Frequently Asked Questions

Admission to the programme is charged at no cost and equity-free but is subject to a rigorous selection process. The National Gallery provides a one-time SGD 5,000 grant for participating team performing prototyping during the three-month incubation phase. This will not be exchanged for equity, but it is tied to your attendance and commitment to the programme. Start-ups who successfully raise with venture capitalists (VCs) or other investors shall establish terms separately from their participation in the Y-Lab Foundry programme.

We welcome all individuals or teams to apply for this programme. This is a hybrid programme delivered through a mix of remote and in-person sessions to accommodate applicants from across the globe.

We accept all ideas or solutions, regardless of whether they are at an early ideation stage or looking to adapt the current tech solution to address problem statements in the art and culture sector, as long as they fulfil the requirements stated below:

Apply here by 27 June 2023, 12pm SGT. Note that late and incomplete applications will not be accepted. All applicants will be informed of the outcome of their application by email. Successful applicants will be required to attend a three-day bootcamp (3 - 5 July 2023) that will culminate in an elevator pitch day on 7 July 2023.

Please refer to the timeline for key dates.

We will review all online applications and undergo several rounds of shortlisting to select five finalists with idea/solutions that we deem to be a right fit for the challenge statements identified by the Gallery’s business owners. These five teams will participate in the prototyping phase and eventually present their solution during demo day.

In the 1st round of shortlisting, we will review all online applications received by the cut-off date and select 20-30 quality teams that will participate in the bootcamp. The bootcamp will follow a “Start, Build, and Scale” structure that aims to support your team in refining your ideas/solutions and equip you with the necessary skills for the elevator pitch.

In the 2nd round of shortlisting, we will evaluate the elevator pitches to select ten teams that will present their pitches during Pitch Day.

For Pitch Day, a panel consisting of a combination of technical and business experts, along with those who have an intimate knowledge of the Gallery will select the final five teams who will participate in the prototyping phase beginning in August.

Most importantly, teams need to show that their solutions are innovative i.e., novel application of tech in the art and culture sector and relevant i.e., can address the challenge statement(s) published for this cohort. Ultimately, we hope that at the end of the programme, your team can create a compelling proof-of-concept or prototype that can be scaled and adopted by stakeholders within museums or the broader arts and culture sector.

The programme will run in a hybrid format, allowing for virtual participation. While we do not firmly require physical participation at Demo Day, we have seen tremendous benefits from participants attending in-person and being able to build meaningful connections at the event.