Skillseed

What Skillseed does

Skillseed is a Singapore-based social enterprise founded in 2013 that designs and delivers experiential learning programmes grounded in Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD), an approach accredited by Nurture Development and the ABCD Institute (Europe). Its product portfolio centres on the Community Animation Series (ABCD Foundations at S$895 and ABCD Increasing Mastery at S$995 per participant, plus a planned Influencing Systems tier), the Resilience Trails™ guided neighbourhood walks led by Community Guides from under-resourced backgrounds, the Citizen Library™ story-matching platform, and 7-day overseas exposure programmes in Bali (Environmental Stewardship) and Chiang Mai (Education for Empowerment). These offerings sit under the proprietary Tamarind Tree of Trust™ framework (Roots–Shoots–Fruits architecture) and supplementary tools such as the Community Trust Scale™, AAARR™ and RRAAA™ discord protocols, and the Community Canvas.

The company generates revenue through participant course fees, bespoke training delivered on-site at client locations or at its Waterloo Centre headquarters, Resilience Trails enrolment fees, and overseas programme tuition. Grants and philanthropy from the Khoo Teck Puat Health Fund, The Majurity Trust (backed by GIC's Thriving Communities Fund), Temasek Foundation and the Chua Foundation subsidise specific programmes and Community Guide employment. To date, 8,197+ participants have been equipped, 80,396+ training/volunteering hours logged, and more than S$327,961 channelled to community partners.

Skillseed serves four primary customer segments: government agencies (notably the Civil Service College, MSF, MINDEF and MCCY), corporations seeking purpose-driven CSR and team-building, schools and universities (SMU, NUS, LKYSPP, Hwa Chong Institution), and social service agencies — the latter accessing programmes via the NCSS-administered Professional Capability Grant. Distribution leverages direct enquiry, public workshop cohorts in different Singapore neighbourhoods, and embedded partnerships with CSC, NCSS and raiSE. The team is small (1–10 employees) and operates without disclosed external venture or growth-equity funding, suggesting a founder-led, grant- and fee-funded operating model with deliberate but constrained scaling.

Name

Skillseed

Legal name

Skillseed Pte Ltd

Website

https://skillseed.sg

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Skillseed is a Singapore-based social enterprise founded in 2013 that delivers ABCD-accredited experiential learning, the Resilience Trails™ guided community walks, and overseas exposure programmes to government agencies, corporations, schools, and social service organisations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Development Training and Experiential Learning

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Professional and Management Development Training (611430), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Growth Mindset, Motivation & Goal-Setting Programs (EDAMAIAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth-to-Adult Transition & Life Skills (Independent Living, Soft Skills) (EDAAAFAN), Interactive Practice & Skill-Building (Drills, Games, Mastery Practice) (EDAFACAC)

Keywords

• Community engagement training
• Asset-based community development
• Experiential learning programs
• Citizen engagement training
• Social sector training

Headquarters

HQ city

Singapore

HQ country

Singapore

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Training Course Fees: Organization-sponsored and self-sponsored participants pay fees for ABCD Foundations ($895 individual), Increasing Mastery ($995 individual), and Learn Alongside Bundles ($2,100-$2,320 for 3 participants). Lunch and refreshments included.
2. Resilience Trails: Fees for 2-3 hour trails led by Community Guides. Pricing upon enquiry. Trail fees go toward providing Community Guides with dignified, flexible employment at 6-7 times average hourly rate of F&B service crew.
3. Custom Training Programs: Bespoke training programs for government agencies, corporations, and schools. Delivered at client sites or through combinations of classroom modules and experiential components like Resilience Trails.
4. Overseas Exposure Programs: 7-day Environmental Stewardship program in Bali (with Biosphere Foundation) and Education for Empowerment in Chiang Mai (with BEAM Foundation). Fees include accommodation, meals, transport, course materials, and experts.
5. Sponsorship and Donations: Channeled funds from donors and sponsors directed to community partners. Over S$327,961 raised and channeled to community partners to date.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Skillseed designs and delivers experiential learning programs and training workshops grounded in Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) methodology. Its core offerings include the Community Animation Series (ABCD Foundations and ABCD Increasing Mastery courses), Resilience Trails guided neighborhood walks, NE Learning Journeys, Citizen Library story-sharing platform, and overseas immersion programs in Bali and Chiang Mai, serving government agencies, corporations, schools, and social sector organizations.

Product overview

Skillseed is a Singapore-based social enterprise offering experiential learning programs focused on community building, citizen engagement, and social innovation. The company provides a portfolio of interconnected programs including the Community Animation Series (with ABCD Foundations, ABCD Increasing Mastery, and upcoming ABCD Influencing Systems courses), Resilience Trails™ guided neighborhood walks, NE Learning Journeys, Citizen Library™, and overseas exposure programs in Bali and Chiang Mai. Training offerings are structured under the Tamarind Tree of Trust™ framework, which comprises Roots (foundational mindset modules), Shoots (bridging tools like Empathy Mapping and Effective Facilitation), and Fruits (advanced applications like Theory of Change and Stakeholder Engagement). The company serves government agencies, corporates, schools, and social sector organizations across Singapore.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Citizen Library™: A programme connecting everyday Singaporeans (Citizen Books) with others (Readers) who are interested in hearing stories and perspectives on different topics of interest for social impact.
• Tamarind Tree of Trust™
• Resilience Trails™
• Community Animation Series
• Skillseed Framework™

Products and services

• ABCD Foundations A 2-day foundational course for residents and community workers to learn Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) principles and take meaningful collective action grounded in real relationships and local strengths. Priced at S$895 per organization-sponsored individual.
• ABCD Increasing Mastery A 2-day intermediate course for practitioners already active in community work to deepen their ABCD practice, focusing on discerning when to cede space and nurture resident-led action. Priced at S$995 per organization-sponsored individual, with PCG funding available.
• Resilience Trails™ A 2-3 hour place-based, asset-driven community-led program offering guided neighborhood walks in Ang Mo Kio and Yishun led by Community Guides who share their lived experiences, designed to build empathy and identify community strengths among participants.
• NE Learning Journeys Local learning journeys exploring Total Defence and community assets, including visits to Kampung Admiralty and Our Tampines Hub, designed to help participants discover their roles as citizens of Singapore.
• Citizen Library™ A platform connecting everyday Singaporeans (Citizen Books) with others (Readers) to share stories and perspectives on social impact topics, featuring diverse participants including persons with disabilities, retirees, and caregivers who are paid an honorarium for sharing their lived experiences.
• Environmental Stewardship A 7-day overseas exposure program in Bali, Indonesia in partnership with Biosphere Foundation, offering hands-on conservation work, hiking, snorkeling, and learning from local experts about environmental stewardship in a remote national park setting.
• Education for Empowerment An overseas program in Chiang Mai, Thailand in partnership with BEAM Education Foundation, enabling participants to conduct workshops and share skills with migrant and ethnic minority youth in northern Thailand.
• Community Animation Series (CAS) A tiered workshop series grounded in Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) that equips residents and community workers with tools to discover, connect, and mobilize local assets for community-driven action, encompassing ABCD Foundations and ABCD Increasing Mastery courses.
• Tamarind Tree of Trust™ Framework Training Modules A holistic conceptual model comprising Roots (foundational mindsets), Shoots (bridging tools like Empathy Mapping and Effective Facilitation), and Fruits (advanced applications like Theory of Change and Stakeholder Engagement) modules for building relational trust in communities and organizations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 8,197+ participants equipped through programs
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Khoo Teck Puat Health FundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupports ABCD Foundations course development and delivery. Partnership enables subsidized training for community workers and residents in asset-based community development methodology.
• Nurture Development and ABCD Institute (Europe)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAccreditation body for Asset-Based Community Development. Mdm Ng Bee Leng is officially accredited as ABCD Guide by these organizations.
• Allkin SingaporecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-develops Resilience Trails in Ang Mo Kio. Community organization supporting individuals and families with disabilities. Guides are volunteers at Allkin Community @ Ang Mo Kio 643.
• Yishun FSC @ Children's SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFamily Service Centre partner for Resilience Trails in Yishun neighborhood. Community Guides are current or former beneficiaries of the FSC.
• Biosphere FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental NGO partner for Bali Environmental Stewardship program. Local experts and scientists deliver hands-on conservation education in remote national park setting.
• BEAM Education FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNGO partner for Chiang Mai Education for Empowerment program. Provides migrant and ethnic minority youth education in northern Thailand.
• National Council of Social Service (NCSS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdministers Professional Capability Grant (PCG) funding for social service agency staff training. Skillseed is pre-approved PCG training provider. NCSS also partnered for Design4Impact 3 initiative.
• Civil Service College (CSC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDelivers Engagement Immersion for Leaders (EIL) course for senior public servants. Also runs Social Sector Milestone Programme (SSMP) with Skillseed workshops. CSC panel engagement for Partnerships and Engagement Experts Panel (PEEP).
• Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment ministry supporting community development initiatives. CSC-MCCY's Partnerships and Engagement Experts Panel (PEEP) engages Skillseed for public service training.
• raiSE (Social Enterprise Association Singapore)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured in raiSE's Reimagine program helping social enterprises develop. raiSE supports Singapore's social enterprise ecosystem.
• Ministry of Health's Office for Healthcare Transformation (MOHT)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with NCSS for Design4Impact 3 initiative featuring Resilience Trails as innovative healthcare community solution.
• SPD (formerly Society for the Physically Disabled)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPresented at Asia-Pacific Service-Learning conference alongside SPD representative Kanitha.
• Kampung AdmiraltyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSingapore's first integrated vertical kampung for ageing population. Site for NE Learning Journeys exploring ageing-in-place urban design.
• Our Tampines HubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSingapore's first integrated community and lifestyle hub. Site for sustainability-focused NE Learning Journeys.
• Chua Tian Poh Community Leadership Center (CTPCLC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered in Dec 2024 to evaluate Resilience Trails program. NUS students conducted 5-month research project, presenting findings in May 2025.
• Youth Corps SingaporeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProvides internship program (YCCI) for Skillseed marketing and coordination interns. Supports youth engagement in social sector.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Taproot Foundation: Established non-profit that connects skilled professionals with nonprofits for pro bono service. Comparable in driving corporate-nonprofit engagement programs, though operates at a much larger scale and broader geography than Skillseed.
• Points of Light: Global non-profit focused on volunteer service and civic engagement. Comparable as a large-scale community engagement platform serving corporates and government entities, though its model is more aggregation-based than Skillseed's experiential training.

Regional players

• National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre (NVPC): Singapore-based non-profit that promotes volunteerism and corporate giving. Comparable as a Singapore-headquartered community engagement enabler serving government and corporate CSR buyers, overlapping with Skillseed's social sector and corporate segments.
• RSVP Singapore (Rallying Support for Shared Values Programmes): Singapore non-profit that promotes volunteerism and corporate giving. Roughly comparable in mission and Singapore-focus on volunteer and community engagement, serving overlapping corporate and social sector clients.
• RICE Media: Singapore-based impact media and event platform covering social and sustainability stories. Adjacent as a regional amplifier for community-engagement narratives in Singapore, with programming overlap such as Skillseed's media features.
• Centre for Social Innovation (Singapore): Singapore-based training and consulting group supporting social enterprises and nonprofits. Comparable in offering capacity-building, training, and ecosystem programs to social sector organizations in Singapore.

Direct peers

• Net Impact: Membership organization offering professional development, training, and student programs for leaders pursuing social and environmental impact. Comparable as a provider of social-impact education aimed at professionals and students.
• Common Purpose: Global not-for-profit that designs cross-sector leadership development programs for public, private, and social sector leaders. Directly comparable to Skillseed's cross-sector training (EIL, CSC programs) and experiential learning journeys for senior leaders.
• Realized Worth: Specialist consultancy helping companies design CSR, employee engagement, and corporate volunteering programs. Highly comparable to Skillseed's corporate CSR and purpose-driven team-building offerings for corporations in Singapore.
• +Acumen: Delivers courses, workshops, and learning experiences to build social innovation and social sector leadership capacity. Closely comparable to Skillseed's ABCD Foundations and Increasing Mastery courses in format, audience, and methodology.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/skillseedsg
• Xx.com/skillseed
• Facebookfacebook.com/skillseedsg

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Skillseed