NEA Hawker Centre

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How to become a Hawker

1. Are You Eligible?

To apply for a hawker stall, you must be:

  • A Singapore citizen or a Permanent Resident
  • At least 21 years of age

2. Bid For A Stall

  • Tender period typically starts from 13th to 26th (10.30am) of every month. If the 13th or 26th falls on a weekend or public holiday, the opening and closing of the tender will take place on the next working day.
  • Check NEA’s website on the stalls available for tender. (https://www.nea.gov.sg/corporate-functions/resources/tender-notices)
  • Buy a Tender Form and Submission Envelopes A and B for $10. The forms are available at the NEA One-Stop Information and Service Centre (OSISC). It is located at HDB Hub East Wing, 480 Lorong 6 Toa Payoh, #26-01, Singapore 310480.
  • Fill in the Tender Form and submit it together with the tender deposit (Cheque only) into the Tender Box at OSISC.

You can also check out this step by step guide provided by NEA on how to fill in the application.

Things to note when deciding on your bid (Tender Deposit)

  • Although the Tender Deposit is an amount equivalent to your bid amount, it is not inclusive of prevailing GST and other operating charges (e.g. Table-cleaning charges, Service & Conservancy charges). Do add in these fixed costs on top of your bid when planning.
  • Avoid over-bidding. As of now, NEA’s tender system bases its decision on purely financial terms, whoever offers the highest rental wins.
    However, be warned that you might face a huge financial burden. Many stalls have operated for 1-5 months before terminating their leases.
  • Visit your desired stall in the hawker center to calculate the human traffic and keep a lookout for any competitors nearby.
  • Gauge your bid from past successful tenders. Among all bidding factors, the location of the stall is probably the biggest influence. For example, many hawkers are willing to place a higher bid near the entrance of the food center as seen from past successful tenderers below.

Successful Tenderer List

Source: List of successful tenderers, NEA

The bid also depends on the article of sale.Successful Tender List

Source: List of successful tenderers July, NEA

For instance, there is a huge difference between poultry ($51) and cooked food ($2280). You can find out more in NEA’s website on the past successful tenderers to help you in your planning.

Source: https://www.nea.gov.sg/corporate-functions/resources/tender-notices

3. Wait For Bidding Results

If your bid is successful, you will receive a Letter of Offer from NEA three to four weeks after the tender’s closing date to inform you of your scheduled appointment date to sign the Tenancy Agreement.

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During the signing of the Tenancy Agreement, you will need to pay for the following:

  • Stall rental for the first month
  • Table-cleaning fees (for cooked food stall)
  • Service & Conservancy charges for the first month
  • Deposit of two months’ rent
  • License fee for up to three years
  • Stamp Duty

Once signed, new tenants are given up to three months to commence operations.

However, if your bid is unsuccessful, NEA will return your tender’s deposit three to four weeks after the closing of the tender.

4. Complete The Basic Hygiene Course (BFHC)

All cooked food stall tenants and their food handlers are required to complete this course which consists of 6 hours of course work and 1.5 hours of assessment under the Workforce Skills Qualification (WSQ).

A list of WSQ course training providers can be found here.

Upon completion, you must then register all your food handlers with NEA here.

5. Apply For A Hawker Licence

After the completion of BFHC and registration of all your food handlers, you are now eligible to apply for a Hawker Licence.

For Government-Owned Hawker Stalls

Submit the following documents at the NEA Service Centre:

  • Your original NRIC, and a copy of it
  • A copy of the tenancy agreement of the stall
  • Basic Food Hygiene Course certificate (for cooked food stalls)
  • Cash or cheque payment for licence fee ($13 per year for up to 3 years)

If you are operating a food stall within a privately-owned food shop (e.g. food courts, canteens), you should be applying for a food stall licence. You can refer to LicenceOne website and search under “food stall licence” for more information.

6. Begin your Hawker Journey

Once you have successfully secured your stall, completed the BFHC course, registered all your food handlers and received your hawker licence, you are finally ready to start selling your dishes. That being said, working a hawker is also not easy.

Unlike having a better work-life balance and working in a comfortable environment, you might have to slave over a hot stove for 13 hours a day compared to a cushy nine-to-five job in a cooler workplace.

However, it is only those who have a passion that has really become successful in this industry. You have to work as hard you can.

Information for Stallholders

COVID-19 Support for Stallholders

To help our stallholders tide over challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government has provided various forms of support since 2020, such as rental waivers and subsidies for table-cleaning and centralised dish washing services.

With the increase in local COVID-19 cases and dine-in restrictions from 22 July 2021, the Government announced enhanced support for stallholders [PDF, 510.97 KB] operating at markets and hawker centres managed by NEA or NEA-appointed operators. They are:

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•              A one-time $500 payout per stallholder under the Market and Hawker Centre Relief Fund
•              Additional 1-month rental waiver for cooked food and market stallholders
•              Additional 1-month subsidy for table-cleaning and centralised dishwashing services for cooked food stallholders

Click on following to view the enhanced support for stallholders in the different languages:

Market and Hawker Centre Relief Fund 

All registered stallholders with active tenancies with NEA or NEA-appointed operators as of 1 July 2021 (i.e. tenancy commencement on 1 July 2021 or earlier) will be eligible for the Market and Hawker Centre Relief Fund. This applies to all cooked food and market stallholders.

Do I need to apply for the relief fund?
There is no action required from stallholders for the disbursement of the one-time $500 payout per stallholder under the Market and Hawker Centre Relief Fund [PDF, 173.04 KB]. You will receive a notification via the Singpass app or SMS when the payout is credited to you in August 2021.

When will I receive the fund?
The $500 payout will be credited directly into the bank accounts of eligible stallholders in August 2021, or sent via cheques. For stallholders without a bank account registered with the Government, or closed bank accounts, a cheque will be sent to your NRIC address in September 2021. Once disbursement is completed, stallholders will receive e-alerts via Singpass app or SMS.

I am a stallholder but I did not receive the payout or notification.
If your stall tenancy is with Singapore Land Authority (SLA) or JTC Corporation (JTC), you can approach them directly with your queries (SLA, JTC). Otherwise, please get in touch with us through our online feedback form, indicating your stall address to aid in our assessment and to get back to you on your enquiry.

Where can I seek assistance if my queries are not addressed above?
For further enquiries, stallholders may enquire through our online feedback form. Please indicate your stall address to aid in our assessment and to get back to you on your enquiry.

Food Delivery Support Scheme 

To help hawkers go digital and in support of the SG Together Alliance for Action (AfA) – Online Ordering for Hawkers, NEA has reintroduced the Food Delivery Support Scheme (FDSS). The one-time $500 funding support will help defray costs that cooked food stallholders may face from providing food delivery services.

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Who is eligible for the FDSS?

  • Registered cooked food stallholders with valid hawker licences issued by NEA or Singapore food Agency (SFA)
  • Have valid Tenancy Agreement with NEA or NEA-appointed operators
  • Have agreement with registered food delivery company or logistics company effective no later than 31 December 2021
  • Have fulfilled at least one delivery order between 16 May 2021 and 31 December 2021 (inclusive)
  • Have not previously claimed from NEA under FDSS

How do I claim the FDSS?
Eligible stallholders can login to Hawkers Online using their Singpass to submit the required supporting documents. Once approved, the funding amount of S$500 will be disbursed to stallholder’s bank account within two weeks from the date of our notification. 

When do I have to submit my supporting documents?
All claims have to reach us by 31 December 2021.

Where can I seek assistance if my queries are not addressed above?
You may refer to our Frequently Asked Questions on FDSS [PDF, 182.94 KB]  for more information about the scheme. For further enquiries, stallholders may enquire through our online feedback form. Please indicate your stall address to aid in our assessment and to get back to you on your enquiry.

Information Related to Operation of a Stall

Are you considering to operate a stall at our hawker centres? The following information may be useful to you:

Please visit our e-portal for application forms related to hawker stalls. Existing stallholders can use SingPass to access e-services (Hawkers Online), to view their profiles, make applications and payments. If you experience any problems logging in using your Singpass, please call the Singpass hotline 6643 0555 for assistance

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