation requiring companies to re-employ their existing workers, beyond the retirement age of 62, effective by 1 Jan 2012. Companies need to start early and adopt good HR systems and practices to facilitate the re-employment and retention of older workers in their workforce.

The experience and expertise of older workers are valuable assets to business operations and performance. Recognising the strengths and opportunities of an older workforce, many companies have already begun to implement systems and processes to recruit, retain or re-employ them.

As an incentive for companies to start early before the upcoming legislation, the Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA) has enhanced its ADVANTAGE! Scheme to help companies make the necessary adjustments. The funding has been raised to $400,000 per company

What ADVANTAGE! supports
The enhanced ADVANTAGE! scheme now offers a grant of up to $400,000 to support your company’s initiatives and efforts in the following areas:

1. Recruitment of new workers aged 40 and above,
2. Retention of existing workers aged 55-61, and
3. Re-employment of existing workers aged 62 and above.

It also supports initiatives to implement HR systems for the retention and re-employment of mature workers. These may include, but not limited to:

• Institution of re-employment policy
• Wage restructuring
  -To move away from seniority-based wages to more job-based, competency-based and performance-based wages\
• Institution of non-discriminatory recruitment/hiring policy
• Provision of career and retirement counseling especially for workers withdrawing   their CPF at the age of 55
• Redesigning of medical benefits
  -Restructuring medical benefits to fixed quantum per workers so as not to disadvantage cost competitiveness of mature workers
• Introduction of part time work to attract economically inactive mature workers
• Improving working environment to help mature workers be more productive
• Skills upgrading or re-skilling of mature workers
• Health promotion programmes
• Institutionalising career guidance programmes
• Implementing performance management systems
• Job re-design to raise productivity and introduce new roles and responsibilities for mature workers

How does ADVANTAGE! Scheme works
The enhanced ADVANTAGE! is open to companies registered or based in Singapore. Upon successful application, your company may receive a grant amount of up to $400,000.

The grant will fund the cost of your company’s efforts to recruit, retain or re-employ mature workers, including the developing and/or implementing of re-employment systems. These may include costs incurred for training, consultancy, Intellectual Property Rights, equipment, absentee payroll and staff salary (pro-rated to direct involvement in development or implementation of the initiatives). The grant, however, cannot be used for the purposes of retention bonus or salary support.

Companies applying for the ADVANTAGE! grant are required to submit the following 2 items:

1. A simple proposal of their project for a 1-year period, stating the following Outcomes (where appropriate):

A. Number of workers aged 40 and above to be recruited
B. Number of workers aged 55-61 to be retained
C. Number of workers aged 62 and above to be re-employed
D. Details of its re-employment system (mandatory)

2. A statement declaring the estimated cost of the project

All companies applying for the ADVANTAGE! Scheme must commit to Outcome D.

Companies with existing staff aged 55 and above must commit to Outcomes B and/or C, in addition to D, depending on the age of the existing staff.  These companies will only receive the ADVANTAGE! grant once, as the purpose is to help them to establish a sustainable system for mature workers to work longer.  Outcome A is optional for these companies.

Companies who do not have existing staff aged 55 and above may commit to only Outcome A in addition to D, but the grant amount will be capped at $100,000 per company.
Grant Computation
The method of calculation of the grant amount will be based on:

Number of workers aged 40 and above to be recruited X $3,000 +
Number of workers aged 55-61 to be retained X $3,000 +
Number of workers aged 62 and above to be re-employed X $4,000

OR

80% of declared project cost,

whichever is lower, subject to a cap of $400,000 per company. If your company have received ADVANTAGE! grants before, you are still eligible to apply for the enhanced ADVANTAGE! Scheme. The total cumulative grant you may receive for all the ADVANTAGE! projects will be subjected to an overall cap of $400,000.

Grant Disbursement
The grant will be disbursed over 3 tranches and it is tied to the achievement of the following outcomes within 1 year:

OPEN DOOR FUND (Adapted from SNEF Website)

Companies can seek funding to subsidise the following components.

1. Redesign of Job Scope/Process
   Redesign the job scope or process, such as breaking up the work process into smaller components to make it more suitable for persons with disabilities.
2. Workplace Modification
   Make building modifications and install equipment at the workplace to make the environment more accessible.
3. Training Programmes
   Provide job-specific external and/or internal training for the persons with disabilities to facilitate effective learning.
4. Integration Programmes
   Organise orientation briefings/programmes and training for company supervisors and co-workers on how to effectively interact and communicate with persons with disabilities. Furthermore, companies can tap on the Fund to engage the services of job coaches, for up to a maximum of 12 months, to support the persons with disabilities as part of their integration programme.
5. Outsourcing Feature
   Companies can tap on the Fund when engaging the services of persons with disabilities employed by outsourcing firms that provide services to the company.
   
   This is subjected to the following;
   
   a) The persons with disabilities are placed at the company’s premises (so that workplace modification and/or improvements are justified);
   
   b) The persons with disabilities are employed on at least a one-year contract or more; and
   
   c) The company, and not the outsourcing firm, pays the co-funding component.

Eligibility Criteria for Companies

• Company registered or based in Singapore.
• Commitment to employ persons with disabilities, who are Singaporean/Singaporean PRs, on at least a one-year contract or more.
• A minimum of 4 persons with disabilities have to be hired. Existing persons with disabilities can be included as part of the 4 persons with disabilities in order for companies to qualify for the Fund, although the Fund can only be tapped for new hires.
• Thus, if Employer A has previously employed 1 person with disability, the company will need to employ only 3 more to qualify for the Fund. Employer A, however, would only be able to obtain funding for the 3 new employees.

General Information on Persons with Disabilities

1. Persons with disabilities are those whose prospects of securing, retaining places and advancing in education and training institutions , employment and recreation as equal members of the community are substantially reduced as a result of physical, sensory, intellectual and developmental impairments.
2. In Singapore, persons with disabilities are classified under four broad categories of disabilities – sensory disabilities (hearing and visual impairment), intellectual disabilities (with an IQ of 70 and below), physical disabilities (e.g. amputee, polio) and other developmental impairments (e.g. Autism Spectrum Disorder. Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder).

The fund can be used to subsidize

1. Up to 30% funding of actual cost of IPR (Intellectual Property and Rights) such as licensing and royalties;
2. Up to 70% funding of salaries of company staff engaged in the job redesign and consultancies paid to third parties;
3. Up to 90% funding of actual cost of leasing (up to 12 months) or purchase cost of equipment and building modifications;
4. Up to 90% funding for the training cost of persons with disabilities (including internal and external training) and the basic salary cost while the persons with disabilities undergoes training; and

• Up to 90% funding for other items such as mentorship, engagement of job coaches or other adjustment programmes to integrate the persons with disabilities into the company.

Fund Disbursement Schedule:

Disbursement Schedule	Job Redesign Incentive (% of disbursement)	Training Incentive (% of disbursement)
1st Disbursement (Commencement of Project)	40%	Nil
2nd Disbursement (Completion of project and hiring of persons with disabilities committed by the employer)	40%	80%

Other Government Grants 

• For more information about other Government grants, do visit the website at http://www.business.gov.sg/EN/HowToGuide/ 
• Should you require any further assistance, please Contact Us for more details.