Program overview – 2020 round

As part of the 2019 election commitment, the NSW Government announced $20 million in funding over four years for new and existing community preschools to build, renovate or extend their facilities to cater for increasing enrolments across the state.

Ten million dollars has been committed to the 2020 round of the Start Strong Capital Works Grants Program. Eligible services can apply for funding through this program to:

• build a new centre-based community preschool
• extend an existing centre-based community preschool
• renovate premises for a centre-based community preschool
• purchase a motor vehicle for an existing mobile preschool
• respond to a crisis situation with a capital works project

Eligibility criteria

Capital Works grants will be awarded through a competitive assessment process and applications from not-for-profit community and mobile preschools operating in areas of the state where there is a demonstrated shortage of places will be prioritised.

Each category has additional eligibility criteria that are to be addressed as part of the application. The eligibility criteria for each category are provided in the program guidelines.

To be eligible to apply, service providers must:

• be registered or incorporated in NSW
• be a not for profit organisation or association, or a local government entity
• have appropriate governance mechanisms and sound financial management
• hold, or will hold a valid Provider Approval to operate an early childhood education service in NSW (Provider Approval must be obtained within 12 months of receiving notification of the successful outcome of the grant application)
• operate, or will operate, a centre based community preschool service with a valid Service Approval (Service providers intending to operate an early childhood education centre must obtain Service Approval within 12 months of receiving notification of the successful outcome of the grant application)
• comply with the requirements of applicable national and state laws and regulations for the relevant service type (e.g. the Early Childhood Education and Care Services National Law Act 2010, Children (Education and Care Services National Law Application) Act 2010
• applicants applying for funding to purchase a motor vehicle must currently operate a mobile preschool service in NSW with a fixed term mobile preschool funding contract with the NSW Department of Education.

How to apply

Applications are now closed.

Contact details

For more information about the Start Strong Capital Works Grants Program, please contact:

Early Childhood Education Directorate
1800 619 113
capital.works@det.nsw.edu.au