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4ST Partnership Fund
Discover how NCSS enables innovation and collaboration within the sector.
Last updated 6 March 2025
Overview
The 4ST (Social Service Sector Strategic Thrusts) Partnership Fund aims to mobilise the sector to co-develop solutions that promote innovation, collaboration and empowerment, with the end goal of improving the quality of life of service users, including families, children and youth, and persons with mental health conditions.
Type of funding
Fundings and criteria
Criteria | Seed funding | Grow funding |
|---|---|---|
Who can apply | Solution owners have to ensure solutions feature partnerships either in the form of inter-organization organisation information sharing, or interaction through activities, between two or more parties for better service outcomes. | Lead applicants must be NCSS members with IPC status in collaboration with another entity/individual. Non-NCSS members, including SEs and ground-up groups without the Institution of Public Character (IPC)/Charity Status can also apply as a co-applicant. Non-Charity status agencies (regardless of registration type) are required to make a declaration on the not-for-profit nature of the programme, and that the service users are local communities. |
Ideas & Initiatives | For ideas with potential to meet a need in the sector and would like to test their concepts. | For initiatives with a working proof of concept, would like to further develop and test their solution OR Initiatives with a proven model and would like to scale. |
Funding parameters | Up to 100% of the project's Total Operating Expenses (TOE) with a maximum of $50,000 per year. | Up to 90% of the project's TOE, with a maximum of $400,000 per year (excluding an evaluation budget of up to $80,000 for each approved project). |
Duration | Up to 1 year | Up to 3 years |
Deliverables | Articulate proof of concept, refine the value proposition of the solution in the landscape, share learnings and insights from prototype testing with the wider sector and use learnings to improve the solution. | Adopt the NCSS Service Standards in service delivery, achieve outcomes under the Sector Evaluation Framework, submit evaluation research reports, complete the Organisational Health Framework for Social Services (OHFSS) assessment. |
Eligibility criteria
The 4ST Partnership Fund supports solutions that are innovative, collaborative, empowering and strategic.
The applicant must be a social service agency (SSA), social enterprise (SE), or a ground-up group collaborating with another entity or individual. Non-NCSS members, including SEs and ground-up groups without Institution of Public Character (IPC) or Charity Status can also apply*.
*Where possible, the project should be fronted by an organisation that is an NCSS member with IPC status. (Please refer to the Seed vs Grow table for eligible applicants for each category of funding.) Non-Charity status agencies (regardless of registration type) are required to make a declaration on the not-for-profit nature of the programme, and that the beneficiaries are local communities.
Key criteria for solutions supported by the 4ST Partnership Fund
Innovative | New and value-added approaches: Solutions should demonstrate that they are either new ideas/approaches to solve the identified problems or value-add to an existing solution to improve service user outcomes. |
Collaborative | Partnerships for better outcomes: Solutions should feature inter-organisational partnerships between two or more organisations, either in the form of joint projects or systematic alignment of work structures and systems. |
Empowering | Person-centred and empowering: Solutions should be person-centred and allow service users to have access to relevant information, gain skills to improve capabilities, provide feedback to improve the quality-of-service delivery, and participate in service design/delivery. |
Strategic | Targeted solutions: Particularly for Grow funding, these solutions should focus on addressing these identified areas:
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How to apply
Application Process
The 4ST Partnership Fund has a two-stage application process.
Stage 1: Applicants need to submit a brief concept note containing key information on the proposed project. Selected applicants will be shortlisted to proceed to Stage 2.
Stage 2: Shortlisted applicants will need to submit the application form with further details on the proposed project.
The timeline for the June 2025 grant call is as follows:
1 to 30 Jun 2025: Applicants to complete Stage 1 application.
By 15 Jul 2025: Applicants will be informed they are shortlisted to proceed to Stage 2.
By 31 Aug 2025: Shortlisted applicants to complete Stage 2 application.
More details on the documents to be submitted will be available closer to the start of the grant call.
Resources
You can explore the following resources for guidance in creating a more robust proposal:
Frequently Asked Questions
Download the 4ST Partnership Fund FAQs.