Partnership Agreement Process

short steps to successful partnering

Making Your Partnership Official

For assistance in recruiting or creating an Ignite Partnership contact Jay Garant at 571-423-1225

Step 1:  Review Our Agreement and Contact Us

FCPS has created template agreements for all partnerships.  

Please start by contacting Jay Garant in the FCPS Business and Community Partnerships Office to begin the discussions of partnering. 

Template language will be shared during initial discussions, as will a discussion about being an Ignite Partner, or not.

Step 2:  Collaborate on the Agreement’s Content

Following your discussion with Jay Garant in the FCPS Business and Community Partnerships Office, send a completed one-page Impact Statement that will be shared with you.  

With the Impact Statement we’ll begin to determine with whom you’ll be partnering and if the Ignite Partnership thresholds will be met.  

An in-person meeting to discuss joint goals for the partnership will likely be set up, at which time the template agreement will also be reviewed.  

Once both parties and the Office of Business and Community Partnerships have settled on the agreement language, the team in the Office of Business and Community Partnerships will manage the signature process.

Important:  The superintendent of Fairfax County Public Schools always signs first and they are the only person to sign for FCPS.

Step 3:  Approval and Signature

Again, Jay Garant, Director for Business and Community Partnerships will manage the approval process, keeping you informed of any changes.

This process has taken as little as 1 day and as long as 1 year depending on the complexity.  On average it take 1 to 3 weeks.

Once signed by the Superintendent, the original agreement will be sent to the FCPS partnering entity for the final signature. 

The partner will receive complete instructions including where to return the document.

Step 4:  Return for Central Filing

Once two original signatures are on the original document, the partnership is “official.” 

All partnering entities will be emailed a scanned copy of the agreement, keeping the original document in the FCPS central office.

Congratulations!