Parent Engagement Grants Program

Summary
Forms & Procedures

Summary of Program

The ACT Government’s Non-Government School Parent Engagement Grants Program (PEP) provides grants to strengthen parent associations (also known as P & C or P & F associations) and improve school partnerships with parents and families.

Total funding of $500,000 (GST exclusive) is available for the program and approximately $131,661 remains for allocation in the third and final round of the program to be assessed in 2024.

Objective

The primary objective of the program is to foster and enhance parent engagement in children’s learning, through building strong parent associations and partnerships with parents and families.

The program aims to:

  • Increase business acumen and enterprise skills of parent associations.
  • Build efficacy of parent associations to strengthen family-school partnerships and embed effective parent engagement strategies as ‘business as usual’.
  • Develop and promote practical tools and resources to strengthen parent engagement.
  • Support sustainable and innovative initiatives to foster greater parent engagement and improve learning and wellbeing outcomes for children and young people.
  • Better promote parent associations to increase involvement of all parts of the school community including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families.

Eligibility for Funding

To be eligible to apply for funding, an applicant must:

  • Be a bona fide non-government school parent association. Where a school does not have an affiliated parent association or its parent association is not a separate legal entity, the school may apply for a grant in place of the parent association.
  • Be a registered not-for-profit or charitable organisation.
  • Have a current public liability insurance policy with a minimum of $10 million in cover.
  • Not be a political party, defined as a political party registered under Part XI of the Commonwealth Electoral Act.

Proposed initiatives must:

  • Align with the aims of the program, as described in these guidelines.
  • Be delivered in the ACT for ACT non-government school students and/or parents and carers.

Funds are not available for:

  • Projects that do not contribute to the aim of the program.
  • Ongoing/recurrent funding.
  • Projects that are a duplication of an existing service, program, project or event.
  • Retrospective costs – projects or purchases which have already taken place.
  • Salaries where the salary forms part of the parent association’s usual responsibility.
  • Recurrent operating or maintenance costs for day to day operations of the parent association.
  • Prize money.
  • Projects which are deemed to be inappropriate or offensive.

Assessment of Applications

Applications must include a project that will address the importance of parent engagement in realising the ACT Government’s commitment to deliver the best schools and best education of all children and young people in the ACT.

Previous grant recipients under this program are also eligible and encouraged to apply in the 2024 round, noting that if the round is over-subscribed then priority will be given to new applicants that have not received funding in past rounds.

Eligible applicants will be assessed against the following:

  • Grant Intent – Project demonstrates a recognised need within the organisation.
  • Objectives – Project demonstrates an innovative and sustainable way to increase parent association business acumen and/or enhance parent engagement, and incorporates an evidence informed approach.
  • Action Plan – Applicant demonstrates capacity to deliver the project within budget and timeframes, identifying key milestones.
  • Evaluation – Applicant demonstrates consideration of quantitative and qualitative evidence of improved business acumen and/or parent engagement.

Information on program eligibility and the current grant assessment round is available in the following documents:

Information to Assist Applicants:  View PDF