The School Care Subsidy Scheme, sponsored by Sino Group, provides subsidies in supporting student music groups to present “Care and Concern Concerts” for the elderly, special school students and beneficiaries of social welfare organisations. 

 

The participating groups may combine music with other art forms in the performance so as to enrich the programme in a creative way, and benefit students in the building of team spirit and organising skills from the production process.

 

Successful applicants have to present the “Care and Concern Concerts” between December 2024 and March 2025. The Music Office professional staff and representatives of beneficiary organisations will assess the performances given by the school music groups. Prominent performing groups will be invited to rerun their performances in the Gala Concert to be staged in April or May 2025. All participants of the Scheme will be conferred Certificates of Commendation in the presentation ceremony of the Gala Concert. Members from all walks of life are welcome to attend the Gala Concert for free. Admission tickets are not required. 

 
Three awards are set up in the Scheme:

Sino Group Active Participation Award	Awarded to those schools which are selected to participate in the Scheme in any three academic years between 2021/22 and 2024/25. (Every eligible school will receive this award once at most during the above-mentioned school years).
The Most Liked Music Group Award	Awarded yearly to those schools which posts of concert photos, video clips and participants’ feedback after finishing the Care & Concern concerts receive the largest number of “Like / Love / Haha / Wow” on the “Music Office Community Programmes” Facebook page.
Outstanding Ambassador Award of the Year	Schools accomplish at least three of the following missions: ~ share the service experience in school assembly; ~ share the service experience on the campus radio; ~ post the activity highlights onto the school webpage; ~ post the activity highlights in school newsletter; ~ post the activity highlights in social media (such as creating a post on the school’s Facebook page and tagging the “Music Office Community Programmes” Facebook page there).
Awardees in 2021/22: The Most Liked Music Group Award Lingnan University Alumni Association (HK) Primary School Outstanding Ambassador Award of the Year Cheung Sha Wan Catholic Secondary School Ching Chung Hau Po Woon Secondary School Lingnan University Alumni Association (HK) Primary School Po Leung Kuk Anita L.L. Chan (Centenary) School Rightmind International Nursery & Kindergarten Ying Wa College

Application Form

 

Eligibility for Application

1. Kindergartens, primary, secondary, special and post-secondary schools in Hong Kong are eligible to apply.
2. The “Care and Concern Concerts” must be music programmes with free admission. Retrospective applications for completed activities will not be considered.
3. The target service units of the concerts must be special schools, elderly centres or organisations on the “List of Service Units” of the Social Welfare Department.
4. The programme should be exclusive of religious, fundraising, ceremonial and commercial activities.

 

Submission of Applications

1. The type of performance, programme details, target service unit, presentation time, venue, budget and other relevant information (including the names of all collaborating organisations) must be listed in the application form.
2. Applicants have to arrange performance venue and select target audience by themselves. Applicants may consider performing in the school hall and inviting the beneficiaries of the recognized target service units to attend. Click here to view the “List of Service Units” at Social Welfare Department’s website. Applicants are welcome to contact the Music Office if assistance in soliciting beneficiary organisations is required.
3. Please email the completed application form along with supporting documents to the Music Office (cnc@lcsd.gov.hk). The Music Office will notify every applicant of an application number within 2 workings days upon receipt of application. Any applicant who has not received the acknowledgement of application by then must immediately check with the Music Office to ensure its application is successfully submitted.
4. The subsidised activities must be conducted on the specified dates and in accordance with the approved proposals. The maximum amount of subsidy for each approved activity is HK$2,200.
5. Items covered by the subsidy include transportation to and from the performing venue, professional staff allowance and miscellaneous expenses.
6. The Scheme will consider late applications and multiple applications only if there is still subsidy available.

 

Processing and Assessment of Applications

1. The Music Office will assess the applications received in terms of the feasibility of the proposed programmes and whether they are within the scope of subsidy. Itemised expenses in the budget will also be examined according to the expenditure standards set by the Music Office to ensure proper spending.
2. The Music Office may request the applicants to provide further information or make adjustments in the course of assessment.
3. The Music Office professional staff will be responsible for the thorough consideration and evaluation of applications. All applicants will be notified in writing of the assessment results within one month upon receipt of all required application documents.
4. The Music Office reserves the right to the final decision of the number of activities and subsidies to the school applicants.

 

Selection Criteria and Priority

1. The proposed progrqammes must be composed mainly of music performances, and the duration of music programme should not be less than 30 minutes. Apart from their feasibility, the programme should be tailored to the target service groups. Programmes with different and interactive elements are preferable.
2. Applicants with experience in music performances and organising activities, especially activities for the underprivileged, are preferable.
3. All applications will be assessed under a marking scheme. Priority in joining the Scheme will then be determined based on the scores.

 

Obligations and Conditions upon Acceptance of Subsidy

1.	The subsidised unit must submit the performance details (including performance date, time, target units, program content) within one month after the Music Office has sent out the successful application notification, otherwise the Music Office reserves the right to cancel the school’s subsidy application and reserve the amount of funding for schools on the waitlist.
2.	The subsidised activities must be completed in accordance with the dates and programme details specified in the approved proposals. Should special or inevitable circumstances render exceptions necessary, the subsidy recipients must submit their written requests in advance to obtain written consent from the Music Office.
3.	The subsidy must be used for the payment of endorsed expenditure items within the approved budget. The subsidy must be claimed according to the actual cost, while the amount must not exceed the maximum amount of specified expenditure items and the overall approved budget. There will not be any advance disbursement of subsidy before the completion of the subsidised activities.
4.	The subsidised activities must not accept sponsorship from any other commercial organisations.
5.	The names/logos of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, the Music Office and the sponsor of the Scheme must be displayed in all publicity materials relating to the subsidised activities. In this connection, subsidy recipients should send such publicity materials to the Music Office for vetting prior to production.
6.	The Music Office has the right to send monitors to observe on-site the operation of the subsidised activities.
7.	Subsidy recipients must submit activity reports (with photographs and video clips taken during the subsidised activities), financial reports endorsed by the school principal and the original receipts of the approved expenditure items within one month after the completion of the subsidised activities. The Music Office will examine the expenditure upon receipt of the reports and, if satisfied that all is in order, arrange the disbursement of subsidy.
8.	The Music Office and the sponsor of the Scheme have the right to publicise contents of the reports, photographs and video clips of the subsidised activities for publicity purposes. Subsidy recipients may be invited to attend Scheme-related publicity events arranged by the Music Office or the sponsor of the Scheme.
9.	To share the activity highlights with members of the public, subsidy recipients have to provide activity information, photos, participants’ feedback and video clips for the “Music Office Community Programmes” Facebook page / Instagram and/or the Music Office YouTube Channel.

 

Appendix: Subsidy Items (The maximum amount of subsidy for each approved activity is HK$2,200. Please note the following maximum allowance of each subsidy item.)

Item and the maximum allowance for each activity	Remarks
Transportation: $2,200	Transport of performers and musical instrument / transportation provided for the audience beneficiaries to attend programme
Allowance for professionals: $1,100	For professional instructors / accompanists / production staff engaged for the music programme
Miscellaneous: $600	Gifts / publicity and printing / props (not applicable to purchase of musical instruments, music stands, audiovisual/ filming equipment and environmental levy on plastic shopping bags)

Tel

2598 8335   3842 7775

 

Email

cnc@lcsd.gov.hk