Singapore Telecommunications : DBS and Singtel launch SME Week to drive business to SMEs

Corporates and consumers can look forward to close to 900 offers

Singapore, 10 October, 2016 - DBS and Singtel today announced the launch of the second edition of SME Week from 14-23 October 2016, as part of the 99%SME campaign.

Consumers across Singapore are encouraged to buy from SMEs during the 10-day period to show their support for these home-grown businesses.

The campaign, which is in its second year, is supported by SPRING Singapore, trade associations[1] and chambers of commerce and industry[2]. The official media partner is MediaCorp and MasterCard is a strategic sponsor.

In conjunction with the launch of this year's SME Week at Bedok Town Centre on 14 October 2016, Mr Lee Yi Shyan, Member of Parliament for the East Coast GRC, will join 500 employees of DBS, Singtel, SPRING Singapore, Mediacorp and its artistes - Ben Yeo and Nico Weibin - and trade associations to shop at the surrounding neighbourhood retail outlets.

Since the launch of the campaign in mid-July, more than 2,500 SMEs have signed up for the 99%SME campaign since it began in mid-July, up from 1,670 last year. This allows them to enjoy a suite of exclusive benefits, including resource packages to help them upscale their businesses. During the SME Week, corporates and consumers in Singapore can look forward to close to 900 special deals and promotions from participating SMEs. Participating SMEs include restaurants, cafes, fashion and lifestyle stores, IT & electronic outlets and even business service providers such as e-Commerce providers, IT solutions, creative and marketing agencies. Shoppers can find out more about the promotions and offers at the 99%SME website at www.99sme.sg.

For the first time, consumers can also look forward to a better online shopping experience during SME Week. Offerings from participating SMEs with eCommerce sites will be available on the DBS Lifestyle portal, in addition to their listing on the 99%SME website.

To further encourage Singaporeans to support participating SMEs, DBS and Singtel will also be rewarding their customers during the SME Week. The first 2,000 DBS/POSB credit or debit card members who register via the DBS Lifestyle app will enjoy a 10% cash rebate for transactions of at least $20 in a single receipt, and up to a maximum cash rebate of $10 per customer. Registration is now open.

Singtel will give away a one-month free Singtel Music subscription, worth up to $9.90 per month, to the first 990 customers per day. This applies to those who spend at least $99 on a single receipt at a participating SME store on the same day, either at the online or physical shop. In total, there are 9,900 free music packs to be given away.

Ms Joyce Tee, Group Head of SME Banking, DBS Bank said: 'The 99%SME campaign is a public-private-partnership that supports the government's emphasis on building local capability as SMEs now play an even more crucial role to shape the future of Singapore's economy. We are gratified to see so many SMEs coming forward to offer a wide range of promotions for SME Week. Through the SME Week, we hope to kick-start a movement where supporting our home-grown SMEs becomes a part of our way of life.'

Mr Andrew Lim, Managing Director, Business Group, Group Enterprise at Singtel said, 'This year's SME Week will be bigger and better with more SMEs participating in the 99%SME campaign. Through this campaign, we are rallying all our employees, business associates and customers to go out in force and give SMEs a timely boost to their business.

'Even as SMEs gear up to welcome customers in their stores, they should also consider the next step of growing their business with online commerce, if they have not done so. As a strong supporter of SMEs, we are ready to help them make this move into the digital space and support them with our e-commerce solutions,' he added.

Click here for the 99%SME campaign launch press release in July 2016.

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[1] Restaurant Association of Singapore, The Federation of Merchants' Associations Singapore, Singapore Manufacturing Federation, the Singapore Business Federation and the Singapore Furniture Industries Council

[2] Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Singapore Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industry and the Singapore Malay Chamber of Commerce & Industry