TPDC has held an informational meeting regarding the grant competition announced within the decentralization process. The meeting was attended by 80 members of the organization.

At the beginning of the meeting, Giorgi Machabeli, Director of the TPDC, spoke about the decentralization process, and the main goals and priorities of the grant competition:

"The main aim of the grant competition announced within the framework of the decentralization is to improve the quality of teaching -learning through promoting diverse and innovative approaches of professional development.

The decentralization of the teacher's professional development service delivery system creates the prerequisites:

• To provide diverse, cyclic and quality outcome oriented teachers' professional development services;
• To develop and implement innovative and creative approaches to professional development of teachers;
• To stimulate partnership between different actors through grant competitions, promote school network activities and focus on more specific needs and results.
• To encourage the development of external, independent suppliers and accumulate expert knowledge in the field of education.
• To enhance the efficiency of the Center's management and provide the opportunities to focus more on the resources for supporting professional development.

The current grant competition has been announced in three thematic areas:

• Strengthening the common culture of the school;
• Facilitate the effectiveness of the teaching- learning process through trainings and social projects;
• Promote the school circle and club activities at the school level.

The above directions have been determined by taking into account the priorities of the general education policy, school needs and the challenges of the Teacher Pre-Service, Professional Development and Career Advancement Scheme. The total budget set forth by the Center for all three grants is 300 000 GEL.

As one of the priorities of the decentralization process is to strengthen the civil sector involved in the field of education, by taking into consideration the legislation of Georgia on grants, any non-entrepreneurial (non-commercial) legal entities incorporated in accordance with the Georgian legislation and / or legal entities under public law operating in the field of education are eligible to participate in the competition.

The decentralization process is not limited to the current grant competition. Each stage involves the implementation of a new grant competition in other priority areas, strengthening the private service suppliers, creating healthy competition in the market and improving the quality in the professional development system. "

Within the scope of the grant competition, applications must be submitted until 21 July, and selected grant projects must be implemented from 21 August to 11 December 2017.

For the registration, an applicant shall submit a grant application in both electronic and hard copy form, namely, fill out the application form placed in the electronic database and upload any relevant documentation, and also submit the application and documentation signed by an authorized person to the Center.