The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) has launched the Built Environment Technology and Capability (BETC) Grant, a significant initiative under the BuildSG Transformation Fund, to propel firms in the sector towards higher productivity, stronger capabilities, and a more future-ready workforce. For Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in the built environment, this presents a prime opportunity to accelerate their transformation journeys with substantial government support, including funding of up to 70% of qualifying costs for applications submitted between April 2025 and March 2027.
Moxogo ERP, a comprehensive Enterprise Resource Planning solution, is strategically positioned to help SMEs in the built environment not only take advantage of this grant but also effectively address its core requirements and achieve the desired outcomes.
The BETC Grant focuses on supporting firms in developing capabilities across three key areas: Enterprise, Technology, and Manpower. An ERP implementation directly contributes to all three pillars, making it a powerful tool for grant applicants.
Enhancing Enterprise Capabilities through Integrated Processes:
At its heart, an ERP system like Moxogo integrates various business functions into a single, unified platform. For built environment SMEs, this means breaking down silos between critical areas such as:
- Project Management: Streamlining project planning, scheduling, resource allocation, and progress tracking. This leads to improved project delivery timelines and better control over budgets.
- Financial Management: Centralizing accounting, budgeting, and financial reporting. This provides real-time visibility into project profitability, manages cash flow effectively, and ensures greater financial control and compliance – a key aspect of demonstrating financial capability as required by the grant.
- Procurement and Inventory Management: Optimizing the sourcing of materials and managing inventory levels. This reduces waste, improves cost efficiency, and ensures the timely availability of resources for projects.
- Human Resources: Managing employee data, payroll, and potentially even training records. This contributes to better workforce management.
By integrating these functions, Moxogo ERP helps SMEs develop new enterprise capabilities such as lean construction principles through better resource utilization and potentially facilitates collaborative contracting through improved data sharing and transparency among project stakeholders. This directly aligns with the BETC grant's objective of developing new enterprise capabilities.
Driving Technology Adoption with Digital Solutions:
The BETC grant explicitly encourages the adoption of advanced technologies, particularly digital solutions. Implementing an ERP system is a significant leap in digital transformation for any SME. Moxogo ERP provides a digital backbone that enables:
- Digital Data Management: Moving away from manual processes and spreadsheets to a centralized digital database for all project and business information. This improves data accuracy, accessibility, and security.
- Automation: Automating repetitive tasks in areas like data entry, invoicing, and reporting, freeing up valuable time for employees to focus on higher-value activities.
- Real-time Insights and Analytics: Generating reports and dashboards that provide real-time visibility into project performance, financial health, and resource utilization. This data-driven approach supports better decision-making and proactive problem-solving.
Adopting Moxogo ERP directly addresses the grant's focus on increasing the adoption of advanced technologies and digital solutions, demonstrating a commitment to modernizing operations.
Building Manpower Capabilities through Improved Efficiency and Data Access:
While an ERP system is not a direct training program, its implementation has a significant indirect impact on manpower capabilities:
- Increased Productivity: By streamlining processes and providing employees with better tools and access to information, an ERP system significantly boosts individual and team productivity. This directly contributes to one of the key project outcomes desired by the BETC grant: productivity improvement.
- Enhanced Collaboration: A centralized platform facilitates better communication and collaboration among teams, breaking down departmental silos and fostering a more integrated work environment.
- Data-Driven Decision Making: Empowering employees with access to real-time data and insights enables them to make more informed decisions, enhancing their effectiveness and contributing to a more skilled workforce.
- Potential for Upskilling: With administrative tasks automated, employees can focus on developing higher-level skills related to data analysis, strategic planning, and advanced project management, aligning with the grant's interest in upskilling PMETs.
While the grant also mentions innovative sourcing methods for higher skilled workers and job redesign, the efficiency and data accessibility provided by Moxogo ERP can support these initiatives by clearly identifying skill gaps and highlighting areas where job roles can be enhanced.
Meeting BETC Grant Criteria with Moxogo ERP:
Beyond the capability development areas, Moxogo ERP helps SMEs meet the fundamental eligibility criteria and evaluation factors of the BETC grant:
- Business Entity in Singapore's BE Sector: Moxogo ERP is a solution designed for businesses, and its implementation is a clear indicator of an SME operating within the built environment sector and investing in its local operations.
- Financially Capable: While an ERP is an investment, a well-planned implementation with clear expected outcomes can demonstrate a firm's commitment and financial capability to undertake transformative initiatives. The long-term cost savings and efficiency gains realized through ERP also contribute to financial sustainability.
- Demonstrating Sustained Capability Building and Alignment with Long-Term Goals: An ERP implementation is not a one-off project; it's a foundational change that supports continuous improvement and long-term growth. By outlining how Moxogo ERP will be integrated into ongoing operations and contribute to strategic objectives like increased project capacity or improved profitability, SMEs can effectively demonstrate sustained capability building aligned with their long-term goals.
- Achieving Project Outcomes: As highlighted earlier, Moxogo ERP directly contributes to achieving desired project outcomes such as productivity improvement and indirectly supports the increase in skilled workers and upskilled PMETs by enabling a more efficient and data-driven work environment.
- Level of Innovation: For many SMEs in the built environment, adopting a comprehensive ERP system represents a significant step in technological innovation, moving beyond basic digital tools to an integrated and advanced solution.
In conclusion, for SMEs in the built environment sector looking to leverage the BCA BETC Grant, implementing Moxogo ERP presents a compelling proposition. It directly addresses the grant's focus on enterprise, technology, and manpower capabilities, helps meet key eligibility criteria, and provides a clear pathway to achieving the desired project outcomes of increased productivity and a more capable workforce. By embracing digital transformation with Moxogo ERP, SMEs can not only secure valuable grant funding but also build a stronger, more efficient, and future-ready business in Singapore's dynamic built environment sector.
Link to BCA grant.
Eligibility
Eligibility for the BETC grant extends to all companies within the Built Environment (BE) value chain, including but not limited to main contractors, sub-contractors, and consultants. Key requirements for applicants are:
- Your company must be a registered and operating entity in Singapore.
- Your business activities must be within the Built Environment sector.
- You must possess the necessary financial resources to commence and see the proposed project through to completion.
Scope
The scope of the BETC grant covers transformative projects aimed at elevating capabilities in Enterprise, Technology, and Manpower within the Built Environment sector. This encompasses areas like adopting advanced digital and automation technologies, fostering new enterprise-level efficiencies, and developing strategic manpower initiatives. Applicants are required to articulate how the proposed capabilities will be integrated for lasting impact, ensure continuous improvement, facilitate knowledge sharing, and align with their company's future vision, targeting outcomes that set new industry standards.
Funding Support
The BETC grant provides financial support for qualifying project expenses, including costs for equipment, software, consultancy, and materials. The level of funding is determined by BCA based on factors like the expected transformation outcomes, the innovation level of the initiative, and the investment required. Importantly, initiatives must be implemented in Singapore. The grant offers tiered support:
- For applications from Apr 1, 2025, to Mar 31, 2027:
- SMEs (Group annual sales ≤ S$100M OR group employment ≤ 200) are eligible for up to 70% funding.
- Non-SMEs can receive up to 50%.
- For applications from Apr 1, 2027, to Mar 31, 2030:
- SMEs receive up to 50% funding.
- Non-SMEs can receive up to 30%.
Project Outcomes
Successful BETC grant projects are expected to deliver tangible outcomes for firms. These include:
- Improvements in productivity.
- Growth in the number of skilled workers (those newly trained or recruited via innovative methods).
- An increase in local employees earning higher wages (S$5,000 and above).
- An increase in the number of upskilled PMETs (through supported training). Applicants must commit to achieving at least one of these outcomes, though some projects may require demonstrating impact across multiple areas depending on the initiative's scope.
Application
To apply for the BETC grant, access the Business Grants Portal (BGP) with your Corppass. Applications must come directly from the eligible BE firm. Importantly, ensure that the proposed project has not started, and no related payments or contracts have been made before applying. Grant approval is not automatic and is subject to BCA's evaluation, potentially requiring supporting documents.