SEBERANG PERAI, Feb 23 — Seberang Perai and the old city of Butterworth which have seen rapid urbanisation and growth in recent years may soon see a transformation under Think City’s Levelling Up Seberang Perai Programme.

The wholly-owned subsidiary of Khazanah Nasional, known for its urban regeneration programmes, today launched the Seberang Perai Small Towns Grants Programme to empower local communities to transform small towns in Seberang Perai into green, sustainable and inclusive communities with enhanced economic prospects.

The grants programme, fully supported by the Finance Ministry, is open to individuals, collectives or non-governmental organisations (NGO) to help implement programmes or projects that provide equitable access or benefits to Seberang Perai communities.

Think City managing director Hamdan Abdul Majeed said Seberang Perai’s rapid urbanisation presents bright opportunities for growth and economic prosperity.

"Our commitment is to guide its trajectory toward a sustainable future, drawing upon our experience in Penang since 2009,” he said in a press release issued by Think City today.

"We aim to co-create a future that embodies liveability, sustainability, and inclusivity, ensuring every community member participates in this transformative journey,” he added.

The grants programme provides funding ranging from RM25,000 to RM200,000 for grassroot projects under five specialised themes:

The first is for quality of life that includes improvements and enhancements of services and amenities and supporting projects such as upgrading parks or public spaces, and introducing public art initiatives.

The second is for heritage that includes honouring the local history and culture such as projects like façade improvements of heritage buildings and raising awareness of local history.

The third is building a sense of community through the activation of community centres, organising events, and establishing markets for social interaction.

The fourth is keeping the environment clean and green with programmes aimed at township cleanliness, waste management, and environmental activities to reduce pollution

Finally, the last is to improve the livelihoods of the community with the creation of more training and job opportunities with projects like skills training in traditional trades, enhancing tourism ventures, and urban farming initiatives.

Applications for the grants programme is now open with a goal for most of the approved projects to be completed by this year end.

The grants will be reimbursed according to respective project milestones and will be approved based on a 1:1 co-investment from the applicant.

Potential applicants are encouraged to attend one of the planned clinics prior to submission.

For more information, go to thinkcity.com.my, call +60111119 4737 or email to spgrants@thinkcity.com.my.