Partnership Fund for the Disadvantaged and its Dedicated Portion for implementing After-school Learning and Support Programmes open for new round of applications

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     The Partnership Fund for the Disadvantaged (PFD) managed by the Social Welfare Department (SWD) is inviting the 16th round Regular Portion applications and the ninth round Dedicated Portion applications for implementing After-school Learning and Support Programmes starting from today (December 15). Welfare non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and eligible primary and secondary schools can submit proposals from today to October 31, 2023. The PFD Secretariat will process and grant approval to the applications in two periods in accordance with the chronological order in which the applications are received.

     The Government set up the PFD in 2005 to promote tripartite partnership among the welfare sector, business corporations and the Government for helping the disadvantaged. The Government provides matching grants with regard to the donations made by business partners to support welfare NGOs in running social welfare projects. Up till now, the Government has injected a total of $1.2 billion into the PFD, including $800 million for the Regular Portion to help the disadvantaged and $400 million for the Dedicated Portion. Since its launch in 2015, the Dedicated Portion has been promoting the "Citizens-Business-Government-School" collaboration to implement more after-school learning and support programmes for primary and secondary students from grass-roots families to facilitate their whole-person development.

     A spokesman for the SWD said that in the earlier 15 rounds of Regular Portion applications of the PFD, matching grants totalling over $550 million were approved for 220 welfare NGOs to implement a total of 1 122 welfare projects sponsored by over 1 800 business organisations, benefitting more than one million disadvantaged persons. The first eight rounds of Dedicated Portion applications attracted a favourable response. Over $290 million in matching grants have been approved for 453 after-school learning and support projects. Over 450 business organisations have participated in the projects, benefitting more than 130 000 primary and secondary students.

     For the new round of applications, the ceiling of grants for each Regular Portion project is $3 million and that for each Dedicated Portion project is $4.5 million. Applications for the Regular Portion and the Dedicated Portion are open today. Details are as follows:

	The 16th Round Regular Portion Application	The Ninth 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
Application periods *	Period 1: December 15, 2022, to June 30, 2023 Period 2: December 15, 2022, to October 31, 2023	Period 1: December 15, 2022, to April 28, 2023 Period 2: December 15, 2022, to October 31, 2023

*Applicants can submit proposals at any time from today till the end of the first and the second application periods. The PFD Secretariat will process and grant approval to the applications in accordance with the chronological order in which the applications are received.

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 at 3468 2710 or 3468 2718, or by email to pfdenq@swd.gov.hk.

Ends/Thursday, December 15, 2022
Issued at HKT 15:00

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