New Outward-Bound Singapore Coney Island campus opening in 2nd half of 2026 among key MCCY updates

, the campus was originally slated to be completed in 2020 before

Responding to queries from The Straits Times, MCCY said the new Coney Island campus is a major development and timelines for its completion were revised due to issues such as the Covid-19 pandemic, and the need to ensure construction methods minimised environmental impact.

A new Somerset Belt Youth CoLab will be set up to let the youth take the lead in developing and running programmes in the Somerset Belt and *SCAPE.

This aims to build confidence and a sense of ownership among the youth through responsibilities like managing these spaces, budgets and activities.

Fifteen young people were selected for this task, said Ms Goh. *SCAPE will provide training, mentorship, and access to working space to them, along with an annual budget of $300,000 for the CoLab to lead and manage activities in the district.

The CoLab will officially convene in March, and more details will be announced when ready.

A new Indian Engagement and Development Committee (INEI) will be formed to strengthen the Singapore Indian identity, coordinate community efforts and develop youth leadership over the next five years.

The committee will be chaired by Senior Minister of State for Transport Murali Pillai, and Minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth Dinesh Vasu Dash. “Inei” means to come together or be connected in Tamil.

More than 150 Singapore Indian organisations and 240 Singapore Indian youth leaders aged up to 35 have been engaged since August 2025 to gather views on the community’s priorities in the coming years.

The committee will focus on a few key areas, including uplifting the community by further supporting disadvantaged Indian families and improving the coordination of last-mile assistance.

The committee aims to strengthen social cohesion by encouraging established and emerging Indian organisations to work together in areas such as arts and sports.

It will also develop a pipeline of Indian Singaporean youth leaders who can serve and lead the community in the future.

An annual INEI forum will be set up for the community to come together, review its progress and discuss initiatives for the future. The first forum is planned for April, with more details on the committee to be shared then.

“I request members of the community to come forward and share their views,” Mr Dinesh said.

The $50 million SG Partnerships Fund to fund ground-up initiatives that benefit the community will start accepting applications from April 1.

The fund by the Singapore Government Partnerships Office was announced during Prime Minister Lawrence Wong’s Budget speech on Feb 12. It offers three tiers of support for individuals, ground-up groups and larger organisations.

The Seed Tier for pilot initiatives will offer funding of up to 100 per cent of the programme cost up to $5,000 and over a year-long implementation period. The application period for this tier is all year round.

Senior Minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth Low Yen Ling said: “We hope that this tier, with its simple application process, will motivate more individuals and ground-ups to come forward with their ideas, no matter how small, to address community needs or better the lives of their fellow citizens.”

The second tier, Sprout, is aimed at groups looking to grow their impact across multiple communities. Funding will be based on up to 80 per cent of programme costs, and up to $50,000 and two years of implementation.

Those who wish to apply for this tier of funding can do so in 2026 between April and May, July and August, October and November, or in 2027, between January and February.

The Scale Tier, for registered organisations to launch major initiatives, can get funding of up to 80 per cent of their programme costs and up to $1 million, with up to three years of implementation. Organisations can apply between July and September 2026, and from January to March 2027.

Those keen can apply through the OurSG Grants Portal from April 1.