The sustainability and capital support grant provides funding to help early childhood education and care (ECEC) services in areas experiencing disadvantage or vulnerability stay open.

This grant has two funding activities – sustainability support and capital support. You can apply for both activities.  You must submit a separate application for each.

Sustainability support grants can fund activities such as:

• adjusting business practices for long-term financial sustainability and viability
• implementing changes relating to child safety and quality compliance (not fully funded by another government program)
• meeting standard operating costs during a transition to a sustainable model
• supporting service delivery in under-served or unserved markets
• upskilling staff (including backfilling costs while staff attend training)
• building partnerships to address community-level barriers to participation
• engaging families not currently using ECEC
• providing transport assistance for isolated families
• developing workforce and community engagement plans.

Capital support grants can fund activities such as:

• repairing, modifying, or renovating current ECEC facilities (including Family Day Care premises)
• extending or modifying community buildings used for ECEC
• capital works relating to child safety and quality compliance requirements
• landscape works, fencing, and outdoor play areas
• child safety and quality compliance works.

Funding

The Australian Government has made available up to $106.9 million (GST exclusive) for this grant opportunity over 2 years:

• $37 million in 2026-27
• $35.4 million in 2027-28
• $34.5 million in 2028-29

Grant amounts are determined on a case-by-case basis, depending on your circumstances. The following minimum and maximum amounts per application apply:

See page 8 of the guidelines for information on co-contributions.

To be eligible to apply for a grant under this grant opportunity, you must be:

• an approved provider operating an approved child care service under the Family Assistance Law AND
• a Centre-Based Day Care (CBDC) or Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) located in a CCCF Priority Area AND/OR
• a Family Day Care (FDC) or In Home Care (IHC) servicing a CCCF Priority Area AND/OR
• a Centre-Based Day Care (CBDC) or Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) located in an Inner Regional, Outer Regional, Remote or Very Remote area AND/OR
• a Family Day Care (FDC) or In Home Care (IHC) servicing an Inner Regional, Outer Regional, Remote or Very Remote area AND/OR
• providing specialised care services to a sector of the community experiencing disadvantage or vulnerability.

While both for-profit and not-for-profit providers are eligible to apply, funding preference will be given to not-for-profit providers.

Applications from consortia are acceptable as long as the lead applicant, as well as all consortium members, are eligible approved providers under the Family Assistance Law. The lead applicant is solely accountable to the Commonwealth for the delivery of grant activities

Please see guidelines for more detailed eligibility information.

• Email: support@communitygrants.gov.au