Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has launched a government grant for local Singapore attractions to aid its marketing initiatives. If you’re a Singapore-registered company running permanent tourist attractions, then the STB Marketing Partnership Programme (MPP) is the best government grant for you.
The submission deadline of the grant application is 30 September 2020. So, before you begin your application, read through the grant basics below to quickly understand this funding program.
MPP Funding Program Quick Facts
- Open to all Singapore-registered company who run tourist attractions as its core business
- Supports local tourist attractions in their international marketing activities
- Covers up to 70% of marketing costs
- Closing date for submission: 30 September 2020
Contact us to learn more about this government grant, as well as get assistance on your Asia marketing strategy. Whether you’re targeting Koreans or Chinese for your business, we can help you generate a plan that works in your target Asia market.
MPP: Singapore Tourism Grant for Local Attractions
Marketing Partnership Programme (MPP) is part of the Singapore Tourism Board’s (STB) COVID-19 Recovery Plan to support attractions in its international marketing initiatives. The primary purpose of the government grant is to aid attractions in marketing and maintaining their international presence, as well as drive tourists’ demand during recovery.
Timeline & Key Dates
The approval lead time is normally 5 to 10 working days.
Qualifying Costs and Support Level
Here’s the grant’s qualifying costs and support level for your quick reference.
Note that the qualifying costs must be incurred and paid within the approved Campaign Qualifying Period, starting from the signing date of the STB’s Letter of Award and to the end of the year (31 December 2021), both dates inclusive.
Non-Qualifying Costs
However, there are also costs not covered by the grant. These are:
- Creative/Media/PR Agency-on-Retainer (AOR) fees
- Manpower costs such as engagement of temporary and contract staff
- Product and price subsidies or discounts
- STB-supported familiarisation trips and tradeshows/roadshows
- Marketing costs already receiving other grants from STB/other government agencies
Deliverables Submission for Claiming Funds
At the end of the project, the applicant must submit deliverables to be able to claim the funding. The deliverables will be tied to the submitted and approved marketing plans in the application.
Moreover, for partially fulfilled plans, the supporting grant will be pro-rated accordingly.
Reporting Marketing Results
To evaluate the effectiveness of MPP, each attraction property is required to submit the below indicators on a monthly basis until 31 December 2021:
- Marketing Campaign KPIs
- Number of leads generated
- Number of local and foreign visitors
- Sales Revenue from local and foreign visitors (S$)
Disbursement of Funds
To relieve cash flow pressure, there will be two stages in the disbursement process:
- First disbursement – mid-way of the campaign period
- Final disbursement – after the campaign
Likewise, the invoices must be audited by a third-party auditor before submitting it to STB.
How to Apply for MPP
To apply, simply fill up the Marketing Partnership Programme Application Form.
For more information on about the programme, please visit the Singapore Tourism Board website.
Do you need help with your marketing plan?
If you’re interested to apply for the MPP government grant but you don’t know how to start with the marketing plan, IH Digital can help you build a strategy that will get you the results you want.
IH Digital is a B2B marketing agency that provides simplicity and flexibility for clients’ marketing needs across Asia. Founded in 2006, our 80+ digital specialists work on campaigns across Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, Greater China, Korea and Japan.
We’ve worked with many hotel travel brands in the past until now, helping them plan and execute marketing strategies that work across the region. Contact us today to schedule a quick chat with our tourism marketing experts soon.
