The Orange Bloom Sustainability Fund

The US$1 million Orange Bloom sustainability Fund was set up in 2022 to support projects that counter Climate change, advance environmental sustainability and involve the communities in Asia.

Climate change is a global challenge. A sustainable and green world can only be achieved with the people, private, and public sectors working in partnership to protect our environment. Through the Orange Bloom Sustainability Fund, we hope to enable our community to build a sustainable world for both present and future generations.

The Orange Bloom Sustainability Fund is open to the following applicants:

• SMEs incorporated and based in Asia
• Focused primarily on sustainability initiatives
• Provides solutions that have practical and commercial applications

Projects must:

• Improve the environment or advance environmental sustainability in their local, national or international communities
• Engage and/or involve the community
• Not have obtained funding from other sources.

Projects should address at least one area of environmental sustainability, including but not limited to the following: climate change; energy; waste; water; food; nature and biodiversity; environmental pollution; or environmental public health

Eligible applications will be assessed against the following criteria:

Implementation and Innovation

• Applicant has the appropriate knowledge and skills to implement the project
• Applicant has a clear and feasible implementation plan
• Applicant adopts an innovative approach

Environmental Benefit

• Project produces tangible environmental outcomes
• Project has measurable environmental targets
• Project results in sustained environmental benefit

Community Engagement

• Project involves partnerships and community action
• Project has measurable community engagement targets
• Project generates resources that the public can tap on to advance environmental sustainability

Cost Effectiveness

• Project costs items are reasonable
• Project budget is commensurate with the level of impact achieved through the project

Funding Support

The Orange Bloom Sustainability Fund works on a co-funding basis. If the application is approved, the applicant may receive funding of up to 80% of the supportable cost items, subject to a maximum of US$1 million. Funding will be provided in exchange of share equity on a reimbursement/exit basis for no more than three years from the Project start date. Only expenses incurred after the agreed Project start date in the Letter of Offer can be reimbursed.

The Orange Bloom Sustainability Fund supports the following cost items:

• Research and development
• Product / service development
• Marketing and publicity (e.g. production of posters, digital media content, etc)
• Logistics and transportation
• Equipment and tools necessary for project implementation

The Orange Bloom Sustainability Fund does not support the following cost items:

• Overhead costs (e.g. manpower, payment to team members, office space rental, production space rental, land rental, utilities)
• International shipping fees, vehicle fuel, and long-term vehicle rental
• Construction costs for buildings and enclosed structures
• Gifts and prizes (e.g. tokens of appreciation, cash prizes, vouchers, medals)
• Overseas or foreign visitor's expenses and fees (e.g. air ticket, accommodation)
• Media space rental (e.g. newspaper, TV, radio, MRT and bus advertisements)
• Goods and Services Tax (GST)

Funding Disbursement

Reimbursement for project costs will only take place after each project milestone and its associated deliverables are met. These milestones will be set and agreed upon by both grant recipient and the Trust before the commencement of the project.

The Upon achieving each project milestone, grant recipients are required to submit the following documents:

• Project progress and/or completion reports.
• Soft copies of original receipts, invoices, and/or payment records.
• For projects with an approved grant quantum of more than US$30,000 – A report of factual findings on their claims, prepared by an external auditor. The cost of engaging the auditor should be included in the project budget submitted with the application.

The claim for the final reimbursement should be submitted within three months of the project completion date.

The grant recipient and the Orange Bloom Sustainability Fund’s Board of Trustees will co-own all intellectual property rights (IPRs) arising from or created in relation to the Project. The Orange Bloom Sustainability Fund retains the rights to utilise the IPRs for commercial and/or charitable purposes.

Access to finance is a fundamental need for business starting out or small-to-medium businesses seeking new opportunities or expansion plans. If sustainability is one of your business mandatories, comprising the three core pillars – environmental, social and governance (click here for more criteria on SGD requirements), we would love to get in touch with you.

Criteria to qualify for financing include:

• A start-up/company that comprises sustainability as one of its pillars

Please reach us at info@orangebloom.world or singapore@orangebloom.world for more information or to get in touch with us.

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