Support for Local Culinary Professionals to Establish F&B Businesses in Plans to Promote Singapore as Culinary Capital
Ministry of Trade and IndustrySpeakers
Summary
This question concerns Ms See Jinli Jean’s inquiry on strengthening the uniquely Singaporean element through marketing and rental support for local culinary professionals in rejuvenation projects. Minister Gan Kim Yong responded that platforms like the Singapore Food Festival and various MICE shows already showcase local brands to international audiences. He detailed assistance schemes, including the Enterprise Development Grant and FoodVentures programme, to help companies grow, transform, and internationalise. However, Minister Gan Kim Yong stated that the Government generally does not provide rental support to avoid distorting market prices. The focus remains on using structured development programmes and productivity grants to enhance the competitiveness of local culinary enterprises.
Transcript
2 Ms See Jinli Jean asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry in respect of the Ministry's marketing plans to promote Singapore as a culinary capital, whether the Ministry will consider strengthening the uniquely Singaporean element via support schemes for marketing and rental that will encourage more local culinary professionals to establish their food and beverage businesses in Government-led space rejuvenation projects.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: The Government collaborates with partners to provide platforms for local food and beverage businesses to showcase their brands. Enterprise Singapore supports annual food-related meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) shows in Singapore, namely the Food and Hotel Asia, Restaurant Asia and SIGEP Asia. These shows provide opportunities for our local food companies to network and profile their brands to an international audience. The Singapore Tourism Board also organises the Singapore Food Festival annually to celebrate our local food, culture and culinary talents.
In addition, Enterprise Singapore has programmes to support companies, including local food companies, to grow, transform and internationalise. The FoodVentures is a structured end-to-end internationalisation programme for progressive food services companies. Companies can also tap into the Market Readiness Assistance Grant to defray the costs of overseas market promotion, business development and set-up; and the Productivity Solutions Grant and Enterprise Development Grant to grow and transform their businesses.
We generally do not provide support schemes for rental costs to avoid distorting market prices.