S’pore SMEs Win $15K Grant to Accelerate Business Impact

EVERY day at Foreword Coffee, Abdullah Al-Halimi Mohd Ferdaus prepares for a new day of learning.

Since joining the social enterprise in 2023, the 21-year-old, who has autism spectrum disorder and mild intellectual disability, has progressed from trainee to experienced barista, mastering coffee making and running a workplace café that recognizes his abilities.

Halimi says, “I love that I have many opportunities to learn new skills and gain new experiences when I meet with clients every day.”

With more than 80 percent of its employees living with a disability or mental illness, Foreword Coffee promotes inclusivity while providing a quality product.

Now, with $15,000 in funding from the Xero Beautiful Business Fund (XBBF), the company plans to create a dedicated training center to train and mentor employees like Halimi.

This is the kind of impact XBBF set out to achieve when it first launched in 2023, supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in their growth ambitions. Preface Coffee is one of four domestic SMEs that have each received awards in different categories.

Coren Wines, Managing Director of Xero Asia, says: “The number of applications we received this year is a testament to the ingenuity, persistence and resilience of Singapore’s small businesses. As a former small business owner, I can see first-hand the incredible challenges and stress that come with running a business, especially in today’s competitive environment.

“We are honored to be able to provide meaningful support to Singapore’s SMEs to fuel their growth and innovation.”

In addition to wines, the 2024 XBBF judging panel included Singapore Business Federation (SBF) chief executive officer for smart technology Lee Yee Fung, 361 Degree Consultancy Group director Ken Leong and Chyau Fwu Wines & Spirits chief executive officer Vicky Hwang.

Serving coffee for a purpose

Individuals with disabilities may face limited job opportunities, but inclusive organizations like Foreword Coffee can help them find meaningful careers.

Winning the “Strengthening Public Relations” category will help the social enterprise fund a training center to improve the skills of employees in various areas of business.

Since launching in 2017, Foreword Coffee has expanded to nine locations across Singapore and offers a variety of services outside of its cafes, including mobile coffee carts for events and wedding services.

“What makes this category particularly significant is the emphasis on sustainable solutions rather than temporary fixes,” explains Leong of 361 Degree Consultancy Group.

Foreword Coffee co-founder and director Nadia Chan says, “We want our baristas to be their own advocates and show others that they can make great coffee just as well as anyone else, maybe even better. After all, people buy your product because of its value or utility, not just its social impact.”

Acknowledging the efforts of the social enterprise, Leong notes, “Seeing how winners like Foreword Coffee have created measurable social impact while maintaining profitable operations challenges the traditional notion that business success and social good are mutually exclusive.

“This not only creates sustainable employment opportunities, but also redefines public perceptions of inclusivity in the workplace.”

Ocean Guardians at work

What started as a beach cleanup while working in Singapore eight years ago has grown into a full-fledged enterprise for Briton Thomas Peacock-Nazil.

Since founding social enterprise Seven Clean Seas (SCS) in 2018, he and his team have led waste management projects in Batam, Bintan and Bangkok.

The company has removed approximately 4 million kilograms of plastic through its Plastic Credits program. This initiative allows companies to offset their plastic footprint by funding ocean cleanups, which in turn creates jobs for coastal communities.

Now SCS has set itself higher goals: removing 10 million kilograms of plastic from the ocean by 2025.

The company has already developed innovative solutions such as a solar-powered boat with a conveyor belt that recovers plastic waste from the water. With XBBF funding, SCS plans to expand its capabilities by investing in new cleaning equipment.

Peacock-Nazil, who is also the company’s CEO, explains: “Designed to clean and separate contaminated plastic, this equipment will complement our existing infrastructure. We look forward to recycling plastic more efficiently, improving recycling quality and reducing the amount of waste sent to landfills.”

In selecting the winner in the Innovation for Environmental Sustainability category, SBF’s Lee says, “Seven Clean Seas has identified a concrete, actionable path to achieve its lofty goal by adding equipment to its recycling facility to accelerate efforts to remove plastic from the environment.” oceans.

“Projects like this remind us how much we need diverse creativity and clear dedication to find innovative solutions to global problems. In the future, we hope to see more private sector-led platforms that allow such ideas to flourish.”

Baking Big Dreams

Since opening its first store in Tanjong Pagar in 2014, Two Men Bagel House has grown to five stores islandwide. Now the food and beverage company is planning international expansion.

CEO and co-founder Jerborn Lam says: “To help the team adapt to new cultures and ways of doing business, we are partnering with firms in target markets to develop localization strategies and train our 50 employees in cross-border communications. »

This award will help them go further by funding managerial leadership development and equipping the media team with the tools to optimize day-to-day tasks. One of them is a customer engagement solution that uses artificial intelligence to identify shopping habits and better match loyalty programs.

Chyau Fwu’s Hwang salutes Two Men Bagel House’s win in the Upskilling for the Future category. She says: “As a business owner in the same industry, I can attest to how tough the competition for talent is.

“Upskilling, investing in the team and promoting from within to meet its future needs is a key retention strategy and, if used successfully, can have a real impact on its ability to achieve its growth ambitions.”

Saving lives with smarter technology

When a friend’s elderly loved one went missing one day, Justin Zhang realized the need for reliable location tracking devices to protect vulnerable people. This led him to create Tack One with a team of technology veterans.

Initially focusing on GPS trackers, the company soon realized broader applications for its location technology. Today, its Tack EVO FloodFinder protects communities by providing authorities with real-time flood alerts via push notifications, email, SMS or custom alerts, allowing for proactive action and timely evacuations. The solar powered flood monitoring device is reliable and easy to deploy even in remote areas.

Having won the Xero Technology Pioneer Award, Zhang and his team are looking to bring the device to high-risk regions. He says: “Our immediate targets are Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand, where flood risks are high and early warning systems are often inadequate.

“This funding will expand our deployment capabilities and strengthen our data-driven warning systems, equipping these communities with the tools they need to proactively respond to flood threats and reduce potential damage.”

Highlighting the potential impact of Tack One, Xero’s Wines says: “What’s really exciting about this flood monitoring solution is its potential to bring genuine, transformative change to communities, not just in Singapore, but around the world.

“Their journey highlights the incredible impact that innovative technologies can have – not only in solving pressing problems, but also in paving the way for meaningful and sustainable growth. This is a shining example of what can happen when businesses use technology to solve the critical problems our world faces today.”

Find out how Xero can help small businesses in Singapore unlock their growth potential.