DBS Foundation has now committed over S$160 million to impact entrepreneurs across Asia
DBS Bank’s philanthropic arm says its grants and programmes are projected to reach more than 8 million lives by 2029, with its 2025 cohort of 22 businesses receiving S$4.9 million.
S$160M+
Committed by DBS Foundation to impact entrepreneurs since 2015
DBS Foundation, the philanthropic arm of DBS Bank, says it has now committed more than S$160 million as of the end of 2025 to support 48 businesses for impact through grants and awards, alongside 29 impact programmes run with community and public-sector partners. The bank projects the combined effort will reach more than 8 million lives by 2029.
The foundation’s flagship grant programme, now in its 11th edition since launching in 2015, awarded S$4.9 million to a 2025 cohort of 22 businesses for impact operating across DBS’s core Asian markets. Grantees can receive up to S$250,000 each, and gain access to mentorship, capacity-building support, preferential banking solutions, and collaboration opportunities through DBS Foundation’s network.
The 2025 cohort was selected for work addressing what DBS Foundation calls critical and emerging needs, including access to healthcare and income-generating opportunities for vulnerable communities. In Indonesia, a related tranche of funding — roughly S$850,000, or IDR 11.2 billion — was disbursed to five social enterprises, projected to collectively reach more than 1.9 million beneficiaries.
DBS frames the foundation’s work as core to its stated mission of strengthening the social and financial resilience of vulnerable communities across Asia, rather than as a standalone charitable exercise sitting apart from its banking business.
Primary source
This publication is based on DBS Bank's own disclosures. Read the original at https://www.dbs.com/newsroom/DBS_Foundation_commits_SGD_4_9_million_to_22_impact_entrepreneurs_tackling_emerging_societal_challenges_for_vulnerable_communities_in_Asia.
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