Grab launches US$1 million annual scholarship, bursary programme at opening of Singapore headquarters
Besides the GrabScholar programme, the company also announced another initiative - GrabMerchant Centre - to expand its support for merchant-partners.
SINGAPORE: Grab has launched its GrabScholar programme to provide US$1 million worth of scholarships and bursaries annually, the tech giant announced on Thursday (Aug 11) at the official opening of its headquarters in Singapore.
The GrabScholar programme comes under the GrabForGood Fund, which supports initiatives aimed at improving the lives of its drivers, delivery riders and merchants, as well as other communities in South-east Asia.
The programme plans to award more than 2,000 university scholarships and educational bursaries annually across all Southeast Asian countries that Grab operates in.
This will cover tuition and study-related expenses for underprivileged children to attend primary, secondary or vocational schools as well as universities, said Grab in a news release.
“Internship opportunities will also be offered to tertiary students to develop their professional aptitude and prepare them for full-time roles when they graduate.”
With GrabScholar having launched in Indonesia last month, Grab said that the region-wide programme is an expanded effort to support the broader communities across Southeast Asia.
The GrabScholar programme is in addition to the existing scholarship and bursary initiatives that are offered to the children of Grab’s driver-, delivery- and merchant-partners in Singapore and Thailand, added Grab.
EXPANDED SUPPORT FOR MERCHANTS
At the official opening of Grab’s headquarters at one-north business park, the company also announced another initiative - GrabMerchant Centre - to help small businesses thrive online.
“Grab has been helping small businesses come online in the past two years. As Southeast Asia leaves behind the worst of COVID-19 lockdowns and drives towards recovery, these SMEs (small- and medium-size enterprises) have also stabilised their delivery business’ operations and are now ready to scale,” said Grab in its news release.
Once launched, the GrabMerchant Centre will be located at Grab Singapore's headquarters. It will provide one-on-one business consultation services for their SME merchant-partners, helping them to optimise their online presence, maximise Grab's services for their businesses, and use digital tools to grow, said Grab.
Through the one-on-one business consultations with Grab's account managers, merchant-partners can tap Grab’s Southeast Asia network and access data insights, it added.
"Account managers will provide dedicated consultations to advise on long- term growth plans and provide actionable business insights to help merchant-partners grow to the next level," said Grab.
The one-on-one business consultations were piloted earlier this year.
Additionally, the merchant-partners can subscribe to a "merchant concierge service" to get direct assistance in solving operational issues, ensuring their delivery business runs smoothly and reduces downtime, added Grab.
The GrabMerchant Centre will also regularly organise upskilling workshops to help merchant-partners stay up to date with industry trends and developments.
"These will also serve as networking sessions to facilitate business connections and a small business community for collective learning," said Grab.
NEW HEADQUARTERS
The official launch of Grab Singapore's headquarters coincided with Grab's 10th anniversary celebrations.
Grab Singapore's headquarters houses about 3,000 employees and a research and development centre. It will also be home to the digibank team.
The headquarters is one of two headquarters that the company has in the region. The other is in Jakarta, Indonesia, and serves as Grab’s regional innovation hub for small businesses, said the company.
"Grab’s journey over the past 10 years has been an inspiring one for all of us, but for Singaporeans in particular, it is a story that’s familiar to us. Because it is a story about the underdog, succeeding against all odds and making the impossible possible," said Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong at the opening.
"Like Singapore, Grab started from humble beginnings. You had to grow from virtually nothing. … you had to convince drivers and riders to use a new platform that no one had heard of.”
As a sign of how far Grab has come, Mr Wong added that in some countries, “saying 'taking a Grab' (has) become synonymous with saying you are calling for a taxi”.
To prepare for the future, Mr Wong noted that it's important to "pursue inclusive growth", where every citizen and every worker matters.
"For our tech sector, it means that the Government will continue to partner and work closely with industry players like Grab to develop our tech ecosystem – by growing talent, deepening skills and supporting innovation. It also means that we create opportunities for every citizen to participate fully in the digital economy," he said.