Business Capability Development Program Round 2

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. 

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.

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 

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. 

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  

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.