Green Buildings Innovation Cluster (GBIC)

The Green Buildings Innovation Cluster (GBIC) is BCA's integrated research, development and demonstration programme for accelerating promising energy-efficient building technologies. Set up in 2014, it serves as a hub to experiment, exhibit and exchange solutions with industry stakeholders, and to coordinate and disseminate building-energy-efficiency activities and data (BCA, updated 1 September 2026).

GBIC 2.0 and funding pathways

BCA rolled out the enhanced GBIC 2.0 programme in March 2022 to intensify support for technologies with deep energy-efficiency potential under the Singapore Green Building Masterplan. Its funding pathways cover different technology-readiness stages rather than a single certification award (BCA, updated 1 September 2026).

The GBIC Research and Development scheme targets development from technology-readiness level (TRL) 3 toward TRL 7–8, with a solution provider or research institute as lead and a building owner or developer as sponsor or adopter. It can support up to 70% for private-sector applicants and 100% for Singapore-based institutes of higher learning or research institutions; projects may run for up to two years and should achieve at least 30% better energy performance than current Green Mark 2021 Platinum standards or the relevant best-in-class solution, whichever is better (BCA, updated 1 September 2026).

GBIC Product Prototyping takes out-of-lab results toward building application, generally from TRL 5 to TRL 8. It supports up to 70% for private-sector applicants and 100% for Singapore-based institutes of higher learning or research institutions, capped at S$500,000 per project, with a project duration of up to one year. The stated energy-performance outcome is at least 25% better than current Green Mark 2021 Platinum standards or the relevant best-in-class solution, whichever is better (BCA, updated 1 September 2026).

Demonstration and assessment boundary

GBIC Demonstration is for building owners and developers to test innovative energy-efficient technologies that have not been widely implemented locally. Proposals require a consortium led by an energy and sustainability design consultant with technology or solution providers; the pathway covers TRL 7 to TRL 9 and offers up to 70% support, capped at S$3 million. BCA states a desired outcome of 75% building-energy-efficiency improvement from 2005 levels, measured using the Energy Use Index (EUI), alongside technical feasibility, commercial viability and readiness for wider adoption (BCA, updated 1 September 2026).

GBIC funding is project support for approved qualifying costs, subject to the applicable scheme and evaluation criteria. It should not be confused with Green Mark certification, an automatic entitlement to a grant, or a guarantee that every proposed technology will achieve the desired energy outcome. BCA's SLEB Smart Hub separately collects and analyses information from GBIC-funded projects, Green Mark projects and the Building Energy Submission System (BCA, updated 1 September 2026).