Maritime Outreach Fund

Who qualifies

• Eligible applicants are individuals who are Singapore citizens or Permanent Residents (the lead applicant must be a Singaporean or PR), educational institutions registered with the Ministry of Education, organisations registered under the Registrar of Societies or ACRA, and interest groups.
• The proposal must be maritime-related — for example exhibitions, workshops, talks, conferences, seminars, forums, competitions, publications, interactives with gaming components, or events with strong education and outreach components.
• The proposed activity must target at least one of: students, educators, members of the public with an interest in the maritime industry, or families with young children.
• Proposals must be non-profit in nature and non-commercial in interest.
• Not eligible: applicants constituted for non-secular purposes, applicants with pending evaluation or financial reports on previous MPA grants, and applicants with outstanding debts with MPA.
• Not eligible: projects already commenced before application, projects primarily promoting religious or political causes, projects unable to obtain the necessary licences, projects already supported by MPA or other organisations under other schemes, and projects that denigrate a person or group on the basis of race or religion or undermine public institutions.
• Applicants must declare funding received from other sources; double funding of the same items is not allowed.
• Non-profit organisations registered with ACRA, MOE-registered educational institutions and interest groups may submit as many proposals as they like but only one project proposal at a time; all other organisations and companies may apply only twice within a three-year period.

What it funds

• Community, arts, heritage, sports, social-good projects
• Domestic marketing, events, branding campaigns

Costs covered: Marketing, advertising, trade-fair booth costs; Physical materials and consumables consumed by the funded project (e.g. construction materials, prototypes); Third-party consultant or professional service fees; Space, incubation or facility rental; Explain in notes.

Recorded cap: S$30,000.

Funding is capped at a maximum of $30,000 per project. Component sub-caps as a share of the proposed budget — third-party professional services 35%, production costs 35%, rental of equipment and venue 15%, marketing and publicity 20%, refreshments on the day of the event 10%, public transportation 10%. Fundraising, start-up or capital expenditure and any manpower-related costs are not funded.

Payment: Paid in tranches against milestones.

How to apply

Review the Terms and Conditions (Guidelines) and Info Sheet, complete the Annex A application form in the Guidelines, and email it to Community_engagement@mpa.gov.sg at least 8 weeks before the project is due to start.

1. Read the fund Guidelines (Terms and Conditions) and Info Sheet before applying.
2. Complete all fields of the Annex A application form, including project details, key deliverables or KPIs, a breakdown of estimated costs, project timeline and track record.
3. Email the completed application to community_engagement@mpa.gov.sg at least 8 weeks before the proposed commencement date.
4. If successful, accept MPA's Offer within 2 weeks of the notification email.

Before applying

• The project must not have commenced before the time of application; MPA approval is required before work starts.
• Applications must be submitted at least 8 weeks before the proposed commencement date.
• The lead applicant must be a Singapore citizen or Permanent Resident.

Documents

• Maritime Outreach Fund Application (Annex A) — Template printed as Annex A of the fund Guidelines PDF; all fields must be completed or the form may be rejected. Agency document ↗
• Applicants' particulars, e.g. NRIC number, address, contact details — Listed in the Info Sheet as details needed when filling up the application.
• Institution or organisation details, e.g. registration or society registration number and mailing address (if applicable) — Required where the applicant is an institution or organisation.
• Project budget — Breakdown of estimated funds by item; captured in the Annex A table.
• Project timeline — Proposed commencement date and date of completion.
• Any other supporting documents (if applicable) — Info Sheet lists this as optional supporting material.

Processing time: Please allow for 4 weeks from the time of application to be notified of the results.

Claiming support

The first 20% of the approved budget is disbursed 30 days after acceptance of MPA's Offer. The remaining 80% is reimbursed after project completion against proper documentation evidencing completion and actual expenditure. Only actual costs incurred are reimbursed, so an underspend reduces the payout.

Claims for reimbursement must be submitted within 2 months of the date of completion of the project; any claim not submitted within 1 year of completion lapses entirely. The Evaluation Report and Financial Report are also due within 2 months of the event end date.

Contact: Community_engagement@mpa.gov.sg

Application window: Open on a rolling basis; applications must be submitted at least 8 weeks before the proposed commencement date of the project.