Retailers and Food Businesses To Get Government Support in Going Online

Food outlets and retail businesses started in Singapore affected by COVID-19 Phase 2 (Heightened Alert) restrictions will get help to offset their F&B delivery costs and to sell on online platforms.

Given the tightening of safe management measures from 16 May through to 13 June 2021 in Singapore, Enterprise Singapore has re-introduced the E-Commerce Booster Package and Food Delivery Support Package to support retailers to diversify their operations and defray the business costs of going and selling online.

E-Commerce Booster Package

Through the booster package, retailers can engage one of the appointed e-commerce platforms to sell their products online and expand their reach in the Singapore market.

Solutions offered by the appointed e-commerce platforms include:

1. Content development (e.g. product photoshoot, content copywriting, product packaging)
2. Product listing (e.g. setting up of merchant store, uploading of content, store decoration)
3. Channel management (e.g. assortment & pricing, promotion/campaign planning, forecasting and inventory management, data analytics)
4. Fulfilment (e.g. warehousing of products, fulfilment by e-commerce platforms, integration with last-mile logistics providers)
5. Advertising and promotion (e.g. cross-channel marketing campaigns, onsite/in-store marketing campaigns
6. Training workshops to enhance e-commerce capabilities

Eligible local retailers will receive a one-time support to defray 80% of qualifying costs (capped at S$8000). E-commerce platform partners interested to be part of this initiative as a programme partner can write in to Retail_Design@enterprisesg.gov.sg to enquire and to apply. The deadline to sign up is 21 May 2021, 18:00 (SGT).

During this time, if your business needs help with e-commerce accounting, reach out to experienced accountants who can assist you with this while you focus on running your business.

Food Delivery Booster Package

During the period from Sunday until June 13 when dining in is prohibited and only takeaways and deliveries allowed, ESG will fund five percentage points of the commission cost charged by the three food delivery platforms Deliveroo, foodpanda and GrabFood. These usually impose a charge of about 30 per cent of the total food order. Under the Food Delivery Booster Package, Enterprise Singapore will fund 5% percentage points of the commission cost charged by the three food delivery platforms Deliveroo, Foodpanda and GrabFood.

The Food Delivery Booster Package is only available to F&B businesses that offer food prepared on-premises for immediate consumption. The category includes small businesses or dining establishments like hawker stalls and cafes, as well as larger establishments like restaurants and food caterers.

Eligible companies will be able to defray business costs of going online through the following:

1. Via 3rd party logistics partners

Businesses who are managing their own deliveries and engaging three third-party logistics players – Lalamove, Pickupp and Zeek Logistics – will receive support on delivery costs.

2. Via food delivery platforms

To support F&B businesses with delivery orders, the package will help to reduce business costs of selling on three food delivery platforms – Deliveroo, foodpanda and GrabFood.