Fund for disadvantaged open for applications from October 15

Allocation of the fund for each approved proposal will be capped at $2 million.

The Partnership Fund for the Disadvantaged will accept applications from non-governmental organisations from October 15 to February 28, the Social Welfare Department announces.

Allocation of the fund for each approved proposal will be capped at $2 million, while each applicant welfare NGO is allowed to submit a maximum of 10 applications in this round.

The department said priority will be given to projects that have: outcome evaluation; promising sustainability and strategic partnerships with business corporations; and/or cover elements of early intervention with preventive measures targeting a social problem.

Priority will also be given to projects that seek to enhance quality of life, employment/skills development, empowerment and exclusion prevention, and those that can demonstrate the organisations' initiatives in rendering appropriate services and expanding their working partnership with business corporations to meet their target groups' changing needs.

The Government set up the fund in 2005. With the provision of matching grants, it encourages business corporations to make donations and take part in NGO-run social welfare projects which seek to help the disadvantaged and create a caring society.

It has approved about $240 million in the previous seven rounds of application submitted by 140 welfare NGOs together with 906 business partners. More than 800,000 disadvantaged people have benefitted from a total of 564 welfare projects.