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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS FOR BUYERS

General

1. What is 99%SME movement all about?

99%SME is a nationwide movement for small and medium businesses to grow stronger together by getting large corporations and Singaporeans to appreciate and help smaller businesses to grow.

2. What is 99%SME eMarketplace?

The 99%SME eMarketplace is a dedicated portal for local SMEs to advertise their offerings and to tap on a wider online customer base. SMEs will be able to list and sell on the 99%SME eMarketplace by leveraging on integrated logistics and payment gateway as well as additional exposure from the dedicated 99%SME marketing campaigns.

Click here to find out how to register!

3. Is 99%SME a government initiative?

DBS and Singtel are the founding members of 99%SME with Mediacorp as the Official Media Partner. It is a private sector-led initiative but its success will not be possible without the support of our partners as well as Enterprise Singapore and the various SME associations.

4. How will participating SMEs benefit from 99%SME?

Benefits for participating SMEs include:

Offline channel integration
- For SMEs who run a physical store, your customers will be able to order from your online store on 99sme.sg and choose to either self-collect at the physical store or to have the goods shipped to a preferred destination. We call this Omni-Channel Capable, your customers will call it another level of convenience.
Customise online branding with their virtual store
- SMEs will be able to brand their online store, differentiate it from the competition and make it their own.
More visibility with geo-location capability
- SMEs will be able to attract more footfalls to your physical store as geo-location will enable customers to locate your store more easily.

At the same time, SMEs will be able to gain access to various exclusive Resource Packages to help them on their digitalisation journey.

5. What are the Resource Packages available for participating SMEs?

Resource packages include:

Curated Solution for F&B and Retail businesses at up to 70% subsidy
eCommerce and Online Advertising  Solution
Cashless Payment Solution with Alipay (reach up to 3.4m Chinese tourist arrivals)
Business loans
Hire a Digital Professional (with a government subsidy of up to 90%) that will help to address manpower and digital capability development requirements.
Workshops on eCommerce, Digital Business Management & more

*Terms and conditions apply. Click to find out more

6. How will consumers benefit from 99%SME?

Consumers can look forward to the latest deals, promotions and offers from our SMEs which are exclusive to 99%SME. 99%SME is a national movement that help SMEs go digital and drive traffic to their offline stores to increase sales. Consumers can show their support by shopping with our SMEs on 99%SME eMarketplace.

7. Why are DBS and Singtel initiating this movement?

The 99%SME movement was co-founded by DBS and Singtel in 2015. Together with Mediacorp who is our official media partner, and other like-minded corporate partners such MasterCard which are part of the 1% of large companies in Singapore, we started the nationwide movement to mobilise other corporations and Singaporeans to appreciate and help smaller businesses grow.

A lot of SMEs are resource-constrained and do not have time and money to put in place marketing tools that can help optimise sales. Hence, we created 99%SME movement to help drive sales to the SMEs. SMEs simply have to upload their offers on the 99%SME eMarketplace (www.99sme.sg).

8. How many SMEs have participated so far?

We have more than 8,000 participating SMEs and counting.

9. What is the Digital Professional hiring programme about?

As part of the Adapt and Grow initiative to provide greater support for mid-career jobseekers who are Professionals, Managers, Executives and Technicians (PMET), SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) has developed a new Professional Conversion Programme (PCP) for Digital Professionals (DP).

The PCP for DP will integrate job matching and training, and include classroom and On-the-Job Training (OJT) components. This will facilitate and enhance the employability of those looking to switch their careers and take on jobs in the retail profession. It will also help retail companies to tap on additional sources of manpower and meet their manpower needs by providing mid-career switchers with an opportunity to enter the retail profession through structured classroom training and OJT.

10. What are the criteria required for hiring a Digital Professional?

Participating companies must fulfil the following criteria:

the participating company must be registered or incorporated in Singapore;
the participating company must issue a valid employment contract; and
the participating company must be able to provide structured on-the-job training for the candidate.

11. How does the Digital Professional hiring programme work?

Programme details:
The PCP for DP is administered by Singapore Institute of Retail Studies (SIRS). To enhance DP candidate employability, he/she will undergo training at SIRS for the following courses:

Manage Online Business (30 hours)
Maximising Customer Engagement Through Social Media (8 hours)
Tap into the Power of Facebook Marketing (8 hours)
Digital Strategy & the 101 of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) (8 hours)
Upon successful completion of the above 4 modules, SIRS will screen and review the strengths and weakness of the DP candidates and prepare them for interviews with the hiring companies. This is to facilitate the matching process effectively. The employers will provide further training for the hired DPs to enhance their performance. In addition, the employers will provide structured OJT for the DPs to apply the knowledge and skills gained to the workplace.

Upon successful placement in the company, there will be further training sponsored by the company for the following:

Alibaba Managerial Elite Programme (5 days)
Alibaba Digital Commerce Implementation (6 days)
Alibaba Entrepreneurial Programme (6 days)

The funding will be disbursed on a quarterly period basis, subject to the submission of the signed employment contract, monthly salary slip, OJT Blueprint and curriculum, and completed OJT Log Book (please refer to Letter of Undertaking issued when it is confirmed that you are joining the PCP DP initiative)

	FUNDING COMPONENT	REQUIREMENT
1.	Course Fee Grant: For non-Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) Full Course Fee: $16,000 70% SSG Funding: $11,200 Nett Fee payable by employers: $4,800 (excl. GST) For SMEs or trainees eligible for Mid-Career Enhanced Subsidy (MCES) Full Course Fee: $16,000 90% SSG Funding: $14,400 Nett Fee payable by employers: $1,600 (excl. GST) $1,936 (incl. GST)	Trainee passes all the required modules.
2.	Salary Support: Up to 70% of the trainee’s monthly salary, capped at $2,000 (excl. GST) per trainee per month, for the programme duration. Up to 90%* of the trainee’s monthly salary, capped at $4,000 (excl. GST) per trainee per month, for the programme duration. *PMETs aged 40 years old and above, and/or participants who have been unemployed for more than six months. Funding would be based on the duration of the programme (maximum 6 months). The first 6-month period will cover the training period and OJT period, where the salary support grant is given by SSG. The subsequent 6 months are for the DP to perform and there will be no more salary support grant.	Trainee remains employed at the hiring company for a minimum duration equivalent to the programme duration, after passing all the required modules.

12. Is there a limit on the number of Digital Professionals my company can hire?

There is no limit, it is according to your company’s manpower requirement.

13. If my company is to sponsor the Digital Professional for further conversion training programmes, what happens if the Digital Professional leaves before the period of employment ends?

The company could include certain terms and conditions in the employment contract, such as a bond period or claw back of the course fee amount.

14. How do companies apply to hire a Digital Professional?

SMEs who are keen to apply may contact:
Ms Grace Hausjah
Ms Jasminah Bte Mohd Jali
Singapore Institute of Retail Studies (SIRS)
Tel: +65 6222 7477
Email: courses@sirs.edu.sg

About Skills Future (SSG)

15. How much are the SkillsFuture Course Fees?

1. SkillsFuture for Digital Workplace:
At $50* (nett), this 2-day course equips the learner with foundational digital skills to welcome technological changes to the workplace
Contact: www.skillsfuture.sg/digitalworkplace

2. Essentials in Digital Marketing:
At $30* (before GST), this 1-day workshop and a half-day seminar will equip you with simple tools to make sense of your business data and successfully plan for future growth in your company.
Contact: pace@sp.edu.sg

3. Consumer Purchase Behaviour in e-Commerce:
At $39.93* (nett), this 2-day workshop helps you to understand the science behind consumer psychology in the world of e-commerce. Find out what makes people buy products online, and what tactics work effectively.
Contact: patricia_tan@nyp.edu.sg

4. SkillsFuture Jumpstart! Workshop:
At $76* (nett), this workshop helps you to understand how a sound people strategy can reinforce business performance. You will also get on-the-spot SkillsFuture advice and other assistance during the workshop
Contact: sf.jumpstart@sg.ey.com

Buyer FAQs

Registration

1. How do I register for a buyer account?

Click on “Register” and follow the instructions to complete your registration.

2. Why do I need to provide my mobile number?

Your mobile number is used to authenticate the account registration request that it is an authorised request.

3. Why am I not able to register for multiple Buyer account using the same mobile number?

The 99% SME portal does not allow multiple account creation for the same user.

4. I am registering for a new Buyer account using my mobile number. However, system says that the mobile number is already in used.

The 99% SME portal does not allow multiple account creation for the same user.

Payment

1. What are the supported payment options?

You can use your credit or debit card to make payment.

Transaction related

1. Can I cancel my order after it is submitted?

Once your order is submitted it is deemed final and free of error from your end. It cannot be cancelled once submitted.