DBS Foundation Grant Programme is sponsored by DBS Foundation. The DBS Foundation Grant Programme supports social enterprises and social impact companies in Asia that aim to create positive social change and sustainable collective impact.

Since 2015, DBS Foundation has provided about SGD 26 million in grant funding to over 180 social enterprises and SMEs to scale their business models and deepen their impact. We're immensely proud of this impact community and what they've gone on to achieve. Our flagship DBS Foundation Grant has nurtured a strong network of Businesses for Impact across Asia.

From 2024, the grant has focused on scaling innovative social enterprises (SEs) and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that help create a more inclusive world and bring enduring change to vulnerable communities in Asia. We are looking for innovative businesses that improve the lives of those in need so that they can be more socially and financially resilient.

Moreover, as life spans increase, we want to support solutions that enable people at all life stages to age with dignity, purpose and joy. If your business provides essential needs or fosters financial inclusion, we invite you to apply to Providing Essential Needs Your business provides access to areas such as food and nutrition, basic education, and healthcare, including mental health.

You equip people with tools to better manage daily stress, build self-esteem, and foster stronger community “With DBS Foundation's support, we've evolved from training home chefs to empowering head chefs to serve at least 30,000 soft-textured dishes. Together, we're enabling families with diverse dietary needs to sit at the same table, share a meal, and make every bite truly meaningful.

” The Project Futurus, DBS Foundation 2024 Grantee “Backed by DBS Foundation, the 1Care centre in Odisha since Aug 2025 has delivered over 20,000 health interventions to drivers and workers in the remote industrial corridor; bringing preventive care and early risk detection to those who need it most, powered by a high-end, AI-driven Last Mile Care (LMC), DBS Foundation 2024 Grantee “DBS Foundation Grant has enabled us to continuously enhance long-term care management system and expand its implementation to more communities and frontline service providers.

Since 2021, the number of people served has grown from 7,994 to a cumulative total of over 3. 02 million. ” Silvergate, DBS Foundation 2024 Grantee Fostering Financial Inclusion Your business provides skills and tools to improve financial and digital literacy, and improves access to upskilling opportunities for “From the very beginning, our partnership has been very multifaceted.

Not just in funding, but also seeing in how can we use the assets of the bank as a whole. We want to continue to see how we can grow Bettr Group, DBS Foundation “We got to know more about the social enterprise mindset, skills, and how we can create impact and change through our resources, and funds from DBS Foundation have allowed us to better scale our business.

” Mohamad Bijaksana Junerosano Waste4Change, DBS Foundation “The DBS Foundation Grant has been pivotal in validating our efforts and encouraging us to explore innovative ideas. For instance, the intergenerational fashion runway brought together seniors, youths, and individuals with special needs, fostering a sense of community and joy.

This confidence to grow and expand CitySprouts, DBS Foundation An innovative business and impact model that shows potential to scale with financial At least a two-year track record of delivering and measuring social impact Clear and focused plans to use the grant funding to scale the business and impact created Strong leadership with a clear commitment to building a business with a clear impact Businesses must be registered and operating in one of the 5 markets: Singapore, Hong Kong, India, Please note that entities that are registered as not-for-profit, sole proprietorship, charities, co-operatives, religious organisations for religious purposes, election campaigns, general fund-raising drives or event sponsorships will NOT be eligible for the grant.

What can the Grant be used for? The DBS Foundation Grant aims to catalyse the growth of businesses so as to scale their impact on those in need. The grant purpose should therefore have a clear breakdown on how the funds will help achieve the stated purpose.

Poorly substantiated grant requests will be rejected. Funds can be used for various growth initiatives, including but not limited to, entering new markets, R&D into new products, enhancing product or service offerings, and building infrastructure The grant cannot be used to fund past activities or events. It can only be used for expenses which are incurred after the Grant Agreement has been signed.

There should not be other sources of grants already deployed to this purpose. DBS Foundation provides both financial and non-financial support to help your business, including mentorship, networking opportunities, and other capacity building programmes to scale your business commercially and drive greater change.

Be recognised as a purpose-driven business for impact Receive up to SGD 250,000 in grant funding to scale your Connect with, learn from and be inspired by our growing community of changemakers Open doors to networking and business opportunities with potential funders, collaborators and partners across Asia.

Gain access to capacity-building programmes, banking support and integration Raise awareness for your business and impact on DBS and other platforms The DBS Foundation Grant is now open for applications Submissions received by Monday, 13 July 2026, 2359hrs (Singapore time, GMT+8), will be evaluated this year.

Businesses must be registered and operating in one of the five markets that DBS operates in: Singapore, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia or Taiwan. Please note that applications for the DBS Foundation grant is to be made online by clicking on the button above. DBS Foundation does not process any application through any channel partner and/or third party.

DBS Foundation does not charge any fee for processing and application. Submission of an application does not guarantee eligibility for the DBS Foundation Grant.

DBS Foundation reserves the sole discretion and right to determine whether an interested applicant will be shortlisted for further evaluation and/or Frequently Asked Questions When is the closing date for To be eligible for evaluation this year, you need to submit your application before 13 July 2026, 2359 hrs SGT.

How will I know if my grant award application has been Successful submissions will receive an auto-generated acknowledgement of receipt of your online application via email. Is there a way to save my answers in the application form so that I can come back to it No, there is no save button in the application form. Instead, you may download the form template to prepare and save your draft responses.

Once all your responses are ready and you have consolidated all the required documents, you can copy your answers in the online submission for the final I have prepared my responses in the form template that I have downloaded from the link. Can I send an email to submit my No. All applications need to be submitted through the online form. There are some mistakes in my application.

Can I submit a new Only one application will be accepted per entity. If multiple applications are submitted for the same entity for the same grant type, only the most recent submission will be considered before the closing date. What happens after I submit my application?

If your application is shortlisted, you will receive an email to submit another form, which will require you to upload documents such as your pitch deck, financial statements and letters of recommendation (if any). My business is working on many different impact solutions that require grant award funding. Can I submit a different application for each solution?

No. We will only accept one application per business. If multiple applications are submitted for the same entity for the same grant type, only the most recent submission will be considered before the closing date. When will I know the results?

Applicants will be notified of their application outcome by December 2026. Actual dates will be communicated later. I would like to meet with the team from DBS Foundation before submitting my Due to the high volume of applications, we receive, and to ensure fairness and equality among applicants, we do not accept meetings with applicants.

Only applications submitted online will be assessed by DBS Foundation. Please note that applications that are incomplete or do not provide clear information will be rejected. Will DBS Foundation take up an equity stake in the companies DBS Foundation does not take up equity stakes in the grantee business.

Can I use the Grant to fund expenditure or hiring in other The use of the grant is not exhaustive as long as it supports the business to scale its growth and social impact sustainably. Are there any rules or guidance You are strongly encouraged to develop a suitable impact measurement framework and definition according to your social mission.

A good benchmark is your ability to clearly articulate your organisation’s Theory of Change, explaining how your proposed solution leads to the desired long-term submitted to DBS Foundation is The DBS Foundation is governed by the Personal Data Protection Act and the information you provide will be secure.

By participating in the Grant application process, you consent to DBS Foundation collecting and using your personal particulars (including but not limited to name and contact details) for purposes of the DBS Foundation Grant. DBS Foundation will not use your personal particulars for any other purpose. All personal particulars provided to DBS Foundation will be kept secure and processed in accordance with all applicable laws.

Can I apply if my business is creating either social or DBS Foundation will only review applications of social enterprises (SEs) and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that are focused on creating social impact that are aligned with our two focus areas below: Providing essential needs - Your business provides access to areas such as food and nutrition, basic education, and healthcare, including mental health.

You equip people with tools to better manage daily stress, build self-esteem, and foster stronger community connections. Fostering financial inclusion - Your business provides skills and tools to improve financial and digital literacy and improves access to upskilling opportunities for better employability.

My business is registered as a not-for-profit organisation, can Entities that are registered as not-for-profit, sole proprietorship, co-operatives, charities, religious organisations for religious purposes, election campaigns, general fund-raising drives or event sponsorships will not be eligible for the grant.

My business is not a social If your impact is mainly through donations and projects rather than part of your core business, then it is not what we are looking for. Typically, your business revenue model should be tied to delivering that impact. Impact is intentional, measurable, and built into your operations and not a side Businesses should also be independent, commercial entities that are not owned by any state governments.

If I have already obtained a grant from another organisation, will it limit my chances of The grants you have received from other organisations will not influence this application. However, the DBS Foundation Grant purpose should be distinct from what you have already received prior funding for.

You are required to disclose this information in the application and substantiate how the grant from DBS Foundation can be used to achieve the outcomes. Can I apply to this programme if I am a past grant awardee of DBS SE and SME applicants which have previously received grants from DBS Bank and its affiliates, subsidiaries (“DBS”) and/or DBSF, may apply for the Grant, only if previously awarded grant(s) has expired.

Being a former DBSF grantee awardee does not guarantee successful application to future grants. Every application will be assessed independently on its own merits. I applied to the Grant before but was not awarded a grant, can Yes.

Each year, applications are reviewed independently. You may submit a Can I apply as an individual We award grants to for-profit businesses only and not to individuals. We only accept applications from social enterprises and SMEs that are registered as legal business entities in at least one of the following markets: Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Singapore and Taiwan.

My business is currently based obtained an approval under Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA). Can I still apply?

Business entities in India are required to provide evidence of having FCRA approval, or the ability to meet the following criteria: business is dependent solely on the sales revenue and not receivable by way of grants educational, religious or social (“CEERS”) programme; Grant not be used towards funding any other persons and/or entities which would obtain FCRA registration or DBS Foundation is unable to award grants to entities that do not meet the above criteria.

How does DBS Foundation decide The Grant evaluation process taps on the expertise of DBS Bank employees who evaluate each application against a scoring guide provided by DBS Foundation. They will then provide their assessment on whether the applicant should proceed to the final round of evaluation.

Finalists would pitch in person to a panel of judges who will then recommend who to award the grant Can the evaluation panel sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement with Applications are protected in the spirit of non-disclosure, and all submitted materials will be treated as confidential.

Employees of DBS Bank and DBS Foundation, any agents or external advisors who have access to applications as part of the evaluation process are bound to confidentiality. Information submitted by DBS Foundation Grant FAQs version 20260430 applicants will not be distributed to any other parties unless requested by the applicant.

No other provisions are made to protect intellectual While no information will be shared on public platforms, if you have/are in the process of filing patent(s), please do not disclose critical information which would affect a successful filing until you have been confirmed as a shortlisted applicant for local and/or final evaluation.

You should reveal information that you are comfortable and have the right to If I am not selected this year, can I apply again next year? How The decision of the evaluation panel is final. Yes, you can apply again next unsuccessful.

Can I get feedback or meet up with a DBS Foundation representative to explain my Due to overwhelming responses we receive, we are unable to attend to each applicant to provide detailed feedback quickly. However, after the evaluation is concluded, we can be in touch over email to provide feedback. Grant awarding and Milestones How many Grants are awarded by DBS Foundation every year?

Grants are awarded based on the eligibility and quality of applications received. We do not set a target. How should I set my Grant If you have been successful in your application, we will discuss with you on the grant purpose, milestones, deliverables and timeline.

The grant purpose must be aligned to the objective of scaling up your business solution and impact. Grant milestones need to be measurable and achievable before the end Can I change the use of Grant after my application has been The Grant is awarded based on the plan you have presented to the evaluation panel. Therefore, we will not allow for a change in the proposed grant use after in-principal approval has been received.

DBS Foundation reserves the right to withdraw the Grant if the intended use changes. Can the Grant be used to fund The grant cannot be used to fund past activities or events. It can only be used for expenses which are incurred after the Grant Agreement has been How will the Grant be disbursed?

Once each grant milestone is achieved, the grantee will need to submit the agreed deliverables to DBS Foundation for review and approval, to our satisfaction. Grant amount will be disbursed after approval is met and funds will be transferred accordingly.

Do I need to provide reports to DBS Foundation on my milestones All grantees are expected to submit a regular progress update on their business and social impact once every six months, and financial statements Grant Application Form Template Providing Essential Needs Discover how we improve access to food and nutrition, basic education and healthcare, including mental health, and tools to better cope with daily stressors.

Fostering Financial Inclusion Learn how we provide skills and tools to improve financial and digital literacy, as well as access to financial products.