Accessibility Fund FAQs

The Accessibility Fund is a grant established to help owners of pre-1990 private buildings to improve their accessibility and provide a friendly built environment for people of all ages and abilities. It is also available for private buildings built before the implementation of Code on Accessibility in the Built Environment 2013 that had achieved basic accessibility, to upgrade with Universal Design features.

Buildings built before 1990 are not subjected to accessibility requirements.

Building owners or lessors who have the ownership right to upgrade the private building; as well as lessees who can carry out the upgrading works with the endorsement of the private building owners/lessors are eligible to apply for the Fund.

The new requirement for existing commercial and institutional buildings with gross floor area of more than 500sqm to provide basic accessibility features whenever any addition and alteration works are carried out will be implemented soon. These buildings will no longer be eligible to tap on the Accessibility Fund for basic accessibility upgrading but will be eligible to tap on the Accessibility Fund for other Accessibility Features.

For eligible buildings built before 1990, the Accessibility Fund can co-pay up to 80% of construction costs for the upgrading of basic accessibility features and can be extended to cover up to 60% of construction costs for additional features beyond basic accessibility features as well as Universal Design features and it is capped at $300,000 per building/development.

For eligible buildings built before the implementation of the Code on Accessibility in the Built Environment 2013, the Accessibility Fund can co-pay up to 60% of construction costs for the upgrading of Universal Design features and it is capped at $100,000 per building/development.

Only projects with a total minimum approved funding value of S$200,000 and involving lifts qualify for the one-time interim payment option.

Interested applicants may email us with the building address seeking funding for BCA to check on its eligibility.

The Fund does not apply to private landed residential buildings and buildings undergoing extensive/major additions and alterations, which, under the current building regulations, must comply with the prevailing Code on Accessibility in the Built Environment.

Building that had underwent multiple upgrading works and complies with the prevailing Code on Accessibility in the Built Environment are not eligible for the Fund.

For private residential buildings, the Fund only applies to the upgrading of communal areas with accessibility features. Individual dwelling units are not eligible for the Fund.

Strata-owned developments that have intentions to carry out collective sales exercise and/or undergoing collective sales exercise are not eligible for the Fund.

Government funded buildings do not qualify for the Fund.

No. If there is an existing accessible feature provided in the building, the funding will not be extended to it. Funding will only be extended to features that might be code compliant at time of construction but is not compliant with our current code. For example, the conversion of the gradient of ramp from 1:10 to 1:12.

In-principle Approval must be sought from BCA before the commencement of upgrading works. Upon receiving the documents in proper order, BCA will inform applicants within 14 working days on work items which have been approved in principle.