The Partnership Fund for the Disadvantaged (PFD) announced today (December 27) its invitation for the 13th round Regular Portion applications and the sixth round Dedicated Portion applications for implementing After-school Learning and Support Programmes. Welfare non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and eligible primary and secondary schools are encouraged to submit proposals to the PFD managed by the Social Welfare Department (SWD).

     The Government set up the PFD in 2005 for promoting tripartite partnership among the welfare sector, business corporations and the Government to help the disadvantaged. To date the Government has injected a total of $1.2 billion into the PFD. Apart from a commitment of $800 million for the Regular Portion of the PFD to help the disadvantaged, a total of $400 million has been earmarked as the Dedicated Portion. Since its launch in 2015, the Dedicated Portion has been actively promoting the "Citizens-Business-Government-School" collaboration to implement more after-school learning and support programmes for primary and secondary students from grassroots families to facilitate their whole-person development.

     Taking into consideration the recent local economic downturn and its impact on the disadvantaged, the SWD has raised the ceiling of grant by 50 per cent, that is, the ceiling of grant for each Regular Portion project is raised from HK$2 million to HK$3 million and that for each Dedicated Portion project from HK$3 million to HK$4.5 million, to allow room for welfare NGOs and schools to provide services for the benefit of more disadvantaged people. Additionally, the SWD has streamlined the application form and provides relevant reference materials to facilitate the submission of proposals and to speed up the vetting process.

     A spokesman for the SWD said that in the 12 earlier rounds of Regular Portion Applications of the PFD, matching grants totalling over $470 million were approved for 192 welfare NGOs sponsored by over 1 600 business partners. More than one million disadvantaged persons have benefitted from a total of 980 welfare projects. The first five rounds of Dedicated Portion applications attracted a favourable response. More than $205 million in matching grants have been approved for 309 after-school learning and support projects so far. Over 300 business organisations participated in the projects, benefitting more than 100 000 primary and secondary students in total.

     Summaries of the two applications are as follows:
 

	The 13th Round Regular Portion Application	The Sixth Round Dedicated Portion Application
Eligible applicants	Bona-fide charitable welfare NGOs having tax-exempt status under Section 88 of the Inland Revenue Ordinance (Cap 112)	- Bona-fide charitable welfare NGOs having tax-exempt status under Section 88 of the Inland Revenue Ordinance (Cap 112) - Public sector primary and secondary schools including government schools, aided schools and caput schools, and schools under the Direct Subsidy Scheme
Contents of the projects	Social welfare projects for the disadvantaged	After-school learning and support programmes for primary and secondary students from grassroots families
Application guides and forms	SWD homepage: www.swd.gov.hk/en/index/site_pubsvc/ page_supportser/sub_partnership	SWD homepage:  www.swd.gov.hk/en/index/site_pubsvc/ page_supportser/sub_dedicatedportion
Deadline for applications	June 30, 2020 (First phase) and September 30, 2020 (Second phase)	March 31, 2020

     Details of the Regular Portion and the Dedicated Portion of the PFD are available on the SWD homepage: www.swd.gov.hk. For enquiries about the applications, please contact the Secretariat of the PFD during office hours on 3468 2718/3468 2711, or by email to spfd@swd.gov.hk.

Ends/Friday, December 27, 2019
Issued at HKT 11:45

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