Key information
- Status: Closed
- Grant amount: PDPS is provided under the Building Early Learning Places Program budget of $20 million
- Application opened: 11 November 2024
- Application closed: 9 March 2025
Program objective
Project Development and Planning Support (PDPS) provides capped hours of individual support for eligible applicants to the Building Early Learning Places Program to scope a capital project with reliable project estimates, as well as funding to assist with some of the up-front expenses involved in putting together a proposal. The Building Early Learning Places Program and its Project Development and Planning Support (PDPS) are both funded under the Childcare and Economic Opportunity Fund.
The PDPS intends to assist applicants in preparing high-quality proposals with reliable project estimates, support applicants in gathering key project documentation, and produce a proposal that is aligned with the Building Early Learning Places Program objectives.
The Individual support includes:
- Up to $10,000 (ex GST) to assist with some of the costs incurred in the preparation of an application
- Up to 20 hours of individual support (or up to 25 for ACCOs)
- Additional support for Aboriginal community-controlled Organisations from sector strengthening partner, SNAICC.
This program is administered by Department of Education.
Eligibility
Who can apply
To be eligible for individual support applicant must meet each of the following criteria:
- meet all the eligibility requirements and objectives of the Building Early Learning Places Program as outlined in its Program Guidelines
- agree to the Fund Board’s Terms of Use
- demonstrate intent and high-level ability to start the capital works project within 12 months of receiving an outcome letter under that program. To demonstrate this, providers may outline whether they have secured land, funding to meet required co-contribution, support from the landlord or other stakeholders, have had pre-DA meetings with the Council, a site survey or other planning processes.
Types of projects funded under this grant
Applicants can use the Project Development and Planning Support under the Building Early Learning Places Program to scope projects that will deliver additional ECEC places for priority groups, through 3 types of capital projects:
- New builds – opening a new service on vacant land or converting an existing property (which is not an ECEC centre), without closing existing ECEC services managed by the approved provider.
- Extension works – expanding the footprint of existing ECEC service’s site to increase ECEC places.
- Renovation – modifications of an existing ECEC service’s site (without extending the footprint of the building) to increase ECEC places.
Refer to the Building Early Learning Places Program Application Guidefor further assistance to determine which project category best applies to your capital works project.
What your application needs to include
Prepare your application with this checklist
Applicants will be required to provide evidence with their EOI to access the PDPS, including:
- Evidence of provider approval and service approval
- Evidence of not-for-profit status
- Evidence of registration or incorporation in NSW
- A project description
- Evidence of intent and high-level ability to start construction within 12 months (e.g. DA or progress made towards DA)
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.
After the application is submitted
Successful applications will be decided by: The NSW Childcare and Economic Opportunity Fund Board
Expressions of Interest for the PDPS will be assessed by an Assessment Panel on behalf of the Fund Board, in order of receipt and against the eligibility criteria outlined in the PDPS Procedure. Eligible applicants will be referred to the service in order of receipt until funds allocated to the PDPS are exhausted or the EOI closes.
It is important to know that submitting an EOI is to access the PDPS support service only. A separate, formal application for the Building Early Learning Places program grant needs to be submitted and will be competitively assessed. Being referred for support under the PDPS does not guarantee eligibility for the Building Early Learning Places Program, nor that the formal application to the Program will be successful.
Support and contact
For queries about the program, please contact us on 1800 619 113 during business hours or email capital.work@det.nsw.edu.au.