Key information
- Status: Open
- Grant amount: Variable from a total program budget of $100 million
- Application opened: 16 February 2026
- Application closes: 13 April 2026
Program objective
The objectives of the Expanding Quality Access are to:
- improve access to quality and affordable early childhood education and care (ECEC) for NSW children, particularly in underserved communities
- expand ECEC options that meet diverse family needs across age groups, and
- increase workforce participation, particularly among women, in work and/or study by increasing access to extended weeks or hours of ECEC from quality not-for-profit providers.
This program is administered by Department of Education.
Eligibility
Who can apply
To receive funding under the Expanding Quality Access round 1, the selection criteria listed at section 2.1 in the program guidelines must be met. That is:
Eligibility for the program remains at the discretion of the NSW Childcare and Economic Opportunity Fund Board consistent with the program guidelines.
Types of projects funded under this grant
Expanding Quality Access is targeted to not for profit providers of existing quality community preschools in NSW who want to transition one or more community preschools to a quality not-for-profit long day care service for local families who need ECEC for more weeks per year, or hours, and for different groups of non-school aged children.
The primary outcome of the program is for grant recipients to have transitioned the operations of one or more quality, not-for-profit community preschool to a quality, not-for-profit long day care service by 30 June 2028.
To meet diverse family needs across different age groups, hours, and/or weeks there are 3 not-for-profit long day care service models catering for different ages of children that a community preschool be transitioned to:
- Model 1: non-school aged children, from birth to school aged (0-5 years old)
- Model 2: non-school aged children, from over 24 months of age to school aged (2-5 years old), or
- Model 3: preschool aged children, from 36 months of age to school aged (3-5 years old).
To improve access to ECEC for NSW children, the long day care service models 1 to 3 will need to:
- operate for the minimum operating period each year, at least 48 weeks each year, with the option of extended hours per day
- be approved and regulated under Children (Education and Care Services) National Law 2010 (NSW)National Law) and Education and Care Services National Regulations 2011(Education and Care Services National Regulations)
- be approved to administer Child Care Subsidy (CCS) under Family Assistance Law by 30 June 2028, and
- create additional places for children aged 0 to 2 years (models 1 and 2 only).
To improve access to quality ECEC for children in priority areas in NSW, a 15% loading will be applied to the total Expanding Quality Access funding allocation for an eligible community preschool service located in a priority area (section 6.1 the program guidelines).
A recipient under the Expanding Quality Access program will have been granted, by the Fund Board, funding under the program to use at the approved transition service to achieve the program outcomes. Funding can be expended on one or more of the activities and items listed under 3 funding streams in section 5 of the program guidelines:
What your application needs to include
Prepare your application with this checklist
Step 1: Review program guidelines
- Prepare your application and supporting evidence in advance. Plan to submit before the close of the round, refer to section 1.4 Key Dates.
- read the program guidelines and FAQs
- email our team with any questions.
Step 2: Check if your proposal is eligible
- Consider Section 2 Selection Criteria
- Consider Section 5 Funding Streams and Spending Rules
Step 3: Prepare your supporting evidence
- Consider what evidence you need such as the evidence listed in the program guidelines at section 3 Application, section 2 Selection Criteria, section 4 Application Assessment, and section 5 Funding Streams and Spending Rules.
Step 4: Complete and submit your application
- Applications must be SmartyGrantsto be considered for funding.
- A separate application must be submitted for each individual service.
- Incomplete forms will not be considered for funding assessment.
- To apply, you will need to register to use the SmartyGrants application system. Registration is a free and straightforward process.
- To submit your application:
- Read the instructions on the application form.
- Complete each question using the information you have prepared and upload the evidence that you have collected
- Save the application form as you go, this will allow you to return to it later. Changes can be made to an application any time until it is submitted.
- Check that all sections are completed and all required evidence is uploaded.
- Submit the application.
- Once you submit your application you will not be able to send further documentation (unless this is specifically requested).
More information
Please email ecec.eqa@det.nsw.edu.au or call 1800 619 113 if you are unsure about any aspects of your application.
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
To be considered for funding, applicants must apply in the advertised round under the program before the closing date (section 1.4 key dates). All applications must be submitted via SmartyGrants by the applicant. The application form will be available and communicated as soon as applications open February 2026.
Compliant applications will be assessed against the Expanding Quality Access program selection criteria to be recommended for funding to the Fund Board, the decision-maker for the program. Only the Fund Board can approve funding recipients under Expanding Quality Access program.
Applying does not guarantee funding under the program.
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: NSW Childcare and Economic Opportunity Fund
The Expanding Quality Access round 1 program has a demand driven (first in, first served), but non-competitive assessment process. To be considered, applicants need to provide a comprehensive application and transition plan that will be evaluated by an assessment panel against the selection criteria (section 2) in the program guidelines
The selection criteria will be used to evaluate applications by the assessment panel to determine which applications are recommended to receive funding approval by the Fund Board that is the decision-maker for the program, providing final approval of all grant awards. The decision-maker’s decision is final in all circumstances.
During the assessment process, assessment panel members may request additional evidence, information and any required consents from the applicant. Failure to provide the requested evidence/ information, and/or consent within the timeframe specified by the assessment panel may result in the application being unsuccessful.
The applicant may be asked to consent to the assessment panel verifying whether there have been any previous denials of education and care funding from the department or the Fund in relation to the proposed initiative, or a similar or related initiative. Consideration may also be given to information gathered through regular operations, including publicly available regulatory performance and compliance history.
The assessment panel may at their discretion, request information from other NSW Government agencies or other third parties, such as probity advisors, to assist in assessing applications.
Support and contact
NSW Department Education at ecec.eqa@det.nsw.edu.au