The Start Strong for Community Preschools program provides funding to deliver affordable quality preschool education for 3 to 5-year-old children enrolled in eligible community and mobile preschools in NSW.
Key information
- Status: Not open for application
- Grant amount: Variable from a total pool of up to approximately $510 million
Program objective
Start Strong for Community Preschools aims to:
- improve the affordability of preschool education
- support quality uplift in preschool education
- drive improved outcomes for children
- incentivise increased enrolment and attendance in quality preschool programs in the years before school.
The program's funding (Program Payment) supports the operating costs of eligible early childhood education services and enrolment of at least 600 hours per year or 15 hours per week. Evidence shows that this level of participation in a quality early childhood education program in the two years before school is associated with better outcomes for children.
The program includes fee relief funding (Fee Relief Payment) which provides community and mobile preschools with sustainable long-term funding to deliver at least 600 hours of low, or no cost preschool to eligible children.
For more information, refer to the 2024 Start Strong for Community Preschools program guidelines.
This program is funded and administered by Department of Education.
Grant recipients
Recipients for this program were selected to meet the program objectives.
Eligible recipients were invited to participate and were required to meet the objectives.
What was approved
Approved for Southside Montessori Society Limited
$18,759 was approved by
Director, Sector Programs, Early Childhood OutcomesDate approved
May 2025Location of the project
Georges River CouncilLocation of the recipient
Georges River CouncilAbout the grant
Applications approved
553
Applications received
553
2024 Start Strong for Community Preschools
Agency funding this grant
Department of EducationProgram term
From 1 Jan to 31 Dec 2024 with acquittals due by Dec 2025.What was approved
Approved for Byron Bay Pre-School Inc
$49,958 was approved by
Executive Director, Programs & Local Operations, Early Childhood OutcomesDate approved
December 2024Location of the project
Tweed Shire CouncilLocation of the recipient
Byron Shire CouncilAbout the grant
Applications approved
553
Applications received
553
2024 Start Strong for Community Preschools
Agency funding this grant
Department of EducationProgram term
From 1 Jan to 31 Dec 2024 with acquittals due by Dec 2025.What was approved
Approved for Lutheran Education VIC, NSW, TAS and ACT Ltd
Amount includes funding adjustment approved 03/06/2025 by the Executive Director, Programs & Local Operations
$539,952 was approved by
Deputary Secretary, Early Childhood OutcomesDate approved
November 2024Location of the project
Greater Hume Shire CouncilLocation of the recipient
Greater Hume Shire CouncilAbout the grant
Applications approved
553
Applications received
553
2024 Start Strong for Community Preschools
Agency funding this grant
Department of EducationProgram term
From 1 Jan to 31 Dec 2024 with acquittals due by Dec 2025.What was approved
Approved for Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children
$123,605 was approved by
Director, Commissioned Programs, Early Childhood OutcomesDate approved
November 2024Location of the project
Ryde City CouncilLocation of the recipient
City of Parramatta CouncilAbout the grant
Applications approved
553
Applications received
553
2024 Start Strong for Community Preschools
Agency funding this grant
Department of EducationProgram term
From 1 Jan to 31 Dec 2024 with acquittals due by Dec 2025.What was approved
Approved for Ku Children's Services
$193,739 was approved by
Director, Commissioned Programs, Early Childhood OutcomesDate approved
September 2024Location of the project
Council of the City of SydneyLocation of the recipient
Council of the City of SydneyAbout the grant
Applications approved
553
Applications received
553
2024 Start Strong for Community Preschools
Agency funding this grant
Department of EducationProgram term
From 1 Jan to 31 Dec 2024 with acquittals due by Dec 2025.Support and contact
For questions, feedback or complaints about Start Strong, please contact the department by:
- phone: 1800 619 113
- email: ecec.funding@det.nsw.edu.au.
An officer within Early Childhood Outcomes will consider and respond to your enquiry.