Key information
- Status: Open
- Grant amount: Up to $13,650
- Application opened: 16 February 2026
- Application closes: 30 March 2026, 7:00 pm
Program objective
The Business Capability Development Program’s main objective is to enhance the viability and sustainability of NSW early childhood education and care (ECEC) services operating under small providers, by uplifting workforce business leadership and management capabilities to better support NSW families, children and the ECEC workforce.
This program is administered by Department of Education.
This program is administered by Department of Education.
Eligibility
Who can apply
To be eligible for the program:
- The applicant must operate in NSW in the following Statistical Area 3 trial locations (as defined by the Australian Bureau of Statistics):
- Queanbeyan
- Griffith – Murrumbidgee (West)
- Blacktown
- Mount Druitt
- Camden
- Campbelltown
- Penrith
- St Marys
Potential applicants should visit the ABS maps website at, select ‘2021 Statistical Area Level 3’ under ‘Choose a boundary type’, and enter your service address to see an interactive map of each of the selected SA3 regions. If uncertain, applicants may contact the Department of Education to confirm eligibility.
- The applicant must be an approved ECEC service provider under the Children (Education and Care Services) National Law (NSW) No 104a of 2010 – (National Law)External link or Children (Education and Care Services) Supplementary Provisions Act 2011External link (excluding public preschools), that is, one of the following eligible ECEC service types:
- community preschool (centre-based)
- long day care
- mobile preschool
- The applicant must be a small approved ECEC service provider. A small provider is defined as an approved provider with between 1 and6 NSW ECEC services.
- The applicant must deliver an early childhood education program designed by a degree qualified early childhood teacher in accordance with the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) and relevant legislation.
- The applicant must hold a quality rating and compliance history of at least Meeting the National Standard for the relevant ECEC service
- In limited circumstances, applications from services who are rated Working Towards or are awaiting assessment and rating may be considered.
- The applicant must be registered, or willing and able to register, with the Department of Education’s Early Childhood Contract Management System (ECCMS).
- The applicant must agree to participate in relevant program activities and funding activities as outlined in these program guidelines.
- The applicant must submit a satisfactory application form and self-assessment via SmartyGrants, completed by an Authorised Officer who confirms the accuracy of the information. The self-assessment must show how the service’s goals, opportunities, and challenges align with the program’s objectives and activities.
Who the grant is targeted towards
The program encourages the engagement of staff in a range of roles within participating services. This may include:
- approved providers (for example, persons with management or control (PMCs) under or as part of the approved provider, officers of a body corporate, persons in management positions, members of management committees)
- service workforce – directors, early childhood teachers, ECEC educators
- support and administrative staff
- community or volunteer service support such as voluntary members of management committees, community Elders.
- Eligible services that applied for but did not fully participate in both stages of the program during Round 1, may apply for the Round 2 program.
Types of projects funded under this grant
The program could include activities in the following business leadership and management capabilities areas delivered through designated program partners:
- governance processes and oversight
- for example, volunteer board onboarding and operations
- community, family and staff engagement
- for example, relationship management, conflict management, cultural competency and excellence
- change management
- for example, implementing and communicating change related to new programs
- staff management
- for example, staff induction, rostering, recruitment
- administration processes
- for example, record keeping, reporting
- processes and procedures for operational management, work health and safety, property and asset management, financial management and information technology
- for example, risk management, budgeting
- strategy/business planning
- for example, project management, disaster management planning
What costs you can apply for
Participating services will be eligible for access payments of up to $13,650 (excl. GST) per service to facilitate their participation in the program. Access payments can be used to backfill staff and/or supplement wage expenses for staff participating outside of work hours.
Who can’t apply
The following are not eligible for this program:
- Public preschools, family day care services and out of school hours care (OOSH) services
- Services eligible for the Australian Government, Department of Education Business support for Community Child Care Fund (CCCF) grant recipients.
- Services eligible for the NSW Government, Department of Education, Sector Strengthening Partnership (nsw.gov.au)
- Services cannot use Professional development subsidy - Department of Education, Australian Government for this program.
- Services that participated in both stages of Round 1 of the program
Types of projects not funded under this grant
The program does not provide the following supports:
- quality uplift support including support to comply with the National Quality Standards (NQS), regulatory compliance, educational leadership and/or educational program management.
- the provision of business advice and development of capabilities which are not targeted towards creating affordable, accessible, or quality ECEC services (for example, profit maximisation).
- recommendations, resourcing, or funding for service-level implementation supports, such as IT equipment, software, other physical resources, or additional staff positions.
- recommendations of specific operations, systems or processes, such as IT software recommendations.
What your application needs to include
Prepare your application with this checklist
Step 1: Read these program guidelines together with the example scenarios
Step 2: Check the eligibility criteria and prepare supporting documentation
- Is your service eligible?
- Has your approved provider endorsed your service involvement?
- Does your service have capacity to participate?
Step 3: Prepare your application
Applications must be submitted thorough the Smarty Grants website, where you can access an application form. You will need to register to use the Smarty Grants application system. Registration is a free and straightforward process.
In the application form, services will be required to:
- demonstrate eligibility
- complete a simple self-assessment
Step 4: Ensure all sections have been completed, and the online application form has been submitted to be considered for the program.
Changes can be made to an application at any time until it is submitted. Once the application has been submitted, no further changes can be made.
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.
Address the assessment criteria
Stage 1 Assessment criteria
If the number of applications is greater than the budgeted places, eligible applications will be evaluated by the assessment panel against the following criteria:
- Comparative assessment of relative need for capability uplift in key areas based on information provided in the self-assessment
- Applicants will receive additional weighting towards their application in the assessment process for:
o Eligible not-for-profit services
o The service’s readiness to participate in the program
o Services operating in eligible Outer Regional, Remote, or Very Remote areas, based on the ARIA+ classification. of the service location.
Following their assessment, the assessment panel will recommend suitable applications for funding to The Board based on their comparative merit and need. The Board members who serve as the final decision-maker, and, in all circumstances, The Board members’ decision is final.
Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application to participate in the program.
Stage 2 - Assessment to determine program activities and funding
Following satisfactory completion of Stage 1, existing participants who wish to continue into Stage 2 will be evaluated by an assessment panel (comprised of NSW Department of Education employees within Early Childhood Outcomes, in clerk Grade 7/8 Program or Project Officer roles or above).
The panel will determine:
- the extent of support to be provided (as an allocation of hours)
- the types of capability development activities to be undertaken
- the value of access payments to support participation.
The assessment will be informed by recommendations from the Stage 1 program partner, Semann Slattery & Associates, based on comparative merit and demonstrated need for services to receive support in at least one capability focus area for Stage 2.
Decisions to award funding will be made against the following assessment criteria:
- satisfactory completion of Stage 1;
- comparative assessment of relative need based on the business review and action plan completed with Semann Slattery & Associates in Stage 1
- availability of program partner offerings.
Note: No separate application is required for Stage 2 assessment by applicants who proceed through Stage 1.
The Fund Board members are the final decision-maker and in all circumstances, The Fund Board members’ decision is final.
Applicants will be notified of the outcome of the Stage 2 assessment.
Start the application
Stage 1 Assessment criteria
If the number of applications is greater than the budgeted places, eligible applications will be evaluated by the assessment panel against the following criteria:
- Comparative assessment of relative need for capability uplift in key areas based on information provided in the self-assessment
- Applicants will receive additional weighting towards their application in the assessment process for:
- Eligible not-for-profit services
- The service’s readiness to participate in the program
- Services operating in eligible Outer Regional, Remote, or Very Remote areas, based on the ARIA+ classification. of the service location.
Following their assessment, the assessment panel will recommend suitable applications for funding to The Board based on their comparative merit and need. The Board members who serve as the final decision-maker, and, in all circumstances, The Board members’ decision is final.
Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application to participate in the program.
Stage 2 - Assessment to determine program activities and funding
Following satisfactory completion of Stage 1, existing participants who wish to continue into Stage 2 will be evaluated by an assessment panel (comprised of NSW Department of Education employees within Early Childhood Outcomes, in clerk Grade 7/8 Program or Project Officer roles or above).
The panel will determine:
- the extent of support to be provided (as an allocation of hours)
- the types of capability development activities to be undertaken
- the value of access payments to support participation.
The assessment will be informed by recommendations from the Stage 1 program partner, Semann Slattery & Associates, based on comparative merit and demonstrated need for services to receive support in at least one capability focus area for Stage 2.
Decisions to award funding will be made against the following assessment criteria:
- satisfactory completion of Stage 1;
- comparative assessment of relative need based on the business review and action plan completed with Semann Slattery & Associates in Stage 1
- availability of program partner offerings.
Note: No separate application is required for Stage 2 assessment by applicants who proceed through Stage 1.
The Fund Board members are the final decision-maker and in all circumstances, The Fund Board members’ decision is final.
Applicants will be notified of the outcome of the Stage 2 assessment.
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: The NSW Child care and Economic Opportunity Fund Board
Applications will be reviewed to ensure they are complete, meet the eligibility criteria and comply with the program guidelines. If the number of eligible applications exceeds the available budgeted places, those applications will proceed to Stage 1 of Assessment undertaken by an assessment panel consisting of Department of Education employees within Early Childhood Outcomes, in clerk Grade 7/8 Program or Project Officer roles or above.
Support and contact
Business Capability Development Program specific enquiries including:
- program activities or requirements
- any of the eligibility criteria
- how to apply for the Business Capability Development Program
- service ratings, regulatory enquiries and/or compliance
Please contact the Department of Education's Early Childhood Education Information Enquiries team on:
Phone: 1800 619 113
Email: ecec.funding@det.nsw.edu.au