New Funding for Furniture Companies on GREENGUARD Certification

July 26, 2012 by Eugene Tay
Filed under Operations and Culture

The Quality for Enterprises through Standards (QUEST) Programme by SPRING helps companies to adopt relevant standards and develop capabilities and improve processes. Under QUEST, grants are provided for companies interested in adopting ISO 14064 Greenhouse Gas Management or ISO 50001 Energy Management Systems.

From 15 Jul 2012 to 15 Jan 2013, SPRING will include new funding support under QUEST for GREENGUARD certification for the furniture industry.

Excessive emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from furniture, products, surfaces and finishes, could lead to poor indoor air quality in buildings and our homes, and contribute to health problems. For the furniture industry, it is important to ensure that furniture products have low VOCs at acceptable levels.

The globally recognised GREENGUARD certification is a third-party voluntary program for products used in office environments and other indoor spaces that meet strict chemical emissions limits. The GREENGUARD certification standard follow the most comprehensive indoor air quality standards, and also use the most rigorous testing requirements. Manufacturers have to undergo annual re-certification testing and quarterly monitoring tests to ensure that product requirements are met consistently.

Under the new QUEST funding for GREENGUARD, companies can apply for a grant of up to S$56,000 or 70% of the total qualifying costs, whichever is lower. The grant covers the cost of testing for one specific series of furniture or product line, and the cost of certification and licensing for one year only.

For eligibility, companies must be registered in Singapore with minimum 30% local shareholding and with group annual sales of not more than S$100 million or group employment size of not more than 200 workers.

Companies interested in applying can contact SPRING for a discussion, at tel: 6898 1800 or email: enterpriseone@spring.gov.sg.