Support for Heritage Businesses and Balancing Their Preservation and Sustainability with Innovation

49 Mr Mohd Fahmi Bin Aliman asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) what financial support and grant schemes are available to heritage businesses in Singapore in addition to the Organisation Transform Grant; (b) whether the Ministry provides assistance to sustain these heritage businesses amidst rising costs and current economic challenges; (c) how does the Ministry balance between preserving the traditional aspects of heritage businesses and encouraging innovation when providing financial support and grant schemes; and (d) whether there are specific programmes that facilitate such balance.

Mr Edwin Tong Chun Fai: The Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth and the National Heritage Board (NHB) recognise that heritage businesses contribute to the overall character of an area and serve as important community anchors.

To increase their business sustainability, heritage businesses can tap on the wider ecosystem of business and financial support offered by Government agencies, such as EnterpriseSG, as well as organisations, such as small and medium enterprise centres, business chambers and trade associations. This includes the Heartland Enterprise Placemaking Grant, which supports heartland merchants in organising innovative placemaking activities that can contribute to business growth and footfall and to raise their profile. In addition, NHB has introduced initiatives to encourage innovation to help our heritage businesses and practitioners reach out to new markets.

NHB's Organisation Transformation Grant supports heritage businesses in adopting and implementing business transformation efforts to enhance their longer-term sustainability. For example, Deli Maslina, a multi-generational family business specialising in traditional Malay kueh, utilised the grant to undertake redevelopment and rebranding efforts for their line of kueh lapis (layered cake). The project aimed to cater to changing consumer tastes and expand their appeal to a wider pool of customers and clients.

NHB's Craft x Design initiative seeks to reinvigorate interest in traditional crafts by pairing traditional craft practitioners with contemporary designers to co-create innovative products. This pairing allows them to draw on traditional craft sensibilities and contemporary design, raising the profile of these traditional crafts and enhancing practitioners' access to new markets, networks and designs.

NHB also works closely with other agencies on initiatives to profile our heritage businesses, such as the Street Corner Heritage Galleries in Little India, Chinatown, Kampong Gelam, Katong Joo-Chiat and Balestier. As part of this initiative, NHB partners with local shop owners with at least 30 years of history to develop the showcases, as well as to develop programmes, such as talks, tours and workshops, to promote greater public awareness and appreciation of these heritage businesses.

Heritage Activation Nodes (HAN) which provide opportunities for the community, including heritage businesses, to co-develop and participate in projects celebrating their neighbourhood's heritage. The first HAN was launched in Katong-Joo Chiat in April 2024 and a second HAN will be launched in Clementi in the second half of 2024.

NHB has partnered with the Urban Redevelopment Authority on the Kampong Gelam Citizen Engagement Project, to map and document heritage businesses in the precinct. The findings from the project will guide future initiatives and partnerships with the community to better preserve the precinct's identity and character. NHB is currently preparing for a similar project for Chinatown.

NHB's Heritage Institutions and Community Galleries also partner stakeholders in the community to showcase the unique history of their precinct and inject cultural vibrancy through programming. NHB is committed to supporting our heritage businesses whilst partnering them to document, preserve and safeguard their heritage, as part of a whole-of-society effort.