APPLICATION GUIDELINES

Transcription

1 APPLICATION GUIDELINES ADULT COMMUNITY EDUCATION GRANTS PROGRAM 2015 Publication Date: 19 September 2014 These guidelines are to be used by organisations applying for funding under the ACT Adult Community Education (ACE) Grants Program It is the responsibility of the user to ensure that this is the most current and complete document, located at Training and Tertiary Education ACT Education and Training Directorate 220 Northbourne Avenue BRADDON ACT 2612 GPO Box 158 CANBERRA ACT Phone: Fax:

2 2 Glossary of Terms ABN ACE ACN ACT The Directorate GST GTO Guidelines JGTP RTO Must Australian Business Number Adult Community Education Australian Company Number Australian Capital Territory ACT Education and Training Directorate Goods and Services Tax Group training organisation Application Guidelines ACT Adult Community Education Grants Program 2015 ACT Joint Group Training Program Registered training organisation Indicates mandatory requirements to be strictly followed to conform to these Guidelines and from which no deviation is permitted

3 3 Table of Contents Table of Contents... 3 Attachments INTRODUCTION ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS AVAILABLE FUNDING PAYMENTS REPORTING AND ACQUITTAL OF FUNDS EVALUATION CRITERIA APPLICATION PROCESS APPLICATION EVALUATION... 9 Attachments A 2015 ACT Adult Community Education Grants Program Application Template

4 4 1.0 INTRODUCTION The ACT Adult Community Education (ACE) Grants Program (ACE Grants Program) is designed to support quality adult and community learning opportunities in a range of formal and informal settings using flexible and student-centred activities. The ACT ACE Grants Program aims to increase opportunities for individuals to access vocational education and training (VET) by: providing pathways and bridging programs that are not funded elsewhere attracting people who have experienced barriers to learning addressing a community need providing learning opportunities that are flexible, innovative, customised and community based 2.0 ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA Applications for funding must be for a community-based learning project conducted within the ACT. The applicant s physical address must be in the ACT. Applicants must: be a not-for-profit club, community-based association, charity, trust organisation or a not-for-profit RTO, or be a for-profit RTO in partnership with a community organisation providing adult and/or community-based learning activities AND have an Australian Company Number (ACN) or an Australian Business Number (ABN) disclose all funding received from sources other than the ACT Education and Training Directorate (the Directorate) for this project.

5 5 3.0 ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS Successful applicants must: enter into a Deed of Grant (the Deed) with the ACT Government which outlines the requirements of the ACE Grants Program and the conditions under which the funding is awarded. report and acquit the ACE grant funding and project outcomes as outlined in section 6 Reporting and Acquittal of Funds of these guidelines. hold and keep current for the grant period: all insurance coverage required by law workers compensation insurance for an amount required by the ACT. public liability insurance for $10 million or more per claim, including voluntary workers insurance cover if volunteers are engaged by the applicant. include an acknowledgement of the ACE Grants Program as an ACT Government initiative on all publicity relating to it, including publications, promotional and advertising materials, public announcements and activities or any products or processes developed as a result of these guidelines. participate in publicity opportunities, including assisting in writing short article/s on the ACE Grants Program and achievements for local and national newsletters and reports collect and retain information on ACE project students including: date of birth gender employment status of students (full-time, part-time, unemployed, not in the workforce number of students who identified as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Peoples number of students who identified as belonging to a culturally and linguistically diverse background number of students who identified as having a disability. This may include: intellectual mental health physical The Directorate may visit providers of projects funded under the ACE Grants Program for the purpose of observation and gathering of information for the promotion of the ACE Grants Program.

6 6 4.0 AVAILABLE FUNDING Up to $15,000 (GST Free) is available for each approved project and must be used for the approved ACE learning activities. Funding will be available for the following: training costs of the project wages of trainer and administration staff who support the project stationery for the project learning resources for the project wrap-around services such as transport or food, including venue hire. Funding will not be made available for the following: capital equipment to assist with the ongoing operation of the organisation retrospective costs projects or activities which are already underway or have been completed services or projects funded by the Australian or state/territory governments or other organisation/s purchasing or leasing of real estate. Any one organisation will not be funded for more than two projects. 5.0 PAYMENTS The grant will be payable as a lump sum to the recipient within 30 days of receipt of an invoice to the Directorate, following execution of the Deed. The Directorate will not pay any monies additional to the notified amount awarded. Note: Recipients previously in receipt of ACE Grants Program funds, with any outstanding evaluation and acquittal reports, will not be paid until outstanding reports are received by the Directorate.

7 7 6.0 REPORTING AND ACQUITTAL OF FUNDS Successful applicants must expend the approved funds on the delivery of the ACE Grants Program funded activity by 31 December At the end of the grant period the recipient must complete and submit the following reports to the Directorate via by 31 March 2016: a project evaluation report on the template provided with the Deed of Grant that includes student information as outlined in section 3 Administrative Requirements and funded activity outcomes an acquittal of grant funds. The format of the report and the acquittal must be as specified in the Deed and the templates provided must be used. Any funds remaining upon completion of the funded activity must be repaid to the Directorate.

8 8 7.0 EVALUATION CRITERIA Applications that meet the Eligibility Criteria (see section 2 Eligibility Criteria) and the requirements in these guidelines (see section 8 Application Process) will be considered against the following evaluation criteria: The Project Evaluation Criteria Total Weighting/100 addresses ACE Grants Program aims by providing a pathway to vocational education and training or employment. addressing a community need. 20 not duplicating other funded programs and services. have clear goals. is designed to be innovative and deliver training experiences in new and flexible ways. 30 have effective strategies to reach, recruit and retain students who have experienced barriers to learning. meets sound adult and community education principles by providing learning activities that are relevant and help students to achieve their goals. providing student centred activities. giving students the opportunity to apply their existing knowledge and experience to new learning experiences. 30 fostering students readiness to learn with learning activities that are practical and apply to students individual lives. team has capacity and capability to deliver successful adult and community education projects. comply with the ACE Grants Program guidelines and administrative requirements, including meeting deadlines, managing funds and submitting reports. 20

9 9 8.0 APPLICATION PROCESS ACE Guidelines available on website Friday 19 September 2014 ACE Applications Close Friday 17 October 2014 ACE Notification Friday 21 November 2014 Applicants must complete applications using Attachment A to these guidelines. The details in the application must be complete and correct at the time of submission. No additional documents or attachments will be considered by the panel. Each application must be in triplicate and submitted in one (1) envelope. Applications must be lodged by hand at reception on the ground floor of the ACT Education and Training Directorate, at 220 Northbourne Avenue, Braddon, ACT, by 4:45pm on Friday 17 October Applicants will be provided with a receipt at the time of lodgement. Applications will not be accepted electronically or by post. If applications are delivered via a courier, envelopes should be marked 2015 ACE Funding Applications and must be delivered on time. The courier should request a receipt as proof of lodgement. 9.0 APPLICATION EVALUATION The ACT ACE Grants Program is a competitive process. Applications will only progress for assessment by the evaluation panel if they meet the eligibility criteria specified in section 2 Eligibility Criteria and the requirements in section 8 - Application Process. Applications that are progressed will be assessed against the evaluation criteria in section 7 Evaluation Criteria by a three (3) member panel. Panel members will be appointed based on their knowledge of adult and community education in the ACT.

10 Applicants will be notified of the outcomes of the assessment process by the date provided at section 8 Application Process. Organisations awarded funding will be published on the Directorate s website following notification and the execution of the Deed at: ants_program 10 Unsuccessful applicants may request verbal feedback from the Directorate on applications. Requests for feedback must be submitted in writing and received by the Directorate by Friday 28 November The Directorate will not enter into justification for the selection of the successful applicants, and will not debate the evaluation process.

11 Attachment A ACT ADULT COMMUNITY EDUCATION (ACE) GRANTS PROGRAM 2015 Application Template Project Title All questions are mandatory. Total Grant Sought (GST Free) $ Organisation Details Legal name: Trading name: Physical address (organisation must be located within the ACT): Postal address (if different from above): Address of proposed grant delivery (if different from above): ACN / ABN: Select the following that applies to your organisation not for profit club community based association charity trust organisation not for profit RTO for profit RTO in partnership with (name of community organisational partner providing adult and/or community-based learning activities) 11

12 Anticipated age group of students Funding Are there any additional sources of funding allocated for the ACE learning activity identified? Yes No If yes, provide details of additional funding source. Evaluation Criteria Please refer to section 7 - Evaluation Criteria of the guidelines for guidance on the information to be provided under the following headings. 1. Describe how the project addresses the following ACE Grants Program aims: a. How does the project provide a pathway to vocational education and training or employment? Provide details of expected vocational education and training outcomes. b. What community need does the project address that is not currently met by other funded programs? Provide evidence for that need. (Note: the panel may investigate the availability of similar programs and services to assess this criterion) (This criterion attracts a maximum weighting of 20) 12

13 2. Describe the project including: a. What are the project goals? b. Describe how the project will be delivered. (Including, but not limited to, length of program, frequency, location, staffing, resourcing, content to be covered) c. How is it innovative and flexible? d. What specific strategies will be used to reach, recruit and retain students who have experienced barriers to their learning? (This criterion attracts a maximum weighting of 30) 3. Describe how the project meets sound adult educational principles, including how: a. The learning activities are relevant and will help students achieve their goals. b. The project activities are student centred. c. Students are given the opportunity to apply their existing knowledge and experience to new learning experiences. d. The project fosters students readiness to learn with learning activities that are practical and apply to students individual lives. (This criterion attracts a maximum weighting of 30) 13

14 4. Provide evidence that your organisation has the capacity and capability to: Deliver adult and community education programs Comply with grant guidelines and administrative requirements (This criterion attracts a maximum weighting of 20) 5. Proposed budget for the project (not assessable criteria but mandatory information) Please provide an itemised summary of the budget for the funding requested for this proposed project in the table below. Add rows if required. Item Description Grand Total $ Total item budget (GST Free ) Please identify any in kind contributions to the project funding. Add rows if required. Item Description Total item budget 1 2 Please identify any external contributions to the project funding. Add rows if required. Item Description Total item budget

15 Main Contact Details Provide details of the primary contact person for the management of the project: Title: Given name: Family name: Position: Phone number: Fax number: Mobile number: Declaration I, the Authorised Officer, declare that the information on this form and the supporting evidence supplied by me is true and correct. I understand that it is a criminal offence to provide false or misleading information. Name: Position/Title: Signature: Date: / / Note: Without the signature of the Authorised Officer, the application form will not progress for assessment. 15

16 Application Submission Checklist The Directorate s application template used Declaration signed by the authorised officer Three (3) copies of completed application provided in one (1) envelope Organisation meets the eligibility criteria in section 2.0 All questions have been answered How to submit the application Each application must be in triplicate and submitted in one envelope. Applications must be lodged by hand before 4.45pm on Friday 17 October Applicants will be provided with a receipt at the time of lodgement. Applications must be lodged at: Reception Ground Floor ACT Education and Training Directorate 220 Northbourne Avenue Braddon ACT 2612 If applications are delivered by a courier, envelopes should be marked 2015 ACE Funding Applications and must be delivered on time. The courier should request a receipt. Note: This ACE funding application will not be accepted electronically or by post. 16