Key information
- Status: Open
- Grant amount: From $50,000 to $800,000
- Application opened: 28 April 2026
- Application closes: 25 May 2026
Program objective
The ACCO-led ECEC Sector Growth Partnership Program - Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations who are approved Early Learning providers or are seeking to become approved Early Learning providers are encouraged to apply for this EOI. - Successful applicants in this EOI will progress to the next round where they will be invited to provide a full application. Applicants will be required to complete this via this SmartyGrants application by the close date to be considered. Applicants may be required to provide evidence to support their application. Please see Program Guidelines for information of funding streams and eligibility.
This program is administered by Department of Education.
Eligibility
Who can apply
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 ECEC service approval or have applied for service-approval.
ACCOs must be an approved ECEC service provider, or have submitted an application for an ECEC service approval that is yet to be determined by the NSW ECEC Regulatory Authority2, to operate one or more of the following ECEC services in New South Wales:
- centre-based day care
- 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 ECEC 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
Types of projects funded under this grant
Stream 1 is for ACCOs who are ECEC service providers approved under the Children (Education and Care Services) National Law (NSW) (National Law) to extend hours, ages or places at existing ECEC services approved under the National Law, or to establish new ECEC 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 ECEC services or more flexible ECEC 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 ECEC service
- increase the number of licensed ECEC places within an existing ECEC service
- improve accessibility of an existing ECEC 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 ECEC service or service offering.
- Supporting ECEC 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 ECEC 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 ECEC 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 ECEC 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 ECEC service’s site that do not expand the existing building footprint of the ECEC service’s site
- refurbishing rooms of an existing ECEC service to make them fit for purpose.
Stream 3 provides support to accelerate ACCOs to become approved ECEC-service providers.
This Stream provides one-off funding of up to $50,000 to support ACCOs that face known barriers to become approved ECEC 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 ECEC 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.
What your application needs to include
Prepare your application with this checklist
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 ECEC service approval or have applied for service-approval.
ACCOs must be an approved ECEC service provider, or have submitted an application for an ECEC service approval that is yet to be determined by the NSW ECEC Regulatory Authority2, to operate one or more of the following ECEC services in New South Wales:
- centre-based day care
- 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 ECEC 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
Address the eligibility criteria
Each applicant, as part of an application response, must confirm that they meet the eligibility criteria.
Applicants that do not address the eligibility criteria in full may be excluded from the application process at the department's discretion.
Start the application
Step 1: Read the program guidelines in full and register for SmartyGrants
This will help you understand the program’s objectives, eligibility requirements, and the types of activities and projects that are eligible for funding.
Note that:
- Late EOIs or full applications will not usually be accepted. The closing date for applications is final.
- Applicants must not provide false or misleading information in the EOI or full application. Any application containing false or misleading statements may be disqualified from consideration or subject to further review. Misrepresentation of information could lead to the withdrawal of funding or legal action.
- An Expression of Interest (EOI) and full applications must be submitted online through the SmartyGrants platform. If you have not already registered with SmartyGrants, you will need to create a free account. Please click here for guidance on how to use the SmartyGrants platform.
Step 2: Submit an EOI on SmartyGrants and attach any required documents
Note that the EOI process is designed to be clear and straightforward. ACCOs submitting an EOI are not obligated to proceed to a full application if invited.
- EOIs must be submitted online through the Smarty Grants Application Portal. If you require support to complete your EOI, please email accoececgrowth@det.nsw.edu.au.
- Attach other documents as required to demonstrate eligibility.
Step 3: Review and submit the EOI
Before submitting the EOI:
- double check that all required sections of the EOI are filled out; incomplete EOIs may not be considered for funding
- review your documents for accuracy and completeness.
Changes can be made to your EOI at any time until it is submitted. Once your EOI has been submitted, no further changes can be made via SmartyGrants.
What happens after submitting the EOI?
You will receive a notification of receipt to confirm that the EOI has been successfully submitted. The department will review each EOI to ensure it is complete. The department may contact organisations if additional verification or clarification of any part of your application is needed, or if further details are required to complete the assessment.
Once the EOI closed date has passed, all submitted EOIs will be assessed, regardless of their completeness. EOIs that are not complete will not progress.
Note: If you are a new applicant to SmartyGrants, you will need to register and create a password. If you are already registered, you can log in with your existing username and password.
Apply now
After the application is submitted
Successful applications will be decided by: accoececgrowth@det.nsw.edu.au
Assessment of EOIs This stage is undertaken by the department’s program team which includes:
Program Manager, Senior policy officer, Policy officer. All EOIs will be reviewed to check for completeness and to check the applicant organisation meets the eligibility criteria, and that proposed activities are aligned to the program objectives, and activities eligible for funding.
All successful EOIs will be recommended for Application Development Support to develop a full application. Organisations will be notified of unsuccessful EOIs.
Support and contact
Aboriginal Early Childhood Outcomes - NSW Department of Education ece.aboriginalengagement@det.nsw.edu.au
