S'pore govt tinkered with building dating site for singles aged 35 & below, idea mooted was in very early exploratory stage

A government-run dating service in Singapore, called "Firstdate" and aimed at singles aged 35 and below, was reportedly explored.

The Government Technology Agency (GovTech), a statutory board, was gathering public feedback for such a site in April 2026, The Straits Times reported.

Part of hundreds of ideas mooted

An idea for the dating service was first floated at GovTech's annual hackathon.

The process was reportedly at an early stage of tinkering, based on the details ST reported.

In response, a GovTech spokesperson told ST that "nothing has been confirmed" and the site's idea was in a "very early, exploratory stage".

Most of the "hundreds" of ideas do not make it past the "concept" or "research phase", the spokesperson added.

Survey sent out

The details of the site were made known following a survey that was circulated to members of the public in April 2026.

Users of CrowdTask, an online platform used by government agencies to poll the public, received a survey on Apr. 13.

Those polled were asked for their feedback on the visual design of the proposed service’s website.

How dating site works

How the dating site worked was apparently straightforward.

The survey users were asked to complete a short questionnaire.

A match would be generated depending on their interests and values.

Matched couples would then receive a free meal from a list of restaurants.

Those who used the dating service would need to use Singpass to verify their identity.

According to ST, the tagline for the dating service's site read: “We’ve got your first date covered.”

“No fakes, no drama,” it added.

Second survey

A second survey for CrowdTask users on Apr. 27 asked about their motivations and challenges of dating in Singapore.

Respondents were asked if they would support initiatives, such as matched casual dining, activity-based trips, and even using Singpass to prevent being catfished.

Both surveys have since been removed from CrowdTask, ST reported.

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