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  1. The National Environment Agency
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  4. Improving Water Quality in Aquatic Facilities (Water Playgrounds) [Open for Applications]

Improving Water Quality in Aquatic Facilities (Water Playgrounds) [Open for Applications]

Objectives

The National Environment Agency (NEA) is launching this request for proposals to strengthen Singapore's capability in safeguarding water quality at water playgrounds. This request for proposals aims to support research and development (R&D) efforts to develop and validate practical, evidence-based monitoring, testing, and risk management solutions. The research is expected to improve understanding of water quality risks under local environmental conditions, assess the suitability of current regulatory parameters, and produce deployable operational solutions for adoption by NEA, licensees, and contractors.

Research Areas

This grant call invites integrated R&D proposals across five components:

  • Core Outcome 1 — Test-bed and validate real-time water quality monitoring solutions: Development and test bedding of cost-effective, real-time, water quality monitoring solutions potentially for use at higher-risk water playgrounds, including sensor deployment strategies and automated alert dashboards.
  • Core Outcome 2 — Evaluate and make recommendations for on-site water quality testing equipment: Evaluation of on-site water quality testing equipment, with evidence-based recommendations on equipment recommendations and minimum performance specifications to inform NEA's regulatory framework.
  • Enabling Study 1 — Diagnose design root causes for poor water quality and risk factors: Analysis of how water playground design characteristics and local environmental conditions contribute to water quality risks, development of a risk-based framework for identifying high-risk facility types and guiding test-bed site prioritisation under Core Outcome 1, as well as providing recommendations on water playground design to reduce water quality risks.
  • Enabling Study 2 — Refine Water Quality Parameters and Thresholds: Review of international water quality parameters and regulatory thresholds, development of recommendations for water quality parameters and thresholds for water playgrounds guided by clinical, epidemiological, and environmental data, tailored to Singapore's local conditions. Findings will be applied across both Core Outcomes.
  • Enabling Study 3 — Develop and validate best practices and protocols for water quality sampling: Review and validate best-practice sampling protocols covering sampling locations, frequency, and testing procedures to ensure that monitoring solutions accurately reflect actual user exposure. The validated protocols will inform sensor placement and deployment strategies under Core Outcome 1 and guide the evaluation of on-site testing equipment performance under Core Outcome 2.

Proposals must address all five components to qualify for evaluation. Please refer to the RFP for full details on scope and deliverables.

 

Eligibility

The grant call is open to all Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs), research institutes, and private entities. The research and test-bedding work must be carried out in Singapore.

Current Grant Call

Proposals submitted after the closing date and time will not be considered.

 

Physical Briefing

NEA will be conducting a physical briefing on 1 October 2026 from 2 – 4.15PM. Please fill in this registration form by 18 September 2026, 6PM to register and for details on the session. 


General Enquiries

For enquiries relating to this grant call, please contact the Secretariat at T2_Grant_Secretariat@nea.gov.sg.

Whistle-blowing Channel

In an effort to strengthen grant governance processes and practices, this Whistle-Blowing Channel provides a dedicated avenue for you to raise any concerns you may have to report any incident(s) of potential abuse, fraud or misconduct that involve recipients of the NEA Scheme for Technology Translation (T2), funded by the NEA and/or NEA’s employees.

Any person who makes a report in good faith can rest assured that no action will be taken against him/her even if the investigation reveals no wrongdoing. However, firm action will be taken against any person who makes any false, malicious or frivolous report, including reporting the matter to the police.

To report incidents of potential abuse of the grant, fraud or misconduct involving recipients of the Grant, please email T2_Grant_Secretariat@nea.gov.sg.

To report incidents of potential abuse of the grant, fraud or misconduct occurring within NEA or involving NEA’s staff, please report it through NEA’s official whistleblowing platform https://www.nea.gov.sg/corporate-functions/Contact-Us/whistleblowing.

To encourage responsible use of the whistle-blowing channel, you should identify yourself and indicate your name and contact details in the report. All disclosures will be treated with utmost confidence, and every effort will be made not to reveal your identity to the extent feasible and permissible under the law. In reporting any fraudulent or unethical activity, you shall, to the best of your ability, ensure that the information you provide is accurate. Your report should provide the following information where possible:

a. Description of the fraudulent or unethical activity;

b. Name(s) of person(s)/institution/company(ies) allegedly involved;

c. Name of Project [including Project ID];

d. Date, time and location of incident (including multiple occurrences);

e. Frequency of occurrence of the incident;

f. Value of any money or asset involved;

g. Supporting documents, evidence (e.g. photos, videos, documents), if any; and

h. Any other information that may substantiate the concern.