The Singapore National Co-operative Federation (SNCF) has distributed a $100,000 special grant to 25 cooperatives in Singapore. The Progressive Workplace Grant, launched in 2022, at the Annual Co-operative Leaders’ Conference, offers a one-time $4,000 grant to eligible cooperatives that have adopted at least one Tripartite Standard, aiming to improve human resources practices. Cooperatives were encouraged to adopt standards and apply for the grant between January and December 2023.

The standards, issued by the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP), promote fairness, inclusivity, agility, sustainability, and productivity, and come with a set of verifiable, actionable employment practices. TAFEP was set up by the tripartite partners, the Ministry of Manpower, the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and the Singapore National Employers Federation.

SNCF plans to introduce new grants in 2024 and 2025 to support cooperatives in their sustainability journey with measurable outcomes across three phases: (1) Training, which encourages co-operatives to understand the importance of sustainability; (2) Adoption, which provides resources to implement practices that are in line with the SG Green Plan; and (3) Development which combines knowledge with actions to support co-operatives’ enhanced efforts for sustainability. The Central Co-operative Fund (CCF), a trust fund under the purview of the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth has allocated S$500,000 for this initiative.

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