APPLICATION GUIDELINES 2018 - Adult Community Education (ACE) Grants Program - Chief Minister, Treasury ...

Page created by Jimmie Pierce
 
CONTINUE READING
APPLICATION
GUIDELINES 2018
Adult Community Education
(ACE) Grants Program
APPLICATION
GUIDELINES
2018 ACT ADULT COMMUNITY
EDUCATION (ACE) GRANTS PROGRAM
Publication Date: 29 September 2017

These guidelines are to be used by organisations applying for funding under the 2018 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:
http://www.cmd.act.gov.au/skillscanberra/adult-community-education-grants-program

Skills Canberra
Chief Minister, Treasury and Economic Development Directorate
Level 4, Canberra Nara Centre, 1 Constitution Avenue
CANBERRA CITY ACT 2601
GPO Box 158
CANBERRA ACT 2601
Phone:		          02 6205 8555
Email:		          skills@act.gov.au
Website:		        http://www.cmd.act.gov.au/skillscanberra/

Application Guidelines 2018 ACT Adult Community Education (ACE) Grants Program | Published: 29 Sep 2017
CONTENTS
Glossary of Terms...................................................................................................................................................................1

1.0          Introduction.............................................................................................................................................................3

2.0          Eligibility Criteria......................................................................................................................................................3

3.0          Administrative Requirements..................................................................................................................................3

4.0          Available Funding.....................................................................................................................................................4

5.0          Payments..................................................................................................................................................................4

6.0           Reporting and Acquital of Funds............................................................................................................................5

7.0          Evaluation Criteria....................................................................................................................................................5

8.0          Information Session.................................................................................................................................................6

9.0          Application process..................................................................................................................................................7

10.0         Application evaluation.............................................................................................................................................7

Application Guidelines 2018 ACT Adult Community Education (ACE) Grants Program | Published: 29 Sep 2017
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
     ABN                        Australian Business Number
     ACE                        Adult Community Education
     ACN                        Australian Company Number
     ACT                        Australian Capital Territory
     ACT Government strategic The ACT Government strategic priorities were announced in the ACT Budget 2017-18.
     priorities               The strategic priorities that relate to the ACT ACE Grants Program 2018 are “Economic
                              development: More and better jobs” and “Social inclusion: Better support when it
                              matters”.
                                For the ACT ACE Grants Program 2018 this translates into prioritising support that
                                assists:
                                >> people to get a job or a better job (see “Specified strategic priority groups for 2018”)
                                   and
                                >> members of groups that traditionally experience social and economic challenges
                                   (see “People experiencing barriers to participation in education, training and/or
                                   employment”).
     Culturally and             An important element of cultural and linguistic diversity in Australia is the extent to
     linguistically diverse     which Australians retain the culture, ethnicity or language of their parents. Retention
     (CALD) background          of cultural and linguistic diversity is determined by country of birth, in association with
                                variables such as Indigenous status, religious affiliation, year of arrival in Australia and
                                language variables such as first language spoken, proficiency in spoken English and
                                main language other than English spoken at home.
                                For people living in Canberra a lack of proficiency in spoken English is likely to impact
                                a person’s access to further education, training, and employment opportunities and
                                other government and non-government services. Lack of proficiency in spoken English
                                is most often reported by people whose first language spoken as a child was a language
                                other than English, or who speak a language other than English at home. Therefore,
                                the ACT ACE Grants Program has a particular focus on CALD people who self-identify
                                as experiencing disadvantage due to language variables (Source: Australian Bureau of
                                Statistics).
     The Deed                   Deed of Grant between the Australian Capital Territory represented by the Chief
                                Minister, Treasury and Economic Development Directorate and the recipient of the ACE
                                grant.
     The Directorate            Chief Minister, Treasury and Economic Development Directorate
     Eligible participant       An Australian or New Zealand citizen; a holder of a permanent residence visa; a migrant,
                                refugee or asylum seeker holding a temporary or bridging visa providing work and/or
                                study rights.
     GST                        Goods and Services Tax
     Guidelines                 ACT Adult Community Education Grants Program 2018 Application Guidelines
     Must                       Indicates mandatory requirements to be strictly followed to conform to these
                                Guidelines and from which no deviation is permitted.

Application Guidelines 2018 ACT Adult Community Education (ACE) Grants Program | Published: 29 Sep 2017                        1
Not in the labour force        Persons not in the labour force are those neither employed nor unemployed. For the
                                    purposes of the ACT ACE Grants Program, those not in the labour force include people
                                    who are:
                                    >> retired or voluntarily inactive
                                    >> performing home duties or caring for children
                                    >> experiencing a long-term health condition or disability
                                    >> experiencing a short-term illness or injury
                                    >> looking after an ill or disabled person
                                    >> working in an unpaid voluntary job.
                                    (Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics)
     People experiencing            Members of the following groups are more likely to experience barriers: Aboriginal
     barriers to participation in   and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples, people from CALD communities, people with
     education, training and/or     disability, people experiencing family violence, women seeking to return to work after
     employment                     an extended absence, mature-age Canberrans (45-59 years old), seniors (age 60 years
                                    or older), workers made redundant, youth (17-25 years old) at risk, veterans, people
                                    recently released from incarceration settings, people with caring responsibilities and
                                    people who are homeless.
     People with a disability       People who may require support include those whose disability may be attributable
                                    to a broad range of impairments or conditions, including intellectual, cognitive,
                                    neurological, sensory or physical impairments or to one or more impairments
                                    attributable to a psychiatric condition (Source: National Disability Insurance Scheme Act
                                    2013 (Cth)).
     RTO                            Registered training organisation
     Specified strategic priority People who are unemployed, underemployed or not in the labour force.
     groups for 2018
     Unemployed                     People are categorised as unemployed if they are without work, actively seeking work
                                    and currently available for work (excludes people waiting to start a new job that they
                                    have already obtained). (Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics)
     Underemployed                  For the purposes of the ACT ACE Grants Program people are categorised as
                                    underemployed if they are employed part time but want to work more hours and
                                    are available to start work with more hours. Underemployment represents lost
                                    opportunities for people to engage more fully in work and derive their desired financial
                                    and personal benefits. From an economic perspective, underemployment reflects
                                    underutilised productive capacity. (Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics)
     Youth at risk                  For the purposes of the ACT ACE Grants Program, this category refers to people 17-25
                                    years of age who are identified as being at risk of not making a successful transition
                                    to independent living. Young people experiencing poor transition experiences after
                                    leaving school are often members of disadvantaged groups such as children of long-
                                    term unemployed parents, Indigenous youth, young people with a disability or illness,
                                    young people with caring responsibilities, homeless youth and youth who have been in
                                    the juvenile justice system. Young people who are not engaged in work, study or social
                                    activity for extended periods are also considered at risk. (Source: Australian Bureau of
                                    Statistics)

Application Guidelines 2018 ACT Adult Community Education (ACE) Grants Program | Published: 29 Sep 2017                         2
1.0         INTRODUCTION
    The 2018 ACT Adult Community Education (ACE) Grants Program is designed to support quality adult community
    learning opportunities in a range of formal and informal settings using flexible and participant-centred activities.
    The 2018 ACT ACE Grants Program aims to improve vulnerable Canberrans’ access to
    vocational education and training (VET) and employment opportunities by:
    >> providing pathways that are not funded elsewhere
    >> supporting people experiencing barriers to participation in further education and/or training
    >> supporting people who are unemployed, underemployed or not in the labour force
    >> addressing an identified 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 in the ACT, for eligible
    participants aged 17 years and over.
    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 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 Skills Canberra for this project
    >> have a physical address in the ACT.

    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 2018 ACT
       ACE Grants Program and the conditions under which the funding is awarded.
    >> report and acquit the 2018 ACT 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 2018 ACT ACE Grants Program as a Skills Canberra initiative on all publicity
       relating to the 2018 ACT ACE Grants Program, 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 2018 ACT ACE Grants
       Program and achievements for local and national newsletters and reports
    >> collect and retain information on ACE project participants including the number of participants:
       • in total, along with their employment status

Application Guidelines 2018 ACT Adult Community Education (ACE) Grants Program | Published: 29 Sep 2017                    3
• identifying as an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person
       • identifying as a victim of family and/or domestic violence
       • identifying as having a disability
       • identifying as retaining a culturally and linguistically diverse background who report that:
         > their first language spoken as a child was a language other than English, or
         > they speak a language other than English at home.
       • identifying as a youth (17-25 years old) at risk
       • identifying as a woman seeking to return to work after an extended absence
       • identifying as a mature-age Canberran (45-59 years old)
       • identifying as a senior (age 60 years or older)
       • identifying as a worker made recently redundant
       • identifying as a veteran
       • identifying as a person with caring responsibilities
       • identifying as homeless
    >> Skills Canberra will assist with the collection of this information by providing successful grants applicants with a set
       of standardised questions.
    >> The Directorate may visit providers of projects funded under the 2018 ACT ACE Grants Program for the purpose of
       observation and gathering of information for the promotion of the 2018 ACT ACE Grants Program.

    4.0 AVAILABLE FUNDING
    Up to $20,000 (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, food, or 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 (Note: ACE
       projects may expand upon or complement an existing program, but ACE funding cannot be used to duplicate or
       supplement funding from another source for the same project or service).
    >> 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.

Application Guidelines 2018 ACT Adult Community Education (ACE) Grants Program | Published: 29 Sep 2017                       4
6.0          REPORTING AND ACQUITAL OF FUNDS
    Successful applicants must expend the approved funds on the delivery of the 2018 ACT ACE Grants Program funded
    activity by 31 December 2018. The recipient must complete and submit the following reports to the Directorate via
    skills@act.gov.au by 31 March 2019:
    >> a complete and final project report on the template provided with the Deed of Grant 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 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.

    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 ACT     a.       providing a pathway to vocational education and training 25
     ACE Grants Program          and/or employment
     aims by:           b.       addressing an identified community need
                        c.       not duplicating other funded programs and services.
     …is designed to        a. have clear goals                                            25
                            b. be innovative and deliver training experiences in new
                               and flexible ways
                            c. have effective strategies to reach, recruit and retain
                               participants experiencing barriers to participation
                               in further education, training and/or employment
                               opportunities
                            d. have effective strategies to reach, recruit and retain
                               participants from specified strategic priority groups (i.e.
                               unemployed, underemployed, or not in the labour force).
     …meets sound           a. providing learning activities that are relevant and help    20
     adult community           participants to achieve their goals
     education              b. providing participant centred activities
     principles by:
                            c. giving participants the opportunity to apply their existing
                               knowledge and experience to new learning experiences
                            d. fostering participants’ readiness to learn with learning
                               activities that are practical and apply to participants’
                               individual lives.

Application Guidelines 2018 ACT Adult Community Education (ACE) Grants Program | Published: 29 Sep 2017                    5
The Project…          Evaluation Criteria                                           Total Weighting/100
     …team has capacity a. deliver successful adult community education projects         20
     and capability to  b. comply with the ACT ACE Grants Program guidelines
                            and administrative requirements, including meeting
                            deadlines, managing funds and submitting reports
                        c. define and manage the different roles and
                            responsibilities of partnering organisation where
                            the application is from two or more partnering
                            organisations.
                        Note: Organisations’ past performance may be considered
                        as part of the application assessment process. The
                        past performance will be informed by data held by the
                        Directorate.
     …demonstrates         a. a proposed budget that is commensurate with project        10
     value for money          outcomes, including length of program, and number of
     with:                    participants
                           b. a proposed budget that is commensurate with project
                              delivery requirements including staffing and other
                              resources.

    8.0 INFORMATION SESSION
    Prospective applicants are invited to attend the scheduled information session on the 2018 ACT ACE Grants Program.
    The presentation from the session and FAQs arising from the information session will be made available on the
    ACE Grants Webpage on the Skills Canberra website:

    INFORMATION SESSION DETAILS
     Date                  Thursday 12 October 2017
     Session time          3:00pm to 4:30pm
     Location              Nara House, 1 Constitution Avenue Canberra
                           Nara Level 4 North Ainslie Meeting Room

Application Guidelines 2018 ACT Adult Community Education (ACE) Grants Program | Published: 29 Sep 2017              6
11.0 APPLICATION PROCESS
     ACE Guidelines available on website                                                           Friday 29 September 2017
     ACE Grants Program Information Session                                                        Thursday 12 October 2017
     ACE Application Round opens                                                                       Friday 13 October 2017
     ACE Applications Close                                                             Midnight Tuesday 14 November 2017
     ACE Notification to applicants                                                                 Friday 15 December 2017
    Applicants must use the SmartForm template on the Skills Canberra website to submit an application. The
    SmartForm will be available from 13 October 2017. 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 submitted by Midnight on 14 November 2017. Applicants will be provided with a receipt
    at the time of lodgement.

    12.0 APPLICATION EVALUATION
    The 2017 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 9 – 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 9 –
    Application Process. Organisations awarded funding will be published on the ACE Grants Webpage on the
    Directorate’s website following notification and the execution of the Deed.
    Unsuccessful applicants may request verbal feedback on applications from the Directorate. Requests for feedback
    must be submitted in writing and received by Skills Canberra no later than Thursday 25 January 2018.
    Decisions of the assessment process are final. The assessment process does not contain any provision for review
    or appeal. The Directorate will not enter into justification for the selection of the successful programs, and will not
    debate the evaluation process.

Application Guidelines 2018 ACT Adult Community Education (ACE) Grants Program | Published: 29 Sep 2017                         7
You can also read