The Singapore Cocktail Bar Association (SCBA) shares details on two new relief funds in support of its member bars. By Holly Graham.
The SCBA, initiated by founding president Gan Guoyi (Jigger & Pony Group) and founding board members Andrew Yap (The Old Man Singapore); Vivian Pei (Asia’s 50 Best Bars); Paul Gabie (Proof & Company) and Ivy Woo (Food News Integrated Marketing and Singapore Cocktail Festival) is a voice for Singapore’s cocktail community and identify opportunities for industry growth and education.
The two new rounds of funding from the SCBA are supported by corporate sponsors and Enterprise Singapore’s “SG Together Enhancing Enterprise Resilience” programme, and are aimed at rent and marketing relief.
SGD$75,000 has been raised for the SCBA Rental Relief Fund which aims to provide one month’s rent relief for eligible member bars. Only independently owned bars that are SCBA member bars are eligible, with priority given to bars that have been operating for 12 months or less prior to April 1, 2020.
Bars that have been operating for over 12 months must prove a minimum 35 percent negative impact on its revenue in Phase 2, as compared to the previous year. Successful applicants will receive up to one month’s rent relief, which is capped at SGD$20,000. Application for the SCBA Rental Relief Fund is open from now until April 30, 2021.
The SCBA Marketing Relief Fund will provide member bars with SGD$1,000 each from a pool of SDGS$67,500, to facilitate bouncing back to recovery. This fund is aimed at providing support for marketing services such as but not limited to photography, videography, digital marketing, public relations and graphic design. All member bars are automatically eligible to receive SGD$1,000 each for such services rendered from December 1, 2020. These bars will be required to submit a request for approval prior to vendor appointment, as well as a proof of payment for the service rendered before the fund can be disbursed. Application for the SCBA Marketing Support Fund is open from now until January 31, 2022.
The SCBA-SBF Foundation Compassion Fund also remains open for application until further notice. To date, the fund has provided support to 40 individuals with funds of SGD$500 per person providing they live and work in Singapore’s bar industry and earn a gross monthly income of no more than SGD$3,400. Applicants must either have suffered job loss and are transitioning between employers in the cocktail industry with the Association’s support, or have suffered salary reductions of 20 percent or more after July 31, 2020. Those experiencing sudden hardships – including distress resulting from long periods of separation from the family because of COVID-19 – due to unexpected crisis at a personal or family level, will also now be eligible for the fund. Application for the SCBA-SBF Foundation Compassion Fund is open until 31 December 31, 2021.
All applications for all funds can be made at www.sgcocktailbarassociation.org which also has more details on eligibility requirements.
