Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority

Overview

The Australian Government is inviting an organisation via a restricted process apply to deliver services under the Education Portfolio Outcome 1: Improved early learning, schooling, student educational outcomes and transitions to and from school through access to quality early childhood education and care, support, parent engagement, quality teaching and learning environments. The grant opportunity for ACECQA (the program) will run over three years from 2026 to 2029, from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2029. The ACECQA was established by the Education and Care Services National Law Act 2010 (National Law). Its role is to support the nationally consistent regulation of quality and safety in early childhood education and care services across Australia. Ongoing funding for ACECQA was initially announced as part of the 2019–20 Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook and has been continued through subsequent budget processes, including the 2025–26 Budget. The purpose and objective of this program is to support the ACECQA to carry out its legislative functions and operations under the National Law and deliver on expectations set by Education Ministers across all jurisdictions. The intended outcomes of the program are to support the nationally consistent regulation of quality and safety in early childhood education and care services across Australia and drive continuous improvement in the early childhood education and care sector.

Key Information

Provider

Australian Goverment

Government

Funding Amount

$57,470,000 - $57,470,000

Opening Date

March 27, 2026

Agency

Department of Education

Location

ACT, NSW, VIC, SA, WA, QLD, NT, TAS

Reference Number

GO8324

Country

Australia

Details

Eligibility Criteria

Eligible Organisation
To be eligible to receive a grant, you must be the invited organisation listed and have received an invitation to apply through GrantConnect.
Non-Eligibility
You are not eligible to apply if you have not received an invitation to apply through GrantConnect, or if your organisation is on the National Redress Scheme's non-compliant list or the Workplace Gender Equality Agency's non-compliant list.
Qualifications
No specific qualifications, skills, accreditation, registrations or checks are prescribed beyond those required of ACECQA under the National Law.

Deliverables

Support the nationally consistent regulation of quality and safety in early childhood education and care services.
Guide the implementation and administration of the National Quality Framework.
Promote continuous quality improvement in the early childhood education and care sector.

Evaluation Criteria

Program Objective50%

How you will deliver the grant activity outlined in section 5.1.

Organisation Capability50%

Demonstrate your organisation's ability to successfully deliver the grant activity.

How to Apply

Method: Email
Portal: https://www.grants.gov.au/
Contact: support@communitygrants.gov.au

Conditions & Exclusions

•Cannot use the grant for purchase of land, major capital expenditure, covering retrospective costs, costs incurred in preparation of a grant application, major construction/capital works, or overseas travel.
•Cannot provide a grant if you receive funding from another government source for the same purpose.