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Ministry of Culture, Community & Youth
Speech

Youth Action Marketplace, Impact IRL

31 October 2026

Sectors

Youth

Speech by Ms Low Yen Ling, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth & Ministry of Trade and Industry at Youth Action Marketplace on 31 October 2026

Ms Teoh Zsin Woon, Permanent Secretary, MCCY

Ms Cynthia Leow, Deputy Secretary, MCCY

Mr David Chua, Chief Executive, National Youth Council,

Mr Tony Soh, Chief Executive Officer, National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre,

Distinguished partners,

Youth Leaders,

Young Singaporeans.

  1. Good morning. Welcome to Singapore’s first Youth Action Marketplace – Impact, IRL. Today, it is about turning “I care” into action! It’s an opportunity for all our youth to act upon the causes close to your hearts. I can feel the energy in this room

    1. The ballroom here is filled with anticipation. There are many ideas being shared, connections made, and an exciting sense of purpose.

    2. That is what Impact, IRL is about: ideas meeting action, in real life.

Nurturing Active Citizens

  1. We want to grow this can-do spirit in our youth – where initiative, courage, and collective action impact Singapore and beyond our shores. This is the heart of the SG Youth Plan that was launched a few months ago.

  2. I encourage our youth to:

    1. Take an active stake in the future of Singapore. Our country’s future is also your future. You are tomorrow’s leaders.

    2. Share your voice. Your ideas and suggestions can help shape the future of Singapore you wish for.

    3. Turn your ideas into action. Transform your passion and talents to help others – here at home, and beyond our borders.

  3. Earlier on at a booth outside, I spent some time putting together a keychain of five Ts: Time, Talent, Treasure, Ties, and Testimony. You don’t have to do all five, but let’s start with a ‘T’ that matters to you.

  4. You can be our young generation driving change for good in our We-First society. Young Singaporeans who desire to achieve good and contribute.

    1. Today, according to our SG Youth Plan engagements, over 7 in 10 youths are involved in, or interested in, ground-up projects.

    2. Four in 10 are already donating their money or making in kind donations, according to NVPC’s National Giving Study 2025 Youth Report.

  5. We want to make your next step easier:

    1. Some of you have an idea, but may not know where or how to begin.

    2. Some are already leading projects and want to go further.

    3. Wherever you are, we wish to support your next step.

Supporting Youth Action

  1. To ignite your actions and aspirations, you can tap into :

    1. The National Youth Fund of up to $20 million that is geared to support up to 3,000 youth-led projects over the next five years. As long as you are passionate and have an idea, we will be here to support you with some form of funding based on the scale of your project.

  2. I am happy to announce the launch of the new Microgrant of up to $1,000 per grant that aims to make it easier for you to move your idea into action. We’ve set aside up to $150,000 for these micro-grants to encourage you to start community projects you are passionate about. Applications are open all year round. In fact, participants who are here today can apply right away, and approval may even be given on the spot.

  3. If you are wondering - what can one small idea achieve? Let me share this story with you. Last year, three Temasek Polytechnic students, Joelle Chong, Kontham Ishwarya and Dayana Abdul Haddy, turned their ideas and skills into tools that helped vulnerable seniors live better.

    1. With support from NYC’s Young ChangeMakers Grant, they designed and produced simple assistive devices using 3D printing.

    2. The key turners, jar openers and utensil holders made were given to seniors in lower-income neighbourhoods to improve their daily living and support their everyday tasks.

    3. The team used their 3D printing skills they learnt in school to bring greater comfort and independence to seniors in need. This gives seniors more confidence to venture out of their homes and get more active.

    4. We applaud this positive youth action. Making a difference doesn’t have to start with something big. It can start by noticing a need, having an idea, and taking the first steps to solve the gap.

NVPC’s Micro-giving Initiative

  1. Besides starting projects, you can also fund a worthy cause. Taking action to improve lives need not be limited to the ideas you have or the efforts you can drive.

  2. NVPC’s new Micro-giving initiative on giving.sg (opens in new tab) encourages you and everyone to give. Now, you can start on your giving journey with the gift of a dollar.

    1. Every donation, no matter how small, counts! Anyone can give, including those who wish to start with a dollar. On giving.sg (opens in new tab), 19 selected charities will now be able to receive donations from as little as a dollar, with the aim of extending it to more charities from next year.

    2. Over time, we hope that givers will make it their lifestyle to give regularly; and

    3. As a society, we will see how our giving all adds up - for every dollar to charity counts.

  3. For example, seventeen-year-old Shoken Tsurumaru was inspired by a friend who had asked for donations instead of gifts on his birthday. Shoken went on to start a digital platform called Giveinstead.sg (opens in new tab), which lets people to turn celebrations into opportunities to give to causes.

    1. Since then, more than 2,100 donors have contributed over $325,000 to charitable causes via this platform.

    2. Shoken did not wait for a grand gesture. He made giving easier — and invited others in.

    3. He was recently recognised at the 2026 President's Volunteerism and Philanthropy Awards

    4. He acted on his one simple idea and sparked thousands of people to give.

    5. That is the kind of positive energy that our youth like you have.

Conclusion

  1. To all our partners: thank you for supporting and empowering our young people and backing them up with trust, opportunities and resources.

  2. And to every young person here: Singapore’s future is yours to forge. You have a stake, a voice, and a role in shaping what is to come.

    1. So, share an idea. Support a cause. Start a project. Or simply give what you can. Every dollar counts.

    2. Step forward today.

    3. Because change begins with someone willing to start. Let that someone be each of us. And we will walk the journey with you to impact lives for the better.

  3. Thank you.