This grant helps early childhood education and care (ECEC) services in areas experiencing disadvantage and vulnerability to stay open. It is part of the Community Child Care Fund (CCCF).
On this page:
This grant is open. Applications close 9pm AEDT 25 February 2026.
About the grant
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.
The grant is part of the Community Child Care Fund which helps services address barriers to ECEC participation. The Community Grants Hub manages the grant on our behalf.
This grant is open at specific times and has opened previously in 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2024.
Who is the grant for?
The grant is for Child Care Subsidy (CCS) approved providers who:
- operate in, or service families from, an identified priority area
- operate in, or service families from, a regional, remote or very remote area, or
- provide specialised care to communities experiencing disadvantage or vulnerability.
The grant is available for all service types. Both for-profit and not-for-profit can apply, but preference will be given to not-for-profit organisations.
Priority areas
Priority areas are communities identified as experiencing particularly high levels of disadvantage compared to most other areas. These areas are determined using a combination of national data sets, including:
- Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) results
- Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA) disadvantage data.
We use the Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2) to define these locations.
See the priority areas for grant round 5
What the grant funds
There are 2 funding streams in round 5:
- sustainability support grants for activities that improve financial viability
- capital support grants for minor works to improve existing facilities.
You may apply for one or both streams. You must submit a separate application for each.
What we do fund
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.
What we don’t fund
Grant funding cannot be used for:
- profit generation for an approved provider or service
- routine operating costs (rent, insurance, maintenance, salaries) unless part of a transition to sustainability or the service is the sole provider in an under-served/unserved market
- buying land
- projects where capital works have already started or are fully committed
- application preparation costs
- activities fully funded elsewhere
- activities that have already occurred or simply re-produce existing resources
- buying or leasing vehicles not directly linked to transporting children to and from an approved service
- activities not directly related to ECEC delivery or not identified as eligible for your service
- environmental sustainability activities, unless they support ECEC delivery.
Funding amounts
For round 5, the government has committed up to $106.9 million (GST exclusive) over 3 years. This includes:
- $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:
| Funding stream | Per financial year | Maximum over 3 years |
|---|---|---|
| Sustainability support | $5,000 to $200,000 | $600,000 |
| Capital support | $5,000 to $50,000 | $150,000 |
How to apply
Read the grant guidelines
Start by reading the grant guidelines on GrantConnect. This is your authoritative source for all requirements and conditions.
Check your eligibility and choose your funding stream
Confirm you meet the eligibility criteria and decide whether to apply for sustainability support, capital support or both. The guidelines outline who can apply and what each stream covers.
Prepare your supporting information and documents
Preparing the right documents is essential for a compliant and competitive application. Missing or incorrect attachments are one of the most common reasons applications cannot proceed to assessment.
Complete the application and attach the required documents
Fill out the online application form on GrantConnect. Make sure you upload all mandatory attachments using the official templates provided.
Submit your application by 9 pm AEDT 25 February 2026
Applications close strictly at 9 pm AEDT on 25 February 2026. Late submissions will only be accepted in exceptional circumstances.
Supporting documents
Your supporting information helps us confirm your eligibility and assess your proposal. Providing accurate and complete documents will save time and reduce the risk of delays or rejection.
For sustainability support applications, you must attach:
- 2024–25 and 2025-26 year-to date profit and loss statement
- 2024–25 and 2025-26 year-to date balance sheet
- budget to outline the financial position of the service for each year funding is requested, using the official template provided.
If your service has not been operating for the full 2024–25 financial year, provide a 2025–26 year-to-date profit and loss statement and balance sheet instead.
For capital support applications, you must attach:
- Evidence of land or building ownership or written permission from the owner.
- Well-developed independent (third-party) project quotes, consistent with the scope of the proposed works. Each quote must be dated within 3 months of the application submission date and include:
- the trading name of the organisation providing the quotation
- an Australian Business Number (ABN)
- itemisation of individual costs (GST exclusive) to demonstrate all expenditure is eligible under these guidelines.
- Budget to outline the major expenses for the capital project proposed in the application, for each of the funding years requested, using the template provided.
If you are applying for both funding streams, you must submit separate applications with the relevant attachments for each.
What makes a strong application
Successful applications will:
- clearly describe the community’s ECEC needs, using data and evidence where possible
- identify barriers to participation or financial sustainability, and explain how the proposed activities will address these
- demonstrate strong relationships with local families, organisations, and stakeholders
- show how the grant will deliver value for money and support long-term sustainability
- provide a realistic budget and clear project plan.
What happens after you apply
After applications close, we’ll assess all submissions for eligibility and merit. Applicants will be advised of the outcome in July 2026. Successful applicants will then move to grant agreement negotiations, expected to start in September 2026. Successful grants will then be published on GrantConnect.
Key dates
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 20 January 2026 | Guidelines published, applications open |
| 9 pm AEDT 25 February 2026 | Applications close |
| May 2026 | Assessment of applications |
| July 2026 | Notification of outcomes |
| September 2026 | Earliest start date for funded projects |
Support and more information
Download the grant guidelines on GrantConnect.
If you need help, contact the Community Grants Hub by emailing support@communitygrants.gov.au or by visiting the Hub’s Contact Us page.
Subscribe to our newsletter and join our Facebook Group to get the latest updates.
Previous rounds
Since 2018, the Australian Government has provided over $229 million to around 1,120 services under this grant. All CCCF grant recipients are listed on GrantConnect.
Round 1 outcomes were announced in April 2018
Round 2 outcomes were announced in August 2019