Heritage Entrepreneurship

This track is designed for a new generation of entrepreneurs seeking to revitalize and sustain Singapore's living heritage. It addresses the critical challenge of ensuring that time-honored trades and heritage businesses not only survive but thrive in a modern economy. Students will learn to navigate the unique tension between preserving authentic cultural practices and implementing innovative business strategies for long-term viability.

The curriculum is directly aligned with national initiatives, using the National Heritage Board’s SG Heritage Business Scheme as a real-world benchmark. The first module focuses on the fundamentals of Heritage Business Model Innovation. Students will learn to conduct a "heritage audit" to identify core cultural assets, develop value propositions that appeal to contemporary audiences, and structure resilient business models.

The second module, Sustaining Heritage in the Modern Market, tackles advanced growth strategies. This includes crafting authentic brand narratives, leveraging digital platforms, and accessing support grants. A key component of this practical approach is the integrated support from the National Library Board's Launch programme. Students will benefit from consultative sessions with Business Resource Specialists, gaining tailored guidance on market research and resource planning to successfully launch their heritage venture in Singapore. The track culminates in a viable Heritage Venture Plan, preparing graduates to act as custodians of Singapore's culture, equipped to lead, launch, or transform heritage enterprises.

This module establishes the framework for a new paradigm in heritage enterprise: a social venture with creative profit outputs. Students will learn to design a business model that seamlessly integrates a social mission of safeguarding, preserving, and promoting Singapore's heritage traditions with a robust and innovative economic engine. The curriculum focuses on moving beyond preservation for its own sake to creating a self-sustaining enterprise that generates both cultural and financial capital.

The process begins with Social Opportunity Recognition, where students learn to identify heritage traditions at risk and frame their erosion as a solvable social challenge. They will then master Dual-Value Validation, conducting research to confirm both the cultural need for conservation and the market appetite for engaging with it. This ensures the venture is designed as a solution that the community values and is willing to support.

The core of the module is Hybrid Model Design. Students will architect a business that uses creative, market-driven activities—such as immersive cultural experiences, modern product lines inspired by tradition, or subscription-based content—to directly fund its social objectives of conserving and sharing heritage. The output is a Social Heritage Venture Blueprint, a strategic plan that clearly articulates how every dollar of profit contributes to the mission, proving that safeguarding Singapore's living heritage can be a viable and impactful entrepreneurial pursuit.

This module equips students with the advanced strategic skills required to ensure a heritage enterprise is not only launched but built to last. The curriculum focuses on creating long-term viability in a rapidly changing market, transforming a heritage venture into a resilient institution that can navigate economic challenges and secure its future.

Students will gain practical knowledge in strategic diversification, learning to develop multiple revenue streams such as cultural tourism experiences, licensing of heritage IP, and modern product lines that appeal to new demographics without diluting the core tradition. A key focus is on multi-generational engagement, where students will master digital storytelling and community-building techniques to cultivate a new generation of supporters, turning casual customers into loyal advocates and members.

Furthermore, the module provides critical skills in financial resilience and investment readiness. Students will learn to create compelling business cases that articulate the unique value of heritage assets to potential investors and grant-awarding bodies, such as the NHB Organisation Transformation Grant. This includes crafting a professional Heritage Business Plan that demonstrates both cultural impact and financial sustainability, securing the capital needed for expansion and innovation. By the module’s conclusion, students will have developed a comprehensive Growth and Legacy Plan, ensuring their heritage enterprise can withstand market fluctuations, continuously attract new audiences, and sustainably preserve Singapore's heritage for the future.

The definitive output of this track is a comprehensive and investor-ready Heritage Business Proposal. This professional document serves as a strategic blueprint, demonstrating a student's mastery of aligning cultural preservation with commercial sustainability. Going beyond a traditional business plan it should explicitly integrate social impact metrics with financial projections.

The proposal will articulate a clear heritage conservation mission, detailing specific traditions, crafts, or practices the venture will safeguard. This is supported by a robust hybrid business model that outlines market-validated revenue streams from experiential heritage trails to heritage-inspired products or services. Crucially, the proposal includes a sophisticated legacy and growth strategy, showcasing a multi-generational engagement plan that utilizes heritage marketing and community programming to build a sustainable base of supporters and customers.

This final output equips graduates with a tangible asset to present to the National Heritage Board, potential investors, and grant committees. It proves the venture's capacity to operate as a self-sustaining enterprise that not only survives but actively contributes to the preservation and dynamic evolution of Singapore's living heritage for years to come.