Building Early Learning Places Program

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.

Eligible services are encouraged to use available grant support to prepare their applications, including individual support delivered by industry professionals. Sign up early to take advantage for the full benefits of the support.


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

Grant activity Date
Project Development and Planning Support EOI open Monday 11 November 2024
Applications open Monday 11 November 2024
Project Development and Planning Support EOI close Sunday 16 February 2025 11:59 pm
Applications close Sunday 9 March 2025 11:59 pm
Applications assessed March – April 2025
Approvals May – June 2025
Notification of outcome June 2025

Information webinar

Join our webinar on 20 November 2024 to hear about the application process.


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

For assistance in identifying whether your proposed capital works site is in the undersupplied areas, please refer to the Application guide.

Region
Statistical Area 2 (SA2) Significant need profile 0–2-year-old children Significant need profile 3–6-year-old children Eligible service type
Greater Sydney Warwick Farm Yes Yes Community preschool and Long Day Care
Greater Sydney Regents Park Yes Yes Community Preschool and Long Day Care
Rest of NSW Parkes Surrounds Yes No Long Day Care
Rest of NSW Tenterfield Yes Yes Community Preschool and Long Day Care
Greater Sydney Berala Yes Yes Community Preschool and Long Day Care
Greater Sydney Lakemba Yes Yes Community Preschool and Long Day Care
Rest of NSW Coonamble Yes No Long Day Care
Rest of NSW Sussex Inlet - Berrara Yes No Long Day Care
Rest of NSW Tea Gardens – Hawks Nest Yes No Long Day Care
Greater Sydney Liverpool – West Yes Yes Community Preschool and Long Day Care
Greater Sydney Prospect Reservoir Yes Yes Community Preschool and Long Day Care
Greater Sydney Wiley Park Yes Yes Community Preschool and Long Day Care
Greater Sydney Bidwill – Hebersham – Emerton Yes No Long Day Care
Greater Sydney Chullora Yes No Long Day Care
Rest of NSW Lithgow Surrounds Yes No Long Day Care
Greater Sydney Lurnea – Cartwright Yes No Long Day Care
Rest of NSW Culburra Beach Yes Yes Community Preschool and Long Day Care
Greater Sydney Edensor Park Yes No Long Day Care
Greater Sydney Fairfield – West Yes Yes Community Preschool and Long Day Care
Rest of NSW Armidale Surrounds – North Yes No Long Day Care
Greater Sydney Auburn – South Yes Yes Community Preschool and Long Day Care
Greater Sydney Fairfield – East Yes No Long Day Care
Greater Sydney Merrylands – Holroyd Yes Yes Community Preschool and Long Day Care
Rest of NSW Kiama Downs – Minnamurra Yes No Long Day Care
Rest of NSW Leeton Yes No Long Day Care
Rest of NSW Port Macquarie – East Yes No Long Day Care
Rest of NSW Urunga Yes No Long Day Care
Rest of NSW Merimbula - Tura Beach Yes Yes Community Preschool and Long Day Care
Rest of NSW Albury – South Yes No Long Day Care
Rest of NSW Kiama Hinterland – Gerringong Yes No Long Day Care
Rest of NSW Queanbeyan Yes Yes Community Preschool and Long Day Care

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.

Project Development and Planning Support

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 grant support to prepare their applications.

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 21 October 2024 until 7 February 2025, or until funds allocated to Project Development and Planning Support are exhausted.

Next steps

Contact

Early Childhood Education Information and Enquiries team

Category:

  • Early childhood education

Business Unit:

  • Early Childhood Outcomes
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