The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), Singapore FinTech Association (SFA), AMTD Group and AMTD Foundation (collectively, AMTD) today announced the launch of a S$6 million MAS-SFA-AMTD FinTech Solidarity Grant (the Grant) to support Singapore-based FinTech firms amid the challenging business climate caused by the COVID19 pandemic.
AMTD has provided an initial S$2 million to support the Singapore FinTech ecosystem. MAS will provide an additional S$4 million from the Financial Sector Development Fund. Applications for the Grant will open on 18 May 2020 and will be available until 31 December 2021
The Grant will help FinTech firms maintain their operations, and enable them to continue to innovate and grow. The Grant complements the S$125 million support package announced by MAS on 8 April 2020 to sustain and strengthen capabilities in the financial services and FinTech sectors.
Mr Sopnendu Mohanty, Chief FinTech Officer of MAS, said, “There is a surge in demand in the financial services industry around the region for solutions to address the need for remote digital services amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. FinTech firms have a great opportunity to step up actively during this period to provide these solutions.”
“The Business Growth Grant will help FinTech firms offset their costs. By conducting their POCs on APIX, financial institutions and FinTech firms will not need to set up test infrastructure for integration. This will help accelerate project development while still working remotely.”
The Grant is available in two parts:
Business Sustenance Grant
S$1.5 million Business Sustenance Grant (BSG). Eligible Singapore-based FinTech firms can receive a one-time grant for up to S$20,000 to cover day-today operational costs, such as salaries and rental costs. The short term assistance will help FinTech firms sustain their operations and retain their employees. The BSG is fully funded by AMTD’s contribution.
Business Growth Grant
S$4.5 million Business Growth Grant (BGG). Eligible Singapore-based FinTech firms can receive up to S$40,000 for their first Proof of Concept (POC) with financial institutions on the API Exchange (APIX)2 platform, and S$10,000 for each subsequent POC, subject to a total cap of $80,000 per firm for the entire duration of the grant. The BGG enables these companies to continue to innovate in partnership with financial institutions and create opportunities for growth. The BGG is jointly supported by AMTD and MAS.
“The Business Sustenance Grant and the Business Growth Grant provide a holistic solution to ensure sustainability and growth opportunities for FinTech firms during the COVID-19 pandemic” said Mr Calvin Choi, Chairman and CEO of AMTD Group, and Founder and Chairman of AMTD Foundation.
In addition, the BGG will provide funding for the salaries of undergraduate interns. This grant will support around 120 interns in the FinTech sector.
FinTech firms can apply for both BSG and BGG if they fulfil the eligibility criteria for both grants. SFA will administer and review the grant applications.
Mr Chia Hock Lai, President, SFA said, “FinTech firms are in a great position to seize opportunities presented by the accelerated trend towards digital financing induced by the COVID-19 pandemic.”
“The Business Sustenance Grant helps FinTech firms to plug their short term financing gaps while Business Growth Grant enables them to grow and sell through the APIX platform. These will help save jobs while making our FinTech firms competitive for the post COVID-19 economic recovery world.”
