Tote Board commits $6m for the Future-Ready Society Impact Fund and Knowledge Partnership with Lee Kuan Yew Centre for Innovative Cities and Institute of Policy Studies

10 May 2023

To enhance the future-readiness of Singapore’s social ecosystem, Tote Board has committed $6 million over three years and partnered with Lee Kuan Yew Centre for Innovative Cities (LKYCIC) and Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) to support action-oriented, evidence-based futures solutioning. Of which, $3 million will be channelled towards supporting the new “Future-Ready Society Impact Fund”, which will bring together community partners from the People-Private-Public sectors to co-solution towards a future-ready social ecosystem. These solutions will be informed by futures research, co-designed with partners, and driven by the community. The Fund is launched by Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for Social Policies Tharman Shanmugaratnam.

About the Future-Ready Society Impact Fund and Knowledge Partnership
The Future-Ready Society Impact Fund supports the piloting of innovative solutions with the potential to result in an impactful transformation of Singapore’s social ecosystem. This could be new or alternative solutions to address society’s wicked problems, complex social dilemmas and emerging societal needs on the horizon. This aims to expand the range of tested and validated solutions that can be quickly leveraged in the various plausible alternative future scenarios that may arise. The pilots will be co-driven and co-created together with citizens and community partners.

A key enabler that supports the Future-Ready Society Impact Fund is the Knowledge Partnership initiative. This comprises futures-oriented research and knowledge building led by LKYCIC; the goal is to surface potential gaps and opportunity areas for intervention in the futures space. Research insights will be distilled and synthesized into potential solutions to be piloted by IPS. This will tighten the nexus between evidence-based futures research and action-oriented futures solutioning.

Thematic focus of Future-Ready Society Impact Fund and Knowledge Partnership
The Knowledge Partnership will enable in-depth study in the following two thematic areas to provide an evidence-based identification of promising solutions to be piloted under the Future-Ready Impact Fund. The thematic focus will evolve as the partnership evolves with the learning from the futures research and action-oriented futures solutioning.

Future of Resilient Families and Empowered Communities
This theme seeks to explore how we can better support vulnerable groups in Singapore, through building resilient families to serve as reliable sources of support for vulnerable individuals and empowering the community in coming together to form a broader network of support around these individuals. Potential pilots may include alternative modalities of organising community support and delivering social care, and broader strategies that contribute towards economic inclusion, social cohesion and social mobility.

Future of Civic Engagement
This theme will unpack the future of civic participation and how citizens’ voices can be better incorporated in the governance process in a manner that is equitable, effective, consistent and constructive. With the growth of digital technologies and interactive platforms, it has become easier for citizens to share their views and for policymakers to capture public sentiments. To be future-ready, new forms of civic participation must be envisioned and spearheaded, guided by the following elements: inclusivity, transparency and trust. Potential pilots may include alternative ways to bring citizens together to participate in civic processes and engage in collective deliberation to enlarge our common ground.

Quote from Tote Board Chairman, Mrs Mildred Tan
Forward Singapore aims to renew Singapore’s social compact and tap on our shared strengths as a people. Through the Future Ready Society Impact Fund and Knowledge Partnership, Tote Board is committed to bring the people, private and public sectors together to co-create our shared future. Through our impactful grants, Tote Board will work with the community to encourage positive change and drive social impact for a future-ready, caring and resilient society.

Quote from LKYCIC’s Chair, Prof Cheong Koon Hean
We all share a common future. A unity of understanding, purpose and collective action as a “Future Ready Society” will strengthen our social resilience to better meet the many challenges in an increasingly uncertain world. Through our futures-oriented and evidence-based research, LKYCIC hopes to contribute research insights and identify opportunities for solutioning with stakeholders and the community.

Quote from IPS Director, Mr Janadas Devan
If we are to better meet the needs of Singaporeans, it is crucial we bring together diverse perspectives and collaborate across sectors. The Institute of Policy Studies' Policy Lab is proud to be part of this initiative, which seeks to combine academic and policy research with action. We look forward to working with our partners LKYCIC and Tote Board.

About Tote Board

Established in 1988, Tote Board (Singapore Totalisator Board) is a statutory board of the Ministry of Finance. As a broad-based grantmaker, Tote Board strives to achieve its vision of “A Caring and Resilient Singapore” by providing grants to support projects that encourage healthy lives and well-being, create empowered communities, foster a cohesive and resilient society and make Singapore a sustainable and liveable home.

Tote Board’s source of grants is derived from the operating surplus of the Tote Board Group, which comprises Tote Board and its wholly-owned subsidiary Singapore Pools (Private) Limited and Singapore Turf Club (STC), a proprietary club owned by Tote Board. Tote Board also ensures that Singapore Pools and STC conduct their businesses in a socially responsible manner, to provide legal and safe gaming, and to counter illegal gambling.

About the Lee Kuan Yew Centre for Innovative Cities (LKYCIC)

LKYCIC was established in September 2012 as one of the research centres of excellence in the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD). LKYCIC’s mission is to stimulate thinking and research on the critical issues of cities and urbanisation, and to provide breakthrough urban solutions using technology, urban science, policy and design. It takes an inter-disciplinary and human-centric approach in its research and works collaboratively across many local and international partners. Its research addresses a broad spectrum of issues that include urban futures, city innovations, ageing urbanism and health; mobility and sustainable and resilient cities.

About the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS)

IPS was established in 1988 as an independent think tank to study and generate public policy ideas in Singapore. IPS became an autonomous research centre of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore in 2008. Today, IPS continues to analyse public policy, build bridges between thought leaders, and communicate its findings to a wide audience. The Institute examines issues of critical national interest across a variety of fields, and studies the attitudes and aspirations of Singaporeans through surveys of public perception. It adopts a multi-disciplinary approach in its analyses and takes the long-term view in its strategic deliberation and research.