17-07-2025
Nearly 400 Singapore businesses recognised by NVPC as a Company of Good
(From left) Sheng Siong Group executive director Lin Ruiwen, The Courage Chapter co-founder and chief executive Lim Kai Ning and Mr Seah Kah Howe, director of Seah Kim Cheok Construction.
SINGAPORE – A record 393 businesses in Singapore have been recognised as a Company of Good by the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre (NVPC) for their commitment to making a positive difference in society.
Among them were 301 small and medium-sized enterprises – nearly double the 155 recognised in 2024.
Collectively, these SMEs' in-kind donations to communities in Singapore rose more than eightfold from $689,520 to nearly $6.35 million over the same period, NVPC's Company of Good Collective Impact Report 2024-2025 stated.
The report was released on July 17 at a conferment ceremony honouring the companies.
At the event, Mr Ong Ye Kung, Minister for Health and Coordinating Minister for Social Policies, conferred the Champion of Good – the highest tier of recognition – on 62 organisations. These organisations stood out for their ability to influence and engage stakeholders such as employees and customers.
NVPC assesses organisations based on their corporate purpose and efforts across five key impact areas: people, society, governance, environment and economic. To qualify, companies have to complete a comprehensive questionnaire covering these areas.
Recognition is given in four tiers, starting from Company of Good – 1 Heart as the entry level.
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Speaking at the event, Mr Ong said: 'Fragmentation of work and individuals retreating into their own cyberspace can undermine the organisation over time, and we need to counter such forces.
'And one way to do so is to emphasise the value of individuals physically coming together to accomplish more than their business objectives, to help others, to bring about social changes.'
He highlighted how local companies have evolved to serve social good. For instance, Sheng Siong, which was named a Champion of Good, introduced its Education Grant programme which has disbursed over $6 million towards supporting the education of around 600 employees' children each year since 2013.
One beneficiary of the programme is Madam Meng Donge, a 54-year-old retail assistant and single mother of two, who has worked at Sheng Siong for 20 years. The programme has enabled her to support the education of her children.
The Company of Good Collective Impact Report 2024-2025 found that companies across both years contributed an annualised $357 million in donations, and almost $73 million in in-kind support to benefit communities in Singapore.
Both cohorts collectively contributed a total of 1.07 million volunteer hours.
Among the 2025 cohort, 104 companies engaged diverse and inclusive suppliers, such as charities and social enterprises.
Ms Lin Ruiwen, executive director of Sheng Siong Group, said in order to ease the impact of the rising cost of living, the company offers a 4 per cent special discount for senior citizens on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and a 4 per cent discount on Thursdays to blue Chas card holders.
She added that Sheng Siong diversifies its food sources to ensure supply chain resilience and cost stability, and has expanded its house brand range to 1,750 products, offering customers quality alternatives at 5 per cent to 20 per cent savings compared to national brands.
Another company recognised as a Champion of Good, Seah Kim Cheok Construction, launched an app offering English and digital literacy programmes tailored to migrant workers in Singapore.
Called Grow Studio, the app empowers the workers to better understand safety instructions and navigate daily life with confidence. In 2021, the company started a charity, Grow Education, which also offers in-person lessons to complement learning on the app.
Mr Seah Kah Howe, the construction company's director, said its migrant employees have grown more confident in communicating after the English lessons, and are able to help middle management with clients' reports and safety forms.
The Courage Chapter was among 79 organisations recognised as a Company of Good – 3 Hearts. This recognition is conferred on organisations that have clearly articulated their corporate purpose with a clear plan to scale their impact.
Ms Lim Kai Ning co-founded the social enterprise in November 2023 to help match senior professionals to companies through new employment models such as part-time work or on a project basis.
The enterprise has since placed 43 seniors in various work opportunities and partners over 30 organisations, mostly in the social sector.
Ms Lim said The Courage Chapter reduces the risk for both seniors and companies by starting with a one-day immersion and a two-month 'reternship' stint, where companies pay seniors a stipend of about $1,500, before they are potentially converted into longer-term employees.
'Our goal is to help the seniors to contribute back to the workforce, but there must also be a good fit of their skills to the company,' she said. 'While we started with a social mission, we believe that we get paid for the value that we provide.'
