Flexible Initiatives Trial

This program is closed and not open to new applicants.

With a total pool of $20 million from the Childcare and Economic Opportunity Fund, the Flexible Initiatives Trial will empower early childhood education and care providers to better cater for the needs of local families and increase the availability of places for children in New South Wales where and when they are needed most.

There is strong evidence that a lack of flexible early childhood education and care (ECEC) service offerings is a significant barrier to work and study for NSW families, particularly for parents and carers who are in part-time, casual or shift work.

We also know that ECEC services face a range of a barriers to meeting this need.

The 2-year Flexible Initiatives Trial has been especially designed to target these barriers by providing grants for early childhood education and care services to test and trial new or adapted operating models, including:

  • extending hours of operation beyond traditional working hours

  • providing flexible pick-up and drop-off times

  • giving families the ability to make irregular care arrangements

  • establishing new family day care services in rural and remote areas

  • partnerships between 2 different service types to provide extended or wrap around care arrangements.

Applications

Applications for grants under the program are now closed.

To learn more about the trial, we encourage you to:

Key dates

Round 2 of the Flexible Initiatives Trial is now closed. Applications are being assessed and round 2 funding will commence in 2025.

Grant activity Round 2
Applications open 30 April 2024
Applications close 2 July 2024, 7 pm
Applications assessed 30 August 2024
Childcare and Economic Opportunity Fund Board approval 30 October 2024
Notification of outcome 30 November 2024
Grant delivery From January 2025 (12 months)
Evaluation commences March 2025
End of grant funding December 2025

Contact

Early Childhood Education Information and Enquiries team
1800 619 113
ecec.funding@det.nsw.edu.au

Category:

  • Early childhood education

Topics:

  • Web page

Business Unit:

  • Early Childhood Outcomes
Return to top of page Back to top