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

     The Partnership Fund for the Disadvantaged (PFD) (Regular Portion's 12th Round Application) and the Dedicated Portion of the PFD for Implementing After-school Learning and Support Programmes (Dedicated Portion's Fifth Round Application) managed by the Social Welfare Department (SWD) opened for application today (December 28). Welfare non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and eligible primary and secondary schools are encouraged to submit proposals.
          
     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. 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 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.
          
     A spokesman for the SWD said that the first 11 rounds of the Regular Portion Applications of the PFD have approved matching grants worth over $437 million for 185 welfare NGOs sponsored by over 1 500 business partners. More than 1 million disadvantaged persons have benefitted from a total of 923 welfare projects. The first four rounds of Dedicated Portion applications attracted a favourable response. Around $180 million matching grants have been approved for 239 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 12th Round Regular Portion Application The Fifth Round Dedicated Portion Application
Eligible applicants Bona-fide charitable welfare NGOs having tax-exempted status under Section 88 of the Inland Revenue Ordinance (Cap 112)
  • Bona-fide charitable welfare NGOs having tax-exempted 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
Deadlines for applications June 28, 2019 (First phase) and
September 30, 2019 (Second phase)		 March 29, 2019

     
     Details of the Regular Portion and the Dedicated Portion of the PFD are available on SWD homepage: www.swd.gov.hk. For enquiries about the applications, please contact the Secretariat of the PFD during office hours on 2892 5104/2892 5306, or by email to pmpfd@swd.gov.hk.