About the Fund

The 3R Fund is a co-funding scheme to encourage organisations to undertake waste minimisation and recycling projects.

Applicant Eligibility
Project Eligibility
Form of Assistance
Project Duration
Disbursement of Grants
Application Procedure

Application Period

3R Fund applications can be submitted at any time of the year. Please refer to the section on Application Procedure at the bottom of this page for the mode of submission.

Applicant Eligibility

Any organisation in Singapore, including companies, non-profit organisations, non-government organisations, town councils, schools, institutions and managing bodies such as MCSTs can apply for the 3R Fund.

Prior to applying, all applicants must submit the Project Description Form (Annex 1) to the 3R Fund Secretariat to enable us to determine the eligibility of the proposed project. The 3R Fund secretariat may arrange for a meeting to discuss the proposed project further after review of the project description form.

Download Annex 1 - Project Description Form here

For more details, please proceed to Application Procedure.

(Please note that the Application Procedure has changed with effect from 19 April 2016 and previous versions of application forms are no longer accepted.)

Project Eligibility

Projects must result in an increase in the quantity of solid waste (this excludes toxic and chemical wastes) recycled or a reduction in the quantity of solid waste generated. The minimum tonnage eligibility is 100 tonnes reduced, reused or recycled over the whole project duration.

Projects must not have commenced at the time of application (i.e. issuing of purchase orders for equipment, conducting collection and recycling of recyclables, etc. (whichever is earliest))

Projects with new and innovative processes and concepts, and which target waste streams with low recycling rates such as food, plastic and glass will be given higher priority. The projects could include the following:

(i) Redesign of processes to reduce waste at the production stage, including redesign of packaging or products;
(ii) Installation of new waste recycling infrastructure such as separate chutes, containers or receptacles for the collection of recyclables, as well as refurbishment work to provide additional storage space for recyclables;
(iii) Installation of innovative waste sorting or recycling systems/equipment; and/or
(iv) Upgrading, installation or implementation of new operation/system to reduce waste or increase recycling.

Form of Assistance

Grant Quantum

The 3R Fund will co-fund up to 80% of qualifying costs, subject to a cap of $1 million per project or per applicant. The funding level will depend on the quantity and type of waste reduced or recycled. The grant will be calculated based on key outcomes such as the actual quantity of waste reduced or recycled.

As of Nov 2015, the grant quantum for projects using similar off-the-shelf technologies (e.g. food waste treatment projects involving the use of on-site systems to convert food waste into non-potable water) has been revised to be up to 40% of the qualifying costs.

Singapore Packaging Agreement (SPA) signatories are eligible for up to double the funding compared to non-signatories. (Please contact the SPA Secretariat for more information about the SPA.)

Qualifying Costs

Qualifying costs refer to the following:

(i) Manpower
(ii) Equipment, materials & consumables
(iii) Professional services (e.g. consulting, sub-contracting)
(iv) Other costs relevant to the Project

Please note that Singapore GST is excluded.

Project Duration

The maximum project duration is 3.5 years. Within the 3.5 years, the maximum durations of the preparatory and operations phases are 0.5 year and 3 years respectively. In addition, the minimum duration of the operations phase is 1 year. 

Disbursement of Grants

Disbursements will be on reimbursement basis and in 3 installments:

(i) On completion of installation and commissioning of equipment or system and after 2 months of successful operation – Up to 50% of Approved Grant.
(ii) After 6 months of successful operation – Up to 80% (cumulative) of Approved Grant.
(iii) Upon completion of Project and submission of final report – Final payment.

Note:
(i) Final disbursement request must be submitted within 6 months of project completion.
(ii) The maximum project period is 3.5 years from date of the Letter of Acceptance.
(iii) In the event that the actual waste quantity recycled/reduced is lower than that submitted in the project application, the Grant may be reduced accordingly.
(iv) All disbursement requests must be certified by an external Certified Public Accountant appointed by the Company. All costs incurred for engaging the Certified Public Accountant shall be borne by the Company.
(v) The disbursement of the Grant will be based on the actual quantity of waste reduced / recycled and the actual Qualifying Cost.

Application Procedure

Prior to the steps below, all applicants must submit the Project Description Form (Annex 1) to the 3R Fund Secretariat to enable us to determine the eligibility of the proposed project. Please refer to Applicant Eligibility for more details.

Applicants should prepare the documents required in the Documentation Checklist (Annex 2) before meeting with the 3R Fund Secretariat to minimise delays in their application process.

Download Annex 2 - Documentation Checklist here

A declaration form will only be given to applicants upon verification of project eligibility and that all necessary documents (i.e. Annex 1 and Annex 2 with all sub-annexes) are in order. Please note that your 3R Fund application will only be formalised upon the submission of the hardcopy signed declaration form.

All documents should be submitted in soft copies to the 3R Fund Secretariat, unless otherwise specified. The soft copy should be emailed to all members of the 3R Fund Secretariat in an email entitled "3R Fund Application" while hard copy documents should be submitted to the following address.  

3R Fund Secretariat
Waste and Resource Management Department
National Environment Agency
40 Scotts Road #11-00 Environment Building
Singapore 228231

All information submitted will be held in the strictest confidence. All applications are subject to NEA's approval. 

3R Fund Secretariat

Ms Irene Sin
Tel: 6731 9249
Email: irene_sin@nea.gov.sg

Ms Susheel Tan
Tel: 6708 6088
Email: susheel_tan@nea.gov.sg