The Partnership Fund for the Disadvantaged (PFD) (Regular Portion's 11th Round Application) and the Dedicated Portion of the PFD for Implementing After-school Learning and Support Programmes (Dedicated Portion's Fourth 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. The Government provides matching grants with regard to the donations made by business organisations to support welfare NGOs in running social welfare projects. The Chief Executive's 2017 Policy Address announced a further injection of $400 million into the PFD and the injection will be evenly allocated to the Regular Portion and the Dedicated Portion. Since its inception, the Government has injected $1.2 billion into the PFD, of which $400 million is dedicated to implementing more after-school learning and support programmes for primary and secondary students from grassroots families so as to facilitate their whole-person development.
      
     A spokesman for the SWD said that the first 10 rounds of the Regular Portion Applications of the PFD have approved matching grants worth about $414 million for 185 welfare NGOs sponsored by 1 440 business partners. More than one million disadvantaged persons have benefitted from a total of 886 welfare projects. The PFD's Dedicated Portion was launched in 2015 and the first three rounds of applications attracted a favourable response. Around $124 million matching grants have been approved for 165 after-school learning and support projects so far. Over 200 business organisations participated in the projects, benefitting over 80 000 primary and secondary students in total.
      
     Summaries of the two applications are as follows:
 

	The 11th Round Regular Portion Application	The Fourth 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 29, 2018 (First phase) and September 28, 2018 (Second phase)	March 29, 2018

     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 2892 5104/2892 5306, or by email to pmpfd@swd.gov.hk.

Ends/Thursday, December 28, 2017
Issued at HKT 17:38

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