Consultancy Subsidy - Social Service Agencies

Determine Your Eligibility
Unsure if your organisation is an NCSS member? Check your NCSS membership status in the 'Directory of NCSS Members'.

Funding
We understand that funding plays a crucial role in enabling Social Service Agencies (SSAs) to embark on their digital transformation journey. Here's a breakdown of the available funding for each consultancy type:

1. A 70% satisfaction rate with consultancy service.
2. A 100% adherence to project timeline.

For details on measuring the KPIs, refer to our information page.

Application
Applications are available throughout the year, with simple steps to follow:

Pre-scoped Consultancy
Capelle Consulting and ThunderQuote have been appointed by NCSS to provide pre-scoped consultancy services to support Social Service Agencies (SSAs) in their digitalisation journey. Watch the Capelle x Thunderquote introductory video and get to know them.

Consultancy Scoping Clinic
Step 1: Get Started with Consultancy
Book a consultancy scoping clinic with our expert. They'll assess your digital needs and recommend the right consultancy package for your agency.

• For pre-scoped consultancy services (#1 to #7) only.
• Clinic is focused on discussing your consultancy scope.
• Clinic attendance is required for all pre-scoped consultancy services only, not for tech funding applications.

Step 2: Apply via OurSG Grants Portal
After the clinic, apply for consultancy services through the OurSG Grants portal.

• Complete: TNG Pre-Scoped & IT Audit CSDP Consultancy Project Proposal.
• Select: "Project Category = Tech-and-GO!" on the OurSG Grant (OSG) portal.
• Complete: OHFSS Self-Assessment if your agency has not done so.
  • Register your agency's participants for the survey.
  • Complete the OHFSS Assessment.
    • As FormSG is unable to save your progress for the assessment as drafts, we strongly recommend for participants to run through the questions on the Assessment Toolkit before completing the online form.
  • Find out more info on the steps to complete the OHFSS assessment.

• Submit: One form per service if applying for multiple services.
• Project Timeline: Ensure Project Start Date is at least 4 to 6 weeks from submission. Project End Date is dependent on the length of the consultancy.
• Application Closing Date: 31 March 2025.
• Expect: An application outcome in 4-6 weeks.
  (A funding agreement will be sent to your agency)
• Approval: Once approved, the consultant will contact you to start the service.

IT Audit and CSDP Consultancy
Step 1 & 2: Request Quotes
Begin by obtaining quotations for service providers and/or assessment bodies for the following services:

Step 3: Apply via OurSG Grants Portal
After securing quotes, apply for the consultancy service through the OurSG Grants (OSG) portal.

• Complete: TNG Consultancy Project Proposal.
• Complete: Annex A.
• Select: "Project Category = Tech-and-GO!" on the OurSG Grant (OSG) portal.
• Complete: OHFSS Self-Assessment if your agency has not done so.
  • Register your agency's participants for the survey.
  • Complete the OHFSS Assessment.
    • As FormSG is unable to save your progress for the assessment as drafts, we strongly recommend for participants to run through the questions on the Assessment Toolkit before completing the online form.
  • Find out more info on the steps to complete the OHFSS assessment.

• Submit: One form per service if applying for multiple services.
• Project Timeline: Ensure Project Start Date is at least 4 to 6 weeks from submission. Project End Date is dependent on the length of the consultancy.
• Application Closing Date: 31 March 2025.
• Expect: An application outcome in 4-6 weeks.
  (A funding agreement will be sent to your agency)
• Approval: Once approved, the consultant will contact you to start the service.

RPA, Digital Marketing and BDDC Consultancy
Step 1: Contact Your Consultant

Step 2: Apply via OurSG Grants Portal
Following your initial consultation with Singapore Polytechnic, apply for the consultancy service via the OurSG Grants (OSG) portal.

• Complete: TNG Consultancy Project Proposal.
• Select: "Project Category = Tech-and-GO!" on the OurSG Grant (OSG) portal.
• Submit: One form per service if applying for multiple services.
• Project Timeline: Ensure Project Start Date is at least 4 to 6 weeks from submission. Project End Date is dependent on the length of the consultancy.
• Application Closing Date: 31 March 2025.
• Expect: An application outcome in 4-6 weeks.
  (A funding agreement will be sent to your agency)
• Approval: Once approved, the consultant will contact you to start the service.

Recommended for:
Social Service Agencies (SSAs) aim to create a comprehensive digital masterplan on digital systems for the next 3-5 years, enabling them to build an organisation that's prepared for the future.

• My agency currently has several digital systems in place. Do we need to replace or integrate them in the near future?
• Are our existing digital solutions aligned with our business objectives, and what other solutions might we require?
• What steps should we take to digitise our business processes to align with our organisation's vision and meet the needs of our service users?

• Digital strategy plan
• Change management plan

• Identifying Needs: Conduct a SWOT analysis to identify current pain points and prioritise digital solutions to meet future service needs of the organisation.
• Strategy Creation: Chart an agency-wide five-year digital strategy plan, including (but not limited to) guidance on implementation in stages based on agency needs and priorities.
• User-Centric Focus: Create future-state user journeys, emphasising a user-centric approach to illustrate the impact on service users.
• Stakeholder Assessment: Perform stakeholder analysis to assess the level of impact and craft a resistance management plan tailored to your organisation's context.
• Effective Communication: Develop communication plans targeting stakeholders affected by the changes, including the channels and timelines.
• Change Management: Plan and validate change management strategies and provide the necessary tools to secure buy-in from your stakeholders.

Read the DSP Fact Sheet, or watch the video on Digital Strategy Planning for a detailed overview.

Recommended for:
Social Service Agencies (SSAs) who require guidance on managing data across the data lifecycle and having a hands-on approach to using and analysing data for improving productivity and service user experience.

• What is a good way to manage data within my agency?
• My agency collects a lot of data. How can I make good use of data to benefit my organisation as well as my service users?
• What kinds of data tools might be useful for my agency?

• Data management strategy plan
• Change management plan
• Pilot study report

• Identifying Needs: Perform SWOT analysis using the data lifecycle framework to evaluate your existing data management practices, understand challenges, and identify desired outcomes.
• Strategy Creation: Develop an agency-wide data management strategy, including guidance on best practices and recommendations for people, processes, and technology.
• Conduct & Improved: Identify and conduct a pilot study on 1-2 prioritised data use cases to test the proposed strategies and make data-driven improvements.
• Stakeholder Assessment: Perform stakeholder analysis to assess the level of impact and craft a resistance management plan tailored to your organisation's context.
• Effective Communication: Develop communication plans targeting stakeholders affected by the changes, including the channels and timelines.
• Change Management: Plan and validate change management strategies and provide the necessary tools to secure buy-in from your stakeholders.

Read the DM Fact Sheet, or watch the video on Data Management Consultancy for a detailed overview.

Recommended for:
Social Service Agencies (SSAs) seeking to enhance their in-house capacity for managing IT projects through coaching sessions and practical implementation.

• How can my agency develop in-house expertise to oversee future IT projects?
• What criteria should we use to evaluate suitable IT vendors?
• How do we navigate stakeholder management amidst changes resulting from IT projects?

• Training and coaching plan
• Final consultancy report

How the consultants can assist you:
The consultant will provide coaching sessions to train SSAs in at least 4 out of 7 focus areas for digital capabilities, including:

Read our IPC Fact Sheet or watch the video on IT Project Coaching for a detailed overview.

Recommended for:
Social Service Agencies (SSAs) who wants to adopt Start Digital solutions, whether pre-scoped or Green Lane options. Learn more about Start Digital solutions.

• My agency is uncertain about the most suitable solution to adopt.
• We require guidance to select a solution tailored to our unique needs.

Start DT (Design Thinking) Consultancy
Recommended for:
Social Service Agencies (SSAs) aiming to identify areas for improvement using a user-centred approach through design thinking.

• Are you looking to improve communication with your customers or members?
• Do you want to create more convenient and streamlined ways of giving but are unsure about how to serve different types of donors?
• Are you wondering how to enhance the effectiveness of outreach programs?
• Are you thinking about improving the onboarding experience for volunteers?
• How can we encourage staff to embark on lifelong learning?

• As-is and To-be process maps
• User requirements report
• Gaps analysis report on pain points, root causes, tech needs
• Solutions selection matrix and recommendation report

• Develop Process Maps: Creating visual representations of as-is and to-be process maps.
• Collect User Requirements: Gathering and documenting SSA needs and user requirements.
• Address Pain Points: Identifying and seizing opportunities to resolve challenges.
• Evaluate Technology Solutions: Conducting a detailed assessment of tech solutions and vendors.
• Recommend Solutions: Recommend and compare at least 3 solutions.

Read our Start Tech Consultancy Fact Sheet and Start DT Consultancy Fact Sheet or watch the video on Start Consultancy for a detailed overview.

Recommended for:
Social Service Agencies (SSAs) looking to adopt Go Digital solutions (non-pre-scoped and/or large-scale integrated IT solutions).

• My agency needs consultancy support to recommend and implement an integrated solution that enhances productivity and streamlines corporate functions.
• My agency requires specialised assistance to evaluate and implement customised solutions to support our corporate functions.

• Pre-Project Evaluation Report (PPE), consisting of:
  
  • As-is and To-be process maps
  • User requirements report
  • Gaps analysis report on pain points, root causes, tech needs
  • Solutions selection matrix and recommendation report
  • Cost benefit analysis
• Project implementation plan
• Final consultancy report

• Develop Process Maps: Creating visual representations of as-is and to-be process maps.
• Collect User Requirements: Gathering and documenting SSA needs and user requirements.
• Address Pain Points: Identifying and seizing opportunities to resolve challenges.
• Evaluate Technology Solutions: Conducting a detailed assessment of tech solutions and vendors.
• Recommend Solutions: Recommend and compare at least 3 solutions.
• Estimate Implementation Costs: Providing an estimate of solution implementation expenses.
• Analyse Cost vs. Benefit: Evaluating the return on investment and assisting in the tech funding application.
• Manage IT Project: Developing a project management plan for solution implementation.
• Implement Change: Crafting a change management plan for stakeholder support and adoption.
• Review & Survey: Performing post-implementation reviews with satisfaction surveys.

Read our Go Consultancy Fact Sheet or watch the video on Go Consultancy for a detailed overview.

Recommended for:
Social Service Agencies (SSAs) who want to adopt Grow Digital solutions (non-pre-scoped and/or large-scale integrated service delivery technology solutions^*).

• Technology that benefits the clients directly (e.g., rehabilitation equipment, gamification, chatbot).
• Technology that helps front-end staff better serve their clients (e.g., cleaning robot, surveillance solutions, well-being monitoring solution).

• My agency requires consultancy support to recommend and implement an integrated solution to increase productivity and streamline processes that impact our service users.
• My agency needs are very specialised, and we need help to evaluate and implement a customised solution to support our service users.

• Pre-Project Evaluation Report (PPE), consisting of:
  
  • As-is and To-be process maps
  • User requirements report
  • Gaps analysis report on pain points, root causes, tech needs
  • Solutions selection matrix and recommendation report
  • Cost benefit analysis
• Project implementation plan
• Final consultancy report

• Develop Process Maps: Creating visual representations of as-is and to-be process maps.
• Collect User Requirements: Gathering and documenting SSA needs and user requirements.
• Address Pain Points: Identifying and seizing opportunities to resolve challenges.
• Evaluate Technology Solutions: Conducting a detailed assessment of tech solutions and vendors.
• Recommend Solutions: Recommend and compare at least 3 solutions.
• Estimate Implementation Costs: Providing an estimate of solution implementation expenses.
• Assessing Productivity Potential: Conducting a baseline assessment to determine potential productivity gains.
• Analyse Cost vs. Benefit: Evaluating the return on investment and assisting in the tech funding application.
• Manage IT Project: Developing a project management plan for solution implementation.
• Implement Change: Crafting a change management plan for stakeholder support and adoption.
• Review & Survey: Performing post-implementation reviews with satisfaction surveys.

Read our Grow Consultancy Fact Sheet or watch the video on Grow Consultancy for a detailed overview.

Recommended for:
Social Service Agencies (SSAs) seeking project management support for IT implementation projects.

• My agency has already identified a preferred vendor/solution, and we need support to implement it.
• My agency has received TNG tech funding and is ready to implement the solution with consultancy support.

• Project implementation plan
• Final consultancy report

• Manage IT Project: Developing a project management plan for solution implementation.
• Implement Change: Crafting a change management plan for stakeholder support and adoption.
• Review & Survey: Performing post-implementation reviews with satisfaction surveys.

Read our DIC Fact Sheet for a detailed overview.

Recommended for:
Social Service Agencies (SSAs) are looking to ascertain their IT systems from data tampering and loss, assess control effectiveness, and ensure compliance with applicable laws, policies, and standards.

• What are the IT risks faced by my agency?
• How can we mitigate identified IT risks?
• Are our IT controls in compliance with relevant laws, policies, and governance standards?

• Audit report with corrective action plan.

• Test IT Security: Test logical and physical security controls, IT operations, disaster recovery procedures and business continuity.
• Ensure Data Integrity: Assessing data integrity through process evaluations and controls identification etc.
• Review IT Controls: Examining the control measures for critical system platforms, network components, and IT infrastructure.
• Review IT Strategy: Review IT strategy and IT organisation (organisational structure, leadership etc.).
• Improve IT Processes: Review IT processes like helpdesk management, service, and application oversight for efficiency.

Recommended for:
Social Service Agencies (SSAs) looking to be recognised for implementing good cyber hygiene practices to protect their operations and clients against common cyber-attacks.

• My agency is uncertain about prioritising cybersecurity measures.
• My agency needs guidance on implementing effective cybersecurity measures against common cyber-attacks.

• Cyber Essentials mark valid for two years.

• Assets: Protecting your digital assets.
• Security and Protection: Strengthening security measures.
• Updates: Keeping software and systems up to date.
• Backup: Ensuring data backup and recovery.
• Incident Response: Preparing for cyber incident responses.

Recommended for:
Social Service Agencies (SSAs) with extensive digitised operations who wish to receive a mark of distinction for implementing good cybersecurity practices.

• My agency needs guidance to assess our cybersecurity risks and preparedness.
• My agency would like a pathway to meet international cybersecurity standards (e.g. ISO/IEC 27001).

• Trust mark certification valid for three years with an annual audit.

• Implement Cyber Measures: To address the inherent cyber security risks that have been identified in preparation for the trust mark certification by the appointed certification body.

Recommended for:
Social Service Agencies (SSAs) seeking guidance on implementing basic data protection and security practices.

• My agency needs guidance on how to collect and use personal data as part of our operations.
• My agency needs to ensure business continuity, protect our client's personal data, and recover quickly in the event of a cyber incident.

• Completed one-time set-up
• Retainer reports

Recommended for:
Social Service Agencies (SSAs) looking to establish trust with their service users by demonstrating that a robust data protection regime has been implemented.

• My agency aims to utilise our data protection efforts to enhance our competitive edge and foster trust with our stakeholders.

• Trust mark certification valid for three years.

• Enhance Data Protection: Implementing robust data governance practices, processes, and policies for the certification assessment.

• Repetitive
• Rule-based
• Use of structure data
• Prone to human errors
• Work across different systems
  

• My agency aims to improve productivity by automating manual and repetitive processes through RPA.
• Project Outcome Report.

• Automated Processes through RPA.

• Process Improvement: Understanding of processes and user needs.
• Prototype Development: Creating solution prototypes and gathering user feedback.
• RPA Implementation: Implementing RPA solutions.

• Social Service Agencies (SSAs) looking to enhance their branding communication, promote their programs and services, and extend their reach and engagement with their target audience beyond traditional media.
• Social Service Agencies (SSAs) striving for self-sustainability and a consistent online presence.

• My agency aims to broaden its outreach and fundraising through increased engagement with a wider audience and volunteers.
• My agency seeks to create a presence online.

• Brand Audit: Understanding target audience's motivation and decision making process/journey mapping, perception towards organisation/services, digital media consumption habits.
• Digital Content Strategy: Online value proposition, mapping of content pillars and digital channels.
• Content Creation: Social media content (static content, short-form videos) & Corporate videos.

• Audience Insights: Gain insights into your target audience's needs.
• Tailored Solutions: Develop custom digital marketing strategies to address identified issues.

• Donation Management: Growing Donations
• Volunteer Management: Retaining and Engaging Volunteers
• HR Management: Improve HR Planning
• Case Management: Manage Caseloads and Resource Planning

• My agency wants to improve the data visibility and analytics through the customisation and implementation of the BDDC data templates.

• Data dashboard on Power BI

• Understand SSA's needs based on use case
• Contextualise and customise data templates and decide on the relevant charts required
• Develop charts and dashboards and get user feedback
• Train users in using dashboard