Start Strong Capital Works Grants Program - Crisis Fund - 2022-23

The Crisis Fund supports the maintenance and/or creation of preschool places where there is an immediate and/or urgent need for capital works in at least one of the following circumstances:

• An existing centre-based long day care or community preschool service is facing closure or relocation due to exceptional or unforeseen circumstances, for example compulsory acquisition of premises or a natural disaster, which would result in children being unable to access preschool education in reasonable proximity to their community.
• An eligible organisation wants to expand an existing, or operate a new, centre-based long day care or community preschool in a remote or very remote area as per the Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS)External link (ASGS Index) where access to preschool education is limited or non-existent.
• An Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation wants to expand an existing, or operate a new, centre-based long day care or community preschool service within NSW.

Crisis Fund grants must also contribute to the following objectives:

• Maximise the number of places available for preschool-aged children to attend at least 600 hours per year or 15 hours per week of quality preschool education.
• Ensure the continued operation of the service to deliver preschool places throughout the ten-year compliance period.
• Support ongoing management of the service in line with applicable regulatory requirements.
• Where possible, leverage funds from sources external to the department, including private finance, charitable donations, grants from other state and federal government agencies and insurance claims (where applicable).

To be eligible for funding applicants must meet each of the following:

• be registered or incorporated in Australia; and
• be a not-for-profit organisation/association, or a local government entity; and
• operate, or intend to operate, an education and care service in NSW that delivers preschool education, as an Approved Provider with a valid Service Approval.

For-profit organisations are not eligible to apply for Crisis Fund grants.