APPLICATION GUIDELINES

ADULT COMMUNITY EDUCATION GRANTS PROGRAM 2014

Publication Date: 11 November 2013

These guidelines are to be used by organisations applying for funding under the ACT Adult Community Education (ACE) Grants Program 2014.

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 2601

Phone:02 6205 8555
Fax: 02 6205 8448
Email:

Glossary of Terms

ABN / Australian Business Number
ACE / Adult Community Education
ACN / Australian Company Number
ACT / Australian Capital Territory
The Directorate / ACT Education and Training Directorate
GST / Goods and Services Tax
GTO / Group training organisation
Guidelines / Application Guidelines ACT Adult Community Education Grants Program 2014
JGTP / ACT Joint Group Training Program
RTO / Registered training organisation
Shall / Indicates mandatory requirements to be strictly followed to conform to these Guidelines and from which no deviation is permitted

Table of Contents

1.0INTRODUCTION

2.0ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

3.0ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS

4.0AVAILABLE FUNDING

5.0PAYMENTS

6.0REPORTING AND ACQUITTAL OF FUNDS

7.0EVALUATION CRITERIA

8.0APPLICATION PROCESS

9.0APPLICATION EVALUATION

Attachments

A / 2014ACT Adult Community Education Grants Program Application Template

1.0INTRODUCTION

The ACT Adult Community Education (ACE)GrantsProgram(ACE Grants Program) is designed to support quality adult and community learning opportunities in a range of formal and informal settings using flexible and learner-centred activities.

The ACT ACE Grants Program aims to:

  • expand and sustain learning opportunities in the adult and community education sector by encouraging more people and organisations to be involved in innovative community-based learning of various kinds that lead towards increasing participation in vocational education
  • enhance the profile of ACE by raising awareness and understanding of the role and importance of adult and community education
  • increase the ACE audience by attracting people who have experienced barriers to learning, to build personal, social and economic capital
  • improve the quality of ACE learning experiences and outcomes by promoting learning opportunities in new and flexible ways, especially with regard to location and delivery arrangements
  • extend participation in community-based learning by building the capacity of community-based organisations to provide learning opportunities outside conventional educational structures
  • encourage partnerships between ACE providers and registered training organisations (RTOs) to increase participationof individuals in vocationally focused courses which will enable individuals to lead active and productive lives
  • provide a pathway for individuals undertaking pre-vocational, bridging, entry-level and foundation skills programs.

2.0ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Applicationsfor funding shall be for a community-based learning project conducted within the ACT. The applicant’s physical address shallalso be in the ACT.

Applicants shall:

  • be a not-for-profit club, community-based association, charity, trust organisation or educational institution including 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 ACTEducation and Training Directorate (the Directorate) for this project.

3.0ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS

Successful applicants shall:

  • 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
  • be responsible for the reporting and acquitting of the ACE grants funding and program outcomes
  • 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 participants including:

date of birth

gender

number of participants who identified as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Peoples

number of participants who identified as belonging to a culturally and linguistically diverse background

number of participants who identified as having a disability. This may include:

  • intellectual
  • mental health
  • physical.

4.0AVAILABLE FUNDING

Up to $15,000 (GST Free) is available for each approved project, that shall 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 already funded by the Australian or state/territory governments or other organisation/s
  • purchasing or leasing of real estate.

5.0PAYMENTS

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.

6.0REPORTING AND ACQUITTAL OF FUNDS

Successful applicants shall expend the approved funds on the delivery of the ACE funded activity by 31 December 2014. At the end of the grant period the recipient shall complete by 31 March 2015 and submit to the Directorate via :

  • a project evaluation report that includes participant 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 shall be as specified in the Deed and templates provided. Any funds remaining upon completion of the funded activity shall be repaid at the time of acquitting the grant.

7.0EVALUATION 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
…is well designed /
  • The learning activity/ies meet the ACE Grants Program aims
  • The project is well-structured and appropriate to the learning content and the learning group.
  • The application has strategies for monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of the learning.
/ 20
…meets a demonstrated need within the community /
  • A community need for the training has been identified.
  • The project will effectively address the identified need/s.
/ 20
…increases access to adult and community learning activities in the ACT /
  • The project is innovative, and delivers training experiences in new and flexible ways.
  • The project targets individuals in need of pre-vocational, bridging, entry-level and foundation skills programs.
  • The project has innovative strategies to reach and recruit learners who have experienced barriers to learning.
/ 20
…contributes to the individual development of participants /
  • The project identifies relevant, measurable, achievable learning outcomes for participants.
  • The project provides a pathway that leads to increased participation in vocational training.
  • The project has strategies to encourage continued participation in learning for participants.
  • The project has strategies to retain learners in the learning activities and assist them to complete the training.
/ 20
…meets sound adult and community education principles /
  • Participants are encouraged to set their own learning goals.
  • The learning activities are relevant and will help participants achieve their goals.
  • The project activities are learner centred.
  • Participants are given the opportunity to apply their existing knowledge and experience to new learning experiences.
  • The project fosters participants’ readiness to learn with learning activities that are practical and apply to participants’ individual lives.
/ 10
…team has capacity and capability to deliver /
  • Capacity and capability to successfully deliver adult and community education projects.
  • Capacity and capability to comply with the ACE Grants Program Guidelines and administrative requirements, including information on meeting deadlines, managing funds and submitting evaluation and acquittal reports.
/ 10

8.0APPLICATION PROCESS

This package and application form is also available on the ACT Government’s Grants Portal at

ACE Guidelines available on website / Monday 11 November 2013
ACE Applications Close / Tuesday 3 December 2013
ACE Notification / Friday 20 December 2013

Applicants shallcomplete applications using Attachment A to these Guidelines. The details in the application shall be complete and correct at the time of submission.

Each application, including any supporting documentation, shall be in triplicate and submitted in one (1) envelope. Applications shallbelodged by hand to the reception desk on the ground floor of the ACT Education and Training Directorate, at 220 Northbourne Avenue, Braddon, ACT, by 4:45pm on Tuesday 3 December 2013.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 ‘2014 ACE Funding Applications’ and shall be delivered on time. The courier should request a receipt as proof of lodgement.

9.0APPLICATION 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.

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 websitefollowing notification at:

Unsuccessful applicants may request verbal feedback from the Directorate on applications. Requests for feedback shall be submitted in writing and received by the Directorate by Friday 14 February 2014. The Directorate will not enter into justification for the selection of the successful applicants, and will not debate the evaluation process.

ACT ADULT COMMUNITY EDUCATION (ACE) GRANTS PROGRAM 2014
Application Template

Project Title

Total Grant Sought (GST Free)

$

Organisation Details

Legal name:
Trading name:
Physical address (organisation shall 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 educational institution not for profit RTO

for profit RTO in partnership with ______(name of community organisational partner)

Anticipated age group of participants

18 – 25 26-39 40-49 50+

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 Criteriaof the Guidelines for guidance on the information to be provided under the following headings. Response to each evaluation criterion is limited to one A4 page.

  1. Provide an overview of the project including
  2. Aims and objectives
  3. Outline of learning activities
  4. Strategies for monitoring and evaluating the project

(This criterion attracts a maximum weighting of 20)
  1. Describe how the project meets a demonstrated need within the community

(This criterion attracts a maximum weighting of 20)
  1. Describe how the project increases access to adult and community learning activities in the ACT

(This criterion attracts a maximum weighting of 20)
  1. Describe how the project contributes to individual development of participant

(This criterion attracts a maximum weighting of 20)
  1. Describe how the project meets sound adult educational principles

(This criterion attracts a maximum weighting of 10)
  1. Provide evidence that your organisation has the capacity and capability to
  2. Deliver adult community education programs
  3. Comply with grant guidelines and administrative requirements

(This criterion attracts a maximum weighting of 10)
  1. Proposed budget for the project (not assessable criteria but mandatory information)

Please provide a summary of the itemised budget for this proposed project in the table below:

Item / Description / Total itembudget (without GST) / ACT Education and Training Directorate’s proposed contribution(amount sought, GST Free) / Applicant’s (organisation) contribution (without GST) / Contribution from other source(s) (without GST)
1
2
3
4
6
7
8
9
10
Grand Total / $ / $ / $ / $

Main Contact Details

Provide details of the primary contact person for the management of the project:

Title: / Given name: / Family name:
Position:
Phone number: / Mobile number:
Fax number: / Email:

Declaration

I, the Authorising 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.

How to submit the application

Each application, including any supporting documentation, must be in triplicate and submitted in one envelope. Applications must be lodged by hand before 4.45pm on Tuesday 3 December 2013. Applicants will be provided with a receipt of 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 ‘2014 ACE FundingApplications’ 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.

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