Amazon introduces additional support measures to help small and medium businesses bounce back from COVID-19

Globally, Amazon announced that it will invest US$18 billion in 2020 to support small and medium businesses and that it will spend an additional US$100 million to promote small businesses during Prime Day and through the holiday season

In Singapore, Amazon is one of the qualified e-commerce solution providers under the Digital Resilience Bonus administered by IMDA, and eligible local retailers who register to sell on Amazon.sg can receive a bonus of up to S$2,500

SINGAPORE - Media OutReach - 18 September 2020 - (NASDAQ:AMZN) -- In 2020, Amazon has provided support to thousands of local retailers and helped many of them to build thriving businesses by selling on Amazon.sg, and is keen to do more. Now, local retailers selling on Amazon.sg who meet the eligibility criteria can also receive the Digital Resilience Bonus (DRB) administered by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA). In addition, as part of Amazon's continued global commitment to support small and medium businesses (SMBs) during COVID-19, Amazon announced that it will invest US$18 billion to help SMBs worldwide sell to customers, including investments in logistics, tools, services, programs, and people. These initiatives add on to the support measures for local retailers that Amazon has leaned in to provide, including an ongoing collaboration with Enterprise Singapore on the eCommerce Booster Package which offers eligible local retailers a one-time grant of up to S$9,000 when they register to sell with Amazon.sg.

"As local retailers continue to adapt to the new normal, digitalisation is key to enabling them to build resilience and tap into new revenue streams domestically and internationally. Small and medium businesses are a part of Amazon's DNA and we remain committed to their success. The new initiatives will provide the necessary push in encouraging local retailers to step up digitalisation efforts and we're happy to work with IMDA on the Digital Resilience Bonus to offer additional support to them during this time of need," said Bernard Tay, Country Leader, Amazon.sg Seller Services and Head of Amazon Global Selling Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand.

"The recently announced Digital Resilience Bonus (DRB) under the SMEs Go Digital programme encourages retail and food services enterprises to take prompt action in adapting to the new normal through digitalisation. It is heartening to see industry leaders like Amazon coming forward to enable businesses reach out to more customers online and help their SME partners benefit from the DRB." said Catherine Chong, Director, SMEs Go Digital, IMDA. 

Helping local retailers emerge stronger from the pandemic

Since the onset of COVID-19, Amazon has introduced a pipeline of initiatives targeted at supporting the local small and medium business community in their online selling journey. These include:

• New resources by Amazon help retailers digitize

Amazon announced that it is on course to invest US$18 billion this year to help small and medium businesses to sell to customers, including investments in logistics, tools, services, programs, and people. Since the beginning of the year, Amazon has launched more than 135 free tools and services to help sellers grow their sales in Amazon's store. In Singapore, Amazon recently launched its Seller University, an online education portal offering complimentary training videos and tools so retailers new to eCommerce can learn how to create effective product listings faster and master the key tools and applications for selling on Amazon.

Other resources available include the Amazon Seller App for local retailers with accounts on Amazon.sg to track sales and manage their business via mobile. For retailers to build and nurture their businesses online, Amazon also rolled out its Marketplace Appstore, a one-stop shop to discover third-party applications and services for automating tedious business aspects, and the Seller Forum, a resource for first-hand advice from fellow business owners on selling with Amazon. Sellers can also join the Sell on Amazon Singapore Facebook page to connect with the community of sellers on Amazon.sg.

• Digital Resilience Bonus (DRB) with IMDA

The DRB is one of the efforts by the Singapore Government to uplift the digital capabilities of a broad base of enterprises. For a start, the DRB will benefit the food services and retail sectors which have been deeply affected by safe distancing measures amidst COVID-19. Amazon is one of the e-commerce providers that qualifies as a solution for the DRB. Eligible retailers who sell on Amazon.sg and fulfil the other mandatory requirements can receive a one-time S$2,500 automatic cash payout. Detailed information on the DRB, including its eligibility criteria can be found here and in the Appendix.

• Recognizing home-grown businesses and celebrating their journeys

In a bid to raise more awareness for local businesses, Amazon recently launched a dedicated "Shop Local" storefront on Amazon.sg. The "Shop Local" initiative features local brands' founding stories and a plethora of products from local businesses in categories such as home and home improvement, electronics, kitchen and dining, health and personal care, toys and games, groceries and more. The "Shop Local" storefront will shine a spotlight on the diversity of local retailers selling on Amazon.sg, positioning them for increased sales during Prime Day and throughout Q4.

For more information about selling on Amazon.sg, visit: amazon.sg/sell

APPENDIX: FAQs

1.       Eligibility criteria for the Digital Resilience Bonus Payout (Reference)

• To qualify for DRB, an enterprise must be: (i) incorporated on or before 26 May 2020 with a Food Service or Retail SSIC code and (ii) using the digital solutions between 1 June 2020 and 30 June 2021.
• Eligible enterprises can receive payouts of up to S$10,000, if they:

a)       Adopt PayNow Corporate and PEPPOL e-invoicing; and

b)      Adopt the digital solutions in the required categories

• The payout for Category 1 and 2 is S$2,500 per enterprise per category, while the payout for Category 3 is S$5,000 per enterprise. Enterprises that fulfil all categories will receive S$10,000. Digital solutions in each category are illustrated in the tables below.

2.       What are the types of retail enterprises that qualify for DRB?

• Retail enterprises include those in footwear, bags, clothing, furniture, jewellery, watches, cosmetics, hardware, pet supplies, toys, books, handphones and computer hardware. To view the full list of qualified SSIC for Food Services and Retail sectors, please visit the Digital Resilience Bonus webpage at www.imda.gov.sg/DRBonus.

3.       How do eligible retailers on Amazon.sg apply for DRB?

• Eligible Singapore retailers who have a digital presence on e-commerce solutions including on Amazon.sg and have sales records between 1 June 2020 and 30 June 2021 will be eligible for the Category 2 payout of S$2,500. Retailers also need to fulfil the baseline mandatory criteria, i.e. have a qualified primary SSIC (as listed on IMDA's website) as at 26 May 2020, be registered on the Nationwide E-invoicing Network and have a PayNow Corporate account. Detailed information on the DRB can be found here https://www.imda.gov.sg/DRBonus).
• There is no need for enterprises to apply for DRB. As a qualified solution provider, Amazon submits the unique entity number (UEN) and business name of Singapore retailers who made sales on Amazon.sg from 1 June 2020 to 30 June 2021. This submission is made on a monthly basis, starting from 5 September 2020 for Amazon.sg. IMDA checks whether the retailers have met the other mandatory criteria and pays out S$2,500 to those who have, through their PayNow Corporate accounts. No money is transferred to Amazon. Each eligible retailer will receive this bonus only once for each Category.

4.       When will the payouts be made?

• The first enterprises that adopted the pre-defined solutions have received their first Bonus payouts in August. Those that adopt later will receive their Bonus payouts in later months. IMDA has a monthly cycle of assessing enterprises' eligibility for the Bonus and making the Bonus payouts.
• Assessment of eligibility for the DRB payouts is based on whether an enterprise has used the solution, regardless of the date when the solution was deployed.
• The Bonus payout will be paid through your PayNow Corporate account. You can check your account statement to see if you have been paid.

5.       If I get paid for fulfilling Category 1, and I subsequently qualify for Category 2, will I receive the second payout upon fulfilment of Category 2?

• Yes, the Bonus for each category will be extended to you if you adopt all the solutions in that category and meet the mandatory requirements. The total payout for each enterprise upon fulfilment of all three categories is S$10,000.

6.       What is the frequency of the payouts?

Each eligible retailer will receive the Digital Resilience bonus only once for each Category.

7.       Are retailers who have signed up for the Enterprise Singapore's e-Commerce Booster Package with Amazon eligible to receive the Digital Reslience Bonus?

Yes, eligible retailers who qualify can benefit from both of these initiatives.

About Amazon

Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfilment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, and Alexa are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit Amazon.sg.