One-stop digital platform for built environment industry to be mandatory from October

Starting this October, builders for all new projects in Singapore with a gross floor area of 30,000 square metres and above would be required to use the CORENET X platform for building works regulatory submissions. 

The platform was a initiative led by the Building Construction Authority of Singapore (BCA) and the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), working in collaboration with other regulatory agencies and built environment professionals and trade associations and chambers. 

It has been designed as a one-stop integrated platform that streamlines over 20 existing approval touchpoints into a few key approval gateways. 

CORENET X has been designed to promote collaboration and productive workflows for both industry and public agencies that would complement current efforts on Integrated Digital Delivery (IDD), a key component of the Built Environment Industry Transformation Map. 

To facilitate this transition for builders, the International Built Environment Week (IBEW) 2025, held between September 3-5, included the CORENET X industry seminar to share updates, learning points, and good onboarding practices. 

By October 2026, CORENET X would be the mandatory submission platform for all new projects, regardless of gross floor area, and by October 2027, mandatory onboarding to CORENET X will be enforced for all ongoing projects. 

The IBEW featured the CORENET X Concierge at the anchor exhibition, BEX Asia 2025, where visitors could learn about the platform and test-drive the system with the help of BCA representatives.  

IBEW 2025 saw a gathering of professionals from the built environment sector to explore strategies to drive innovation, sustainability, and safety for the sector, under the theme Today’s Professional, Tomorrow’s Expert. 

This year’s edition introduced the IBEW Expert Series that brought practitioners and innovators to share practical knowledge for professionals to sharpen their skills and grow into experts themselves. 

BCA’s Chief Executive Officer, Kelvin Wong, mentioned that this experts series aligned with the vision of “achieving a world-class built environment for Singapore, that upholds the excellence against global standards and best practices”. 

The event was organised by BCA’s wholly owned subsidiary, BCA International, in partnership with RX Singapore.  

To subscribe to the GovInsider bulletin, click here. 

Making construction more efficient 

The development of CORENET X started in 2018 as a response to the inefficiencies of the regulatory processes for building projects.  

BCA and URA gathered requirements from every relevant agency to ensure that issues and bottlenecks in construction activities could be resolved smoothly to ensure projects were completed faster. 

The platform has replaced iterative paperwork with a single, intelligent 3D model, where industry players could make regulatory submissions on building developments to all relevant agencies.  

BCA’s CORENET X Project Office, Senior Engineer, Yin Zili, noted that the platform was being introduced in phases to facilitate industry adoption.  

She added that the platform underwent rigourous testing and was soft launched for selected projects in 2023 and was now being transitioned to mandatory submissions for larger projects. 

The benefits of using CORENET X included shorter time to approvals due to better design coordination and fewer iterations of submissions, which in turn reduced time and costs that accrued due to resubmissions, she said.  

Yin added that the regulatory agencies involved provided feedback to achieve a balance between different requirements, assess levels of importance, and determine what constituted a critical or practical compliance. 

Apart from BCA and URA, the other regulatory agencies that provided feedback and expertise were the Land Transport Authority (LTA), National Environment Agency (NEA), National Parks Board (NParks), Public Utilities Board (PUB), and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF). 

Preparing for the mandatory submissions 

To date, there have been over 100 firms onboarded and more than 50 voluntary submissions onto the platform, said BCA Deputy CEO, Clement Tseng. 

Tseng noted three key aspects for firms to best prepare for CORENET X submissions. 

First, was attending training sessions to understand the new processes and requirements.  

To this end, Tseng noted that BCA would continue to offer seminars and workshops in addition to the existing courses for CORENET X submissions.  

Second was organisational changes to ensure readiness at the individual, project, and company level. 

“The involvement of senior management will be essential to set up the necessary organisational structures and processes,” said Tseng.  

He added that appointing “go-to CORENET X representatives” in each company would help to organise workflows internally to support the transition to the platform. 

The third point that Tseng mentioned was ensuring system readiness to follow requirements. 

“BCA has put in place the IFC+SG Resource Toolkit to guide teams on the mapping process, and we have also provided resources and useful third-party applications for your reference. 

“Not only do we expect CORENET X to deliver time and cost savings across the project timeline following the initial familiarisation period, but also greater transparency of regulatory approvals,” added Tseng. 

To subscribe to the GovInsider bulletin, click here. 

Seeing a future on built environment 

On the sidelines of the exhibition, an MoU was signed between Singapore Polytechnic and the Singapore Institute of Architects (SIA). 

This collaboration aimed to develop a new generation of architectural talent and enhance professional capabilities through training and innovation to ensure industry-readiness.  

Besides preparing the next generation of industry talent, the Building Singapore Festival held between September 5-7 featured interactive zones that showcased the work of Built Environment (BE) professionals and its impact on the city. 

The satellite event organised by BCA further aimed to inspire younger generations to learn and grow interest in the BE sector.