Overview

The Building Early Learning Places program (the program) is a new, single-round grants program designed to increase the number of early childhood education and care (ECEC) places for communities with the greatest immediate need, through capital works.

The program is made possible by the NSW Government’s Childcare and Economic Opportunity Fund (the Fund), which is focused on ensuring more NSW families can access affordable, quality ECEC to support increased workforce participation.

To make sure the funds reach those that need it the most, the program will take a targeted approach. Only applicants intending to deliver additional ECEC places for the priority groups identified in the Program Guidelines will be able to apply:

• Priority Group: Undersupplied areas
  Not for profit long day care centres and community preschools intending to deliver eligible ECEC places for the 31 undersupplied areas identified in the Program Guidelines;
• Priority Group: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children
  Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs) delivering additional ECEC places in a not-for-profit long day care or community preschool setting anywhere in NSW.

Eligible services can apply for funding to support capital works projects that will create extra spaces for children aged 0 to 6 for these priority groups. Services must also show they can start building within 12 months of receiving a successful outcome letter.

Applicants can submit more than one application, as long as they propose different projects in eligible areas.

Insights and lessons learned from this program will be used to improve future capital investment and to allow more NSW families to access affordable and quality ECEC.

Key information

Status

Open

Amount

The program offers uncapped grant awards, subject to value for money considerations. Grant recipients will be required to contribute a percentage of the total project cost.

More details about funding levels can be found in the Building Early Learning Places program guidelines.

Key dates - updated

Information webinar

An information webinar providing further details of the application process was held on 20 November 2024. Download the presentation slides (PDF 3.6 MB).

Eligibility

To be eligible for the program, the service must meet all the following criteria:

• be registered or incorporated in Australia
• be a not-for-profit organisation/association or local government entity operating on a cost recovery basis
• be an approved early childhood education and care provider operating at least one existing and open approved service under the Children (Education and Care Services) National Law (NSW) and the Education and Care Services National Regulations (2011)
• intend to deliver ECEC places for a priority group as identified in the program guidelines:
  • deliver eligible ECEC places in an identified undersupplied area (excluding on public school sites and non-government school sites); OR
  • for ACCOs, deliver eligible and culturally supportive ECEC places anywhere in NSW (excluding on public schools and non-government school sites)
• hold, or intend to hold service approval for the capital works site under the Children (Education and Care Services) National Law (NSW) to:
  • operate, or intend to operate, as a centre-based service with a ‘Nature of Care’ service type of preschool, or
  • operate, or intend to operate, as a centre-based service with a ‘Nature of Care’ service type of long day care.

In addition to eligibility, assessment criteria requires applicants to show that they can start building within 12 months of receiving a successful outcome letter.

A) Priority group: Undersupplied areas

B) Priority group: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children

ACCOs intending to deliver ECEC places for 0 to 6-year-old children in community preschool or long day care settings, anywhere in NSW, will be able to apply for the program.

Please refer to the program guidelines for more information.

Access free one-on-one support to prepare and scope your project

Kick start your application by accessing one-on-one support and funding through our Project Development and Planning Support program. It is highly recommended to access this support early in your application process.

Scoping capital works proposals while juggling the daily operations of a service can be challenging, which is why the Fund Board is making available a suite of resources to assist applicants in preparing their capital works proposal, including individual support, capped funding to assist with up-front application expenses and a number of resources. ACCOs may also access additional support provided by the department’s sector-strengthening partner, SNAICC – National Voice for Our Children.

Eligible services are encouraged to use available support to prepare their grant applications.

Each service is eligible for 20 to 25 hours of one-on-one support, and to access up to $10,000 toward eligible expenses.

Complete an Expression of Interest early via SmartyGrants to take advantage of the full benefits of the support.

Individual support

Eligible applicants can express interest in accessing individual support from industry professionals to scope a capital works project with reliable project estimates. The support also includes capped funding to assist with key project planning expenses, such as obtaining professional plans and unencumbered space calculations prepared by a licensed building practitioner.

Please read the Project Development and Planning Support Procedure for more information and apply via SmartyGrants early to kickstart your application journey.

All applicants interested in accessing the support will be required to complete an Expression of Interest for the department to assess their eligibility for the service, so please complete this as a first step. Applicants that approach a delivery partners directly (i.e. SNAICC – National Voice for Our Children and/or Shakeup Architecture) will be redirected to complete the Expression of Interest. For ACCOS, the Expression of Interest will allow you to opt in for the support provided by both Shakeup Architecture and SNAICC – National Voice for Our Children in a single application.

Expressions of Interest for this support will be assessed from 11 November 2024 until 16 February 2025, or until funds allocated to Project Development and Planning Support are exhausted.

Next steps

Step 1 - Confirm your eligibility

• Read the detailed program guidelines to understand everything you need to know before applying.
• Review the information webinar presentation slides (PDF 3.6 MB) and FAQs.

Step 2 - Access free support to prepare and scope your project

• Submit an EOI via SmartyGrants to access 20 to 25 hours of free support and up to $10,000 for eligible expenses.

Step 3 - Prepare and submit your application

• Familiarise yourself with how to apply.

View additional resources

• View the Application resources available now.

Contact

Early Childhood Education Information and Enquiries team

• 1800 619 113
• capital.works@det.nsw.edu.au