2026/27 ACCO-led ECEC Sector Growth Partnership Program

Only Aboriginal community-controlled organisations (ACCOs) are eligible for this program. An ACCO is an organisation: that delivers services, including land and resource management that builds the strength and empowerment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and people and is:

• incorporated under relevant legislation and is not-for-profit
• controlled and operated by Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people
• connected to the community or communities in which it delivers services
• governed by a majority Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander governing body.  

ACCOs applying for Streams 1 or 2 must have early learning service approval or have applied for service-approval. 

ACCOs must be an approved early learning service provider, or have submitted an application for an early learning service approval that is yet to be determined by the NSW Early Learning Commission, to operate one or more of the following early learning services in New South Wales:

• centre-based day care (preschool)
• long day care
• outside school hours care
• family day care
• occasional care
• mobile preschool

ACCOs applying for Stream 3 must: 

Provide evidence that your organisation has consulted with the community to seek endorsement for the project. Be facing barriers to early learning provider approval which may include (but not limited to): land or premises access issues (e.g. resolving crown land complexities) regulatory compliance planning and project scoping Provide evidence that funding will be used to reduce barries for establishment of the project.

Stream 1 is for ACCOs who are early learning service providers approved under the Children (Education and Care Services) National Law (NSW) (National Law) to extend hours, ages or places at existing early learning services approved under the National Law, or to establish new early learning services on facilities owned or operated by the ACCO. 

Funding of up to $800,000 per year, over a period of four years is available. Local needs analysis and co-design is required to ensure the extended/proposed service meets community priorities. Eligible expenses for the funding under Stream 1 may include:

• Establishing new or additional early learning services or more flexible early learning service offerings that match local needs
• In connection with those services and service offering, employment-related expenses, such as:
• • employment of a project manager to manage the implementation of the new or expanded services 
  • recruitment and staff training to build capacity for the new service models
• Expert professional services that cannot be met within the cap in the application development phase, such as:
• • feasibility studies or business case for the ACCO governing body 
  • architecture and design services for significant building works
  • assistance with submitting a development application for building approval
  • assistance with establishing a regulatory compliant service
• Construction and minor building works such as:
• • establishment of a new early learning service
  • increase the number of licensed early learning places within an existing early learning service
  • improve accessibility of an existing early learning service site
  • support compliance with the National Law and Education and Care Services National Regulations and regulatory compliance

Note that proposals for construction or works on buildings that are occupied under lease are not ruled out but may not demonstrate good value for money at the assessment stage.

• Cultural programs integrated into the new/expanded early learning service or service offering.
• Supporting early learning service readiness and staff capability in connection with the new/extended service or service offering by addressing practical barriers including associated staffing cost, and enabling staff to develop the skills needed in their services 
• Professional development in connection with the new/extended service or service offering, particularly focused on leading service expansion, compliance and sustainable growth.

Stream 2 provides support to existing ACCO-led early learning services to maintain and improve their culturally appropriate service. 

Funding of up to $120,000 per year for up to four years is available to support existing ACCO-led early learning services to maintain and strengthen culturally responsive service delivery. Eligible activities may include one or more of the following:

• Staffing, including:
• • cultural educators
  • community liaison roles
  • additional educators to support service continuity
• Cultural education, including:
• • on-country learning
  • community-led language, culture and storytelling initiatives
  • artefacts acquisition
• Workforce development and staff training pathways, including:
• • accredited training
  • career progression support for Aboriginal staff
• Professional learning, including:
• • cultural capability development
  • service quality improvement and capability uplift
• Networking and mentoring, including:
• • peer learning opportunities
  • connecting with other ACCO-led early learning services for shared practice.
• Transport and extended hours, including:
• • transport to and from the service
  • extending service hours to support family needs.
• Minor building works, including:
• • internal modifications of an existing early learning service’s site that do not expand the existing building footprint of the early learning service’s site
  • refurbishing rooms of an existing early learning service to make them fit for purpose.

Stream 3 provides support to accelerate ACCOs to become approved early learning-service providers.

This Stream provides one-off funding of up to $50,000 to support ACCOs that face known barriers to become approved early learning providers. It will assist ACCOs in meeting the requirements necessary to access funding under Streams 2 and 3. These costs may include:

• resolving land or premises access issues, such as challenges related to Crown land 
• meeting regulatory or licensing requirements or addressing future governance readiness for when early learning provider approval is obtained.
• delivering one or more feasibility studies that may be required to support/inform further decision-making on whether to progress toward the establishment of a service. For example, while a community/governance group may have decided to seek to establish a service, they may require further information on project costs, management requirements, regulatory requirements and potential funding before making further decisions on whether to proceed.