1. Overview

The program is available under the NSW Childcare and Economic Opportunity Fund (CEO Fund). The CEO Fund’s principal objective is to increase participation in the State’s workforce, particularly for women, through addressing the challenges related to access and affordability of quality early childhood education and care (ECEC) services for NSW families.

The ECEC Research Program will provide evidence to support the principal objective and aims of the CEO Fund, ensuring that investment goes where it is needed most. Program development needs to be guided by insights from the latest ECEC research to ensure CEO Fund programs are based in evidence and deep understanding of how to provide quality ECEC that is affordable and accessible.

The ECEC Research Program streams address the need to identify and fill ECEC evidence gaps in a rigorous way, ensuring depth and robust, valid and reliable insights.

The NSW ECEC Study (NEST) is one of two streams under the ECEC Research Program:

• Stream 1:NSW ECEC Study (NEST) - procurement of consortium for research partnership
• Stream 2: ECEC Strategic Research Fund – open competitive grants scheme

Stream 1: NSW ECEC Study (NEST) under the ECEC Research Program will fund a large scale and scope research study to deepen the evidence on quality aspects of ECEC – particularly programs and practice, physical environments and relationships - and how they are associated with children’s outcomes in ECEC, ECEC workforce attraction, retention and wellbeing, and how quality services that meet the needs of children and families can reduce barriers to access and increase participation.

The research outputs will include the development of evidence- based practical deliverables to support and benefit the ECEC Sector.

The research study will take a partnership approach, inviting a consortium representing expert researchers from major and regional universities, with strong research records and existing relationships with ECEC sector, communities and peak bodies, to partner with the CEO Fund in the research.

The partnership will be funded through a procurement with Request for Tender, due to the specific expertise required for this type of research project.

The NEST RFT will be published on buyNSW Tenders module. Request documents will only be made available on buyNSW. Tenders will only be able to be submitted through buyNSW. To access the tender documents, follow the link to DOE08068-25 NSW ECEC Study (NEST) at the Opportunities Hub | buy.nsw.

1.1. Purpose and objectives

The NSW ECEC Study (NEST) will:

• support a collaborative partnership or ‘consortium’ between NSW state-based universities, research institutions, and/or evidence-based non-for-profit early childhood organisations
• provide a platform for the co-design and delivery of a 3-year, large-scale and scope research project

The purpose of the study is to:

• deepen the evidence on quality aspects of ECEC – particularly program and practice, physical environments and relationships - and how they are associated with children’s outcomes in ECEC, and ECEC workforce attraction, retention and wellbeing
• investigate how quality services that meet the needs of children and families can increase access and participation in ECEC, enabling greater workforce participation
• develop insights into the design and scale up of initiatives and strategies to meet the goals of the NSW Government’s reforms of the early childhood education and care sector to support workforce participation through increasing access to quality, inclusive and culturally safe ECEC

The objectives of the study are to:

• investigate what characterises quality across the many ECEC contexts of NSW
• understand how high-quality services that meet the needs of children and families can remove barriers to access and increase participation
• better understand the factors enabling and constraining quality in ECEC environments, pedagogy, professional practice and leadership, and successful transitions to school, including how they contribute to participation
• understand more about how to increase access to culturally-responsive early learning services; the role of Aboriginal design and governance in quality ECEC in NSW; ECEC that builds on the strengths, wisdom and traditions of Aboriginal connections to Country, Language and Culture in NSW
• focus on inclusive pedagogy and practice in high quality ECEC, building evidence on how best to support the ECEC workforce to provide high quality ECEC for all children to increase participation, with a particular focus on disability equity
• investigate the role of high-quality ECEC in supporting ECEC Workforce – attracting, retaining and sustaining workforce in under-served areas and/or for under-served cohorts
• build the evidence to design, deliver and oversee inclusive, accessible and high-quality ECEC that meets the needs of the children, families and communities of NSW
• develop tangible outputs based on findings, such as evidence-based resources for early childhood education and care professionals and providers to improve quality

1.2. Research questions and research design

The research questions to guide the study are:

• What do the aspects of quality – particularly program and practice, environments and relationships – look like in practice, across different ECEC service types and contexts in NSW?
• How are quality aspects of ECEC associated with children’s participation in ECEC and therefore learning and socioemotional outcomes?
• What are the impacts of quality aspects of ECEC on workforce attraction, retention and wellbeing?
• How can quality ECEC increase access and participation for children and families? 
• What are the factors enabling and constraining quality in ECEC environments, pedagogy, professional practice and leadership, and successful transitions to school, including how they contribute to participation?

The large scale and scope research design is:

• The research design will require a multi-level mixed methods study:
  • focusing on high-quality Early Childhood Settings in NSW
  • including NSW Public Preschools, Community Preschools, Aboriginal Community Controlled (ACCO) ECEC, Family Day Care (FDC), Long Day Care (LDC) and Mobile Preschools
  • and will include a diversity of geographical, cultural and socio-economic contexts across NSW
• This proposed mixed methods include:
  • Data Linkage (Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC), Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children (LSIC), Effective Early Educational Experiences Longitudinal Study (E4Kids), Person Level Integrate Data Asset (PLIDA), National Disability Data Asset (NDDA), Australian Early Development Census (AEDC))
  • Time-use diary (TUD) app or similar
  • Observations
  • Focus groups and surveys
  • Case studies of exemplary practice across ECEC contexts
  • Children’s perspectives
  • Ensure potential for longitudinal component to be built in
  • Embedded studies of professional learning and programs
  • Development of evidence-based practical deliverables

1.3. Program stream value

The NSW ECEC Study (NEST) comprises $2 million in funding.

2. Specifications and criteria

2.1. Eligibility criteria

2.1.1. Eligible applicants

The following eligibility criteria must be met for the proposed tenderer to be considered for NSW ECEC Study (NEST) procurement:

• A specialised expert research ‘consortium’ to partner with the NSW Department of Education’s Centre for Education Statistics and Evaluation (CESE) to co-design and conduct a 3 year, large-scale and scope research study that deepens the evidence on quality aspects of ECEC – particularly program and practice, physical environments and relationships - and how they are associated with children’s outcomes in ECEC, ECEC workforce attraction, retention and wellbeing, and how quality services that meet the needs of children and families can reduce barriers to access and increase participation.

The eligible collaborative partnership or ‘consortium’ for the NSW ECEC Study (NEST) will:

• represent expert researchers from major and regional universities, with strong research records and existing relationships with EC sector, communities and peak bodies
• include an administering organisation that is a NSW university
• nominate at least one lead researcher or participant researcher from each of the universities/organisations being represented. For purpose of eligibility in this application, the lead researcher must be a permanent employee at an eligible organisation, who holds the position of Senior Lecturer equivalent or above. Those who do not meet the eligibility criteria to be a lead researcher must be a participant researcher.
• nominate a Project Leader, to be the first named lead researcher on the application. The Project Leader must have a demonstrated capacity to manage the project, including extensive experience as a lead researcher in large-scale ECEC research projects, with one or more of these being a collaborative research project between different universities.
• the consortium may also include partnership with other eligible organisations. Other eligible organisations need to demonstrate being closely involved in the ECEC sector and may include but not be limited to: non-governmental organisations, ECEC sector organisations, philanthropic organisations.

2.1.2. Project specification

The NSW ECEC Study (NEST) procurement will request tenders only for:

• a large scale and scope research study that deepens the evidence on quality aspects of ECEC – particularly program and practice, physical environments and relationships - and how they are associated with children’s outcomes, ECEC workforce attraction, retention and wellbeing, and how quality services that meet the needs of children and families can reduce barriers to access and increase participation. The research outputs will include the development of evidence based practical deliverables to support and benefit the ECEC Sector.
• the tender applications will also need to address the following six priority areas and align with the CEO Fund’s principal objective:
  • ECEC Quality: Research that focuses on what quality can look like across the many ECEC contexts of NSW and how quality services that meet the needs of children and families can increase access and participation. This will include better understanding the factors enabling and constraining quality in ECEC environments, pedagogy, professional practice and leadership.
  • ECEC Workforce: Research that focuses on innovations to support attracting, retaining and sustaining the ECEC workforce, and understanding more about the conditions that enable ECEC professionals to thrive and provide high quality education and care. This will include research on professional learning and mentoring to support, retain and sustain the ECEC workforce, and support professionalism and completion of qualifications for the ECEC workforce.
  • ECEC Models of Provision: Research that focuses on effective models of provision, and the benefits, challenges and enabling factors of different ECEC models of provision across different contexts and communities of NSW, including rural and remote areas. Research that provides the evidence to design, deliver and oversee inclusive, accessible and high-quality ECEC that meets the needs of the children, families and communities of NSW.
  • Aboriginal led ECEC: Research that focuses on sustainable ECEC provision for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children, families and communities. Understanding more about how to increase access to culturally responsive early learning services; Aboriginal design and governance of ECEC in NSW; ECEC that builds on the strengths, wisdom and traditions of Aboriginal connections to Country, Language and Culture in NSW.
  • ECEC Inclusion: Research that focuses on support to ECEC workforce and services to include all children, including how the supports required and/or different models can be created for sustainable, equitable, and high quality ECEC for all children, with a particular focus on disability equity.
  • Under-served Communities: Research on increasing ECEC participation for under-served cohorts and communities in NSW; understanding more about the data used to identify children and communities most in need. Research on increasing supply in under-served areas, and reducing barriers to access for children and their families, and supporting ECEC Workforce – attracting, retaining and sustaining workforce in under-served areas and/or for under-served cohorts.

2.2. Assessment criteria

The tender Assessment Panel will assess proposals with the following criteria, to make recommendations to the CEO Fund Board for approval:

• The proposal addresses the specifications at 2.1.2
• The project for which funding is proposed to be provided is deliverable within the proposed timeframe and scope
• The proposed research partners procured have sufficient capacity and expertise to deliver the project
• The project will achieve value for money
• The project shows alignment with NSW Government policy objectives
• The project contributes to achieving the principal objective of the CEO Fund
• The project will provide community and ECEC sector benefit: Alignment to the six research priority areas; suitability of proposed project and research translation into NSW context; research impact and engagement, and anticipated outputs
• The project shows quality and innovation: Contribution to an important gap in knowledge or significant problem; novelty/originality and innovation of the proposed research (including any new methods, technologies, theories or ideas that will be developed); cohesiveness of the project design and implementation plan; culturally-responsive and respectful research design, methods, data analysis and reporting; demonstrates immediate applied benefit to the ECEC workforce, children, families and communities
• The project shows potential for research findings to be shared early and often: providing in-depth research evidence and practical resources though a project design that allows for a timeline with multiple delivery points.

3. Probity advice

The department’s procurement team provide internal probity advice to projects and will endorse whether an external probity advisor or auditor is required.

All procurement projects require a Risk Management Plan that identifies project risks, assesses them for likelihood and impact and provides recommended mitigation actions, as per the department’s Enterprise Risk Management Guidelines. Sourcing projects managed or supported by the Procurement Solutions Directorate incorporate a Procurement Project Roles, Responsibilities and Risk Plan, which includes a Risk Management Plan. The Project Review Meeting monitors planned and active projects for current or potential risks (refer to section 3.6 of the Procurement Manual Managing procurement projects).

Risks are managed in accordance with the CEO Fund Board and NSW Department of Education’s systems for risk management and through these guidelines.

4. Process

4.1. Support provided to applicants

For questions about program activities or requirements please contact CEOFund@det.nsw.edu.au.

4.2 Decision-making

The Tender Assessment Panel will assess proposals according to the criteria, to make written recommendations to the CEO Fund Board for approval.

Any conflicts of interest are required to be declared and managed in accordance with the department’s Code of Conduct.

All decisions in the recommendation and approval process must be documented. The CEO Fund Board’s decision to approve or decline funding must be recorded in writing, including any reasons for departing from the recommendation of the Tender Assessment Panel. All records must be managed in accordance with the requirements of the State Records Act 1998 (NSW).

Where the request is supported, the CEO Fund Board has discretion to determine the funding amount (this may be either the full funding amount reqested, or a portion of the funding request). The CEO Fund Board’s decision and reason to depart from the funding amount recommended in the brief must be recorded in writing.

Applicants will be advised, in writing, of the outcome of their application.

The NSW ECEC Study (NEST) must be administered in accordance with the department’s Procurement Manual and The Procurement Policy Framework. The procurement activities are subject to the requirements set out in the Public Works and Procurement Act 1912, the Government Sector Employment Act 2013 and the Public Finance and Audit Act 1983, Treasurer’s Directions, cluster delegation schemes and its policies and procedures for managing expenditure.

4.3. Reporting

The Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 requires disclosure of all contracts the department enters into with the private sector valued at $150,000 (inc. GST) or more. Details are recorded in the register of government contracts, which is published on the department’s section of the buy NSW eTendering website.

These details are to be registered within 45 working days of the contract coming into effect, and must remain on the register for 30 days or until the contract is complete, whichever is longer.

5. Terms and conditions of funding

The CEO Fund Board administers the NSW ECEC Study (NEST) in accordance with NSW Government procurement policy.

Details of deliverables, intellectual property, and confidentiality will be included in the contract.

6. Administration of these guidelines

These guidelines will be published in accordance with the CEO Fund Act.

7. Additional information and resources

7.1. Complaint handling

Any concerns about the program or individual applications should be in writing. The CEO Fund Board will handle all complaints in line with its complaints handling policy or the terms and conditions of the program.

7.2 Access to information

The GIPA Act provides for the proactive release of government information by agencies and gives members of the public an enforceable right to access government information held by an agency (which includes Ministerial offices). Access to government information is only to be restricted if there is an overriding public interest against disclosure.

The NSW Legislative Council has the power to order the production of State papers by the Executive Government. Standing Order 52 provides that the House may order documents to be tabled by the Government in the House. The Cabinet Office coordinates the preparation of the papers – that is, the return to order. The return to order may contain privileged and public documents. Privileged documents are available only to members of the Legislative Council.

Note that documents submitted as part of an application may be subject to an application under the GIPA Act or an order for papers under Standing Order 52.

7.3. Ethical conduct

7.3.1. Conflict of interest management

Applicants are required to disclose any actual, potential, or perceived conflicts of interest in their application which relate to their proposed initiative, if funded. A conflict of interest, if it arises, must also be disclosed by a contracted provider during the implementation of their initiative. Conflicts of interest may relate to partnerships, third party service provisions, contractors, staff employed as a direct result of the funded program or other aspects. Further detail about how to disclose a conflict of interest can be provided on request.

7.3.2 Confidentiality

Successful applicants may be required to keep the outcome of the application process confidential until the Government makes a public announcement.

7.3.3 Research ethics

Successful applicants are required to demonstrate research ethics in accordance with:

• AIATSIS AIATSIS Code of Ethics for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Research

• NHMRC Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research

• NHMRC Ethical conduct in research with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples

• NHMRC National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research.