SINGAPORE \u2013 Singapore\u2019s Government Technology Agency (GovTech) has been gathering public feedback on a potential government-run dating service it is exploring, according to a survey circulated to members of the public earlier in April. <\/p>\n
The proposed dating service was an idea mooted at the statutory board\u2019s annual hackathon. <\/p>\n
Users of CrowdTask, an online platform used by government agencies to poll the public, received a survey on April 13 asking for their feedback on the visual design of the proposed service\u2019s website.<\/p>\n
According to the survey, this proposed dating service is called Firstdate and aimed at singles under the age of 35. In it, users would be asked to complete a 10-minute questionnaire to receive a match based on their interests and values.<\/p>\n
Matched couples would then receive a free meal for their date, chosen from a curated restaurant list. Accounts on the proposed dating service would be required to verify their identity with Singpass. <\/b><\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve got your first date covered,\u201d stated the dating service\u2019s write-up. \u201cNo fakes, no drama.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis particular idea is still at a very early, exploratory stage and nothing has been confirmed,\u201d said a GovTech spokesperson in response to queries from The Straits Times.<\/p>\n
GovTech employees propose and tackle problems as part of the statutory board\u2019s annual hackathon, with shortlisted teams turning their ideas into products.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt any one time, there are hundreds of such explorations at various stages and most do not proceed beyond the concept or research phase,\u201d the spokesperson added.<\/p>\n
CrowdTask users received a second survey on April 27 asking them about their motivations and challenges when it comes to dating in Singapore.<\/p>\n A second survey aimed at singles aged 21 to 35 asked them about motivations and challenges in dating.<\/p>\n PHOTO: SCREENGRAB FROM CROWDTASK<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n \u201cBurned out from endless swiping and awkward \u2018singles events\u2019?\u201d read the call for respondents. \u201cWe are testing fresh, organic ways to connect, like casual work mixers and discounted dining matches.\u201d<\/p>\n Respondents were asked what initiatives they would support if they were implemented by the Government. Options included unlabelled networking events, matched casual dining, activity-based trips, official identity verification through Singpass to reduce \u201ccatfishing\u201d and subsidies for date activities such as meals.<\/p>\n Both surveys have since been removed from CrowdTask.<\/p>\n These surveys come amid Singapore\u2019s fertility rate sinking to historic lows. The country\u2019s resident total fertility rate dropped to 0.87 in 2025, down from 1.24 a decade ago.<\/p>\n On April 29, the National Population and Talent Division announced the formation of a new workgroup to tackle Singapore\u2019s falling fertility rate, which is set to release its findings by early 2027.<\/p>\n GovTech\u2019s proposed service is not the first time the Government has played matchmaker.<\/p>\n The Social Development Unit was established in 1984 with the initial mission of getting graduates to meet and marry. In 2023, its modern iteration, the Social Development Network, shuttered its website<\/span><\/a> after sending out an e-mail thanking its members for their support.<\/p>\n The Government\u2019s more recent forays into matchmaking have involved less explicitly romantic branding and more technology.<\/p>\n The Ministry of Social and Family Development was one of the organisers behind For Real Fest, a Gen Z friendship festival<\/span><\/a> started in 2024 which was pitched as a solution to youth loneliness. In 2025, For Real Fest attendees at shopping mall Funan received light-up bracelets that allowed them to indicate whether they are \u201copen for love\u201d, or shy and would rather be approached by others.<\/p>\n More couples now meet online than through other methods, such as school or via one\u2019s friends, according to a 2022 survey by the National Population and Talent Division.<\/p>\n A 2024 survey by analytics firm YouGov found that 36 per cent of Gen Z and 42 per cent of millennial residents have used dating apps.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/picture><\/div>