The Australian Government has invested $7.135 million over four years – and $1 million per year ongoing thereafter – to implement the Strong Beginnings Fund. The Strong Beginnings Fund enacts recommendations from the Strong Beginnings: Report of the Teacher Education Expert Panel (TEEP Report).
On this page:
The Transition Fund
The Strong Beginnings (Transition) Fund supports higher education providers to embed mandatory core content in their initial teacher education (ITE) courses by the end of 2025 (Recommendation 6 of the TEEP Report).
Applications for the Transition Fund opened on 23 April 2024 and closed on 20 May 2024.
A total of $4.275 million in funding was approved and distributed amongst all 46 eligible (at the time) ITE providers following assessment of applications by the department.
Key Information
Administrative Information for the Strong Beginnings (Transition) Fund applicants.
The Excellence Fund
The Strong Beginnings (Excellence) Fund will provide funding to select ITE providers to share best practice and drive improved performance across the ITE sector through identified priority areas (Recommendation 7).
Eligibility
Australian higher education providers offering accredited ITE courses are eligible to apply. This includes Table A providers or bodies corporate specified in section 67(1) of the Higher Education Support (Other Grants) Amendment (Strong Beginnings) (Excellence) Fund) Guidelines.
Application Process and 2025–26 Priority Areas
For 2025–26, the Priority Areas are:
- Supporting Providers to Deliver Core Content in ITE Programs
- Enhancing Selection and Retention of ITE Students
- Improving the Quality of Practical Experience
- Attracting Mid-Career Professionals through Best Practice Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)
2025–26 Application Round
- Opening Date: 19 December 2025
- Closing Date: 6 February 2026 at 5pm (AEDT)
- Total Funding Available: $1.56 million
The following key document has been developed to support the 2025-26 application round: