1. Purpose

The Preschool Attendance Boosting Project Program Guidelines (‘Program Guidelines’) provide an overview of the Preschool Attendance Boosting Project grants and outline the objectives, service eligibility, activities and reporting requirements.

These Program Guidelines outline the grant process administered by the NSW Department of Education (the department) and will form part of the funding agreement with participating early childhood education and care (ECEC) services.

The Program Guidelines may be amended or replaced by the department from time to time. Providers must comply with the current version of the program guidelines, available on the department’s website.

2. Policy and legislative context

The Preschool Attendance Boosting Project has been developed under the Australian Government’s Preschool Reform Agreement (the Agreement), which runs from 2022-2025. All states and territories have agreed to the reforms in the Agreement, which aims to improve preschool participation and outcomes.

The Preschool Attendance Boosting Project is a one-off Australian Government funded initiative to address preschool attendance barriers and has been committed within the NSW Implementation plan towards the Preschool Reform Agreement.

The New South Wales: Implementation Plan and Performance Report is a schedule to the Agreement and demonstrates how the Preschool Attendance Boosting Project will support NSW to achieve and deliver the set outcomes of the reform.

3. Program overview

3.1 Program description and available funding

The Preschool Attendance Boosting Project is part of a national commitment to provide universal access to, and improved participation by, children in quality preschool programs in the year before school, with a focus on Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children as well as children experiencing vulnerability and disadvantage.

The Preschool Attendance Boosting Project will build the evidence base on preschool attendance boosting activities and comprises 2 key components; a research project that will result in actionable recommendations on effective strategies to improve attendance, and a grants program for services to deliver evidence-based attendance boosting activities.

The department will fund preschool attendance boosting activities via the Preschool Attendance Boosting Project grant to support participating ECEC services to implement up to 2 attendance boosting activities over an 8-week period for evaluation. Data will be collected from each activity to inform the research project.

For the purpose of this project, activities should primarily focus on supporting children who are enrolled in the service to attend their enrolment schedule. Attendance boosting activities are those that aim to increase attendance and may include (but are not limited to) activities such as:

• community and family outreach

• transportation support

• enhancing cultural safety and inclusiveness of ECEC services

• supporting educators working with children who have additional needs.

These targeted competitive grants are available to up to 50 eligible services in the Campbelltown, Fairfield, Kempsey or Walgett Local Government Areas (LGA). The LGAs were chosen for the project through a site selection process based on LGA demographics, and ECEC service mapping.

Grants are only available to services who have consented to partner with the University of Wollongong to participate in the Preschool Attendance Boosting Project.

The project has a total grant value of up to $4.6 million. Services can apply for funding to deliver up to 2 activities and can receive funding for up to 2 activities. The maximum grant amount is up to $200,000 (excl GST) in total per service.

3.2 Objectives

The objective of the Preschool Attendance Boosting Project grant is to support services to implement up to 2 attendance boosting activities. This will include activities that aim to increase preschool attendance, while contributing to the development of the evidence base around effective strategies to improve preschool attendance. Attendance boosting activities will be evidence informed and will reflect the context in which the service operates and the local community This includes consideration of the community and other current supports available.

The Preschool Attendance Boosting Project will focus on the following priority cohorts:

• Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children
• children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds
• children experiencing disability
• children from low socio-economic status backgrounds.

3.3. Key dates

Services will only participate in one round.

Key dates may be subject to change.

3.4 Researcher and project partners

3.4.1 Researcher

The department has engaged with Early Start at the University of Wollongong (UOW) to assist with the Preschool Attendance Boosting Project. The UOW will design, deliver and evaluate the research project.

3.4.2 Project partners

The UOW have engaged project partners SNAICC – National Voice for our Children (SNAICC) and Community Early Learning Australia (CELA) to contribute to the research methodology, evaluation tools and play a key role in providing insights and experience to the project. Professionals from project partner organisations may also be engaged as practice partners.

3.4.3 Practice partners

Services that have submitted an expression of interest (EOI) proforma (refer section 4) and have entered into an agreement with the UOW will be assigned a practice partner. Practice partners are available to support participating services to prepare their grant applications, implement activities, and collect data. Some practice partners will be from SNAICC and CELA.

If a service applies for funding for an activity to be delivered by a project partner (SNAICC or CELA), in addition to the standard grant application questions, the grant application will need to:

• outline why the selected provider (project partner) is the preferred provider, and
• nominate an alternate provider and/or activity for consideration, where the alternate option does not involve the project partner in any capacity.

Project partners will not be involved in the evaluation of the activities.

3.5 Program logic

To illustrate the relationship between program activities and intended outcomes, a Preschool Attendance Boosting Project program logic has been developed.

4. Grant eligibility

To be eligible for the Preschool Attendance Boosting Project grant, services must be currently delivering a preschool program of 600 hours a year in the Campbelltown, Fairfield, Kempsey or Walgett Local Government Areas (LGAs).

In addition, the service must:

1. Consent to participate in the Preschool Attendance Boosting Project.
   1. A service must attend or view the recording of an information session regarding the project, which will be held across participating LGAs. These sessions are open to all eligible services in that LGA and will provide a detailed overview of the project including data and measurement expectations and ECEC service-level commitment.
   2. Linked to each session will be a QR code which will provide access to an Expression of Interest (EOI) proforma for services to complete and submit.
   3. Services will be selected to participate based on an evaluation methodology that ensures sufficient sample size of service type and location.
2. Be an education and care service approved under the Education and Care Services National Law Act 2010 and Education and Care Services National Regulations and be one of the following:
   1. community or mobile preschool
   2. long day care service
   3. public preschool
3. Include children from at least one priority cohort referred to in section 3.2 above.
4. Be accredited at a Meeting or Exceeding level.
   1. In regional and remote areas, applications from services who are rated Working Towards or are awaiting assessment and rating may be considered.
5. Have a staff composition that meets ratio under the National Quality Framework for ECEC in Australia or above or hold an exemption.

5. Application and assessment process

5.1 Application process

Applicants are required to complete a detailed application demonstrating how it meets the eligibility and assessment criteria.

Round 1 applications will be open from approximately 22 April 2025 until the 23 May 2025. Round 2 applications will open approximately 23 May 2025 until the 20 June 2025. Applications must be submitted between the opening and closed dates; no late applications will be accepted. For applications that are delayed due to extenuating circumstances, applicants must let the department know before the close of the round via email to ecec.funding@det.nsw.edu.au. These requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis. 

To apply for the Preschool Attendance Boosting Project grant services must:

• be eligible (Refer section 4. Grant Eligibility)
• submit an application through SmartyGrants.

Where a project partner is identified as the potential provider for an activity in the grant application, the grant application will need to:

• outline why the selected provider is the preferred provider
• nominate an alternate provider and/or activity for consideration, where the alternate option does not involve the project partner in any capacity.

The department will make the final decision on grant applications. There is no appeal process for decisions.

Applicants must not provide false or misleading information. An application identified as containing false or misleading statements will be rejected.

5.2 Assessment criteria and process

Applications will be reviewed to ensure they are complete and meet the eligibility criteria in section 4. The department may contact applicants and/or practice partners to clarify information in the application. Eligible applications will then proceed to assessment.

Applications will be evaluated by the assessment panel based on all the following criteria, each assigned a weight reflecting its relative importance in achieving the program's objective: 

An assessment panel that consists of three department employees of Grade 7/8 and above, will consider and cull applications based on the eligibility criteria. Ineligible applications will not proceed further in the assessment process. The assessment panel will then score the eligible applications against the assessment matrix. The panel will include the Manager, Participation and Access, Early Childhood Outcomes and a department representative from Aboriginal Outcomes, Early Childhood Outcomes, and Local Operations, Early Childhood Outcomes.

The Manager, Participation and Access, Early Childhood Outcomes will make written recommendations to the appropriate financial delegate (decision-maker) on behalf of the assessment panel as to successful and unsuccessful applications, together with reasons for those recommendations.

The Director, Equity and Inclusion, Early Childhood Outcomes is the decision-maker in respect of all Preschool Attendance Boosting Project grants. Decisions of the decision-maker will be recorded in writing, and any departure from the assessment team’s recommendation/s will be documented with written reasons for that.

The Department is required to manage and administer the Program fairly and appropriately noting that public funding is being provided to fund preschool attendance boosting activities and is required to appropriately manage conflicts of interest.

5.3 Notification of application outcome

Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application through the same email address entered into their SmartyGrants application form.

Notification of outcome will be 6 June 2025 for Round 1 and 4 July 2025 for Round 2. Dates may be subject to change.

Following notification of a successful application by the department, applicants will be required to enter into a funding agreement and accept the department’s Terms and Conditions (Early Childhood Outcomes Programs– Funding Agreement – Terms and Conditions – 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2025) of the Preschool Attendance Boosting Project. Failure to do so may result in the department being unable to make payments.

There is no appeal process for decisions.

6. Support for applicants

Applicants who require support in compiling a grant application under the Program are encouraged to contact the department via the details at section 10 below.

Practice partners as referred to in section 3.4 above are available to support prospective applicants with preparing grant applications. Services that have submitted an expression of interest and have entered into an agreement with the UOW will be assigned a practice partner. Some services may be assigned a practice partner from SNAICC or CELA to provide appropriate support where required.

7. Payments and spending

7.1 Payments

The Preschool Attendance Boosting Project funding will be delivered directly to services via the Early Childhood Contracts Management System (ECCMS) or any other appropriate means.
If services are not registered on ECCMS, information will be provided from the department on steps to register. Services are advised to contact the department for more information. See section 10 for contact details.

Round 1 grants will be delivered by approximately the 13 August 2025. Round 2 grants will be delivered by approximately 15 September 2025.

Funding of up to a total of $200,000 (excl. GST) is available per service and must be spent by 19 December 2025 for all services, unless otherwise agreed between the department and the applicant.

7.2 Spending rules

The Preschool Attendance Boosting Project grant is to be used by services to implement activities with the aim of increasing preschool attendance.

Grant funding for successful applicants can be spent on project-specific expenses directly related to the project activities contained in the funding agreement that service providers will be required to enter into with the department.

Activities that are ineligible for funding include: 

• direct financial assistance: Funding is not intended for direct financial assistance to individuals, families or approved education and care services
• activities outside the program objective: Activities that do not contribute to the program's objective, as outlined in the program guideline’s section 3 are ineligible
• retrospective funding: Grants cannot support initiatives already completed at the time of application
• activities that cannot be implemented within the required project implementation period
• operating costs: This includes but is not limited to, rental and license costs, maintenance, upgrades to and cleaning of the facility, utility expenses, accounting and audit expenses, etc
• activities not in accordance with the funding agreement: Any actions that contradict the terms and conditions outlined in the funding agreement signed by successful applicants will result in ineligibility for funding.

7.3 Recovery Guidelines

In accordance with the respective funding agreements entered into with the Department, any unused funds under the Program may be recovered by the Department. Circumstances in which unused funds may be recovered by the Department are addressed in funding agreements with the successful applicants.

8. Reporting requirements

Services who receive the Preschool Attendance Boosting Project grant must adhere to the following reporting requirements:

• spend all funding received from the grant in accordance with the funding agreement
• complete the project within the timeframe, which will not exceed 31 December 2025
• comply with financial, data collection, reporting and acquittal requirement specified in the funding agreement or as otherwise requested
• ensure their service has systems in place to meet these obligations, including accurate expense tracking and reporting
• within one year of the spending period ending, services must submit a formal acquittal report within SmartyGrants
• be prepared for potential audits and evaluation activities as part of the department’s program assurance activities.

The NSW Grants Administration Guide requires that certain information is published in relation to grants awarded no later than 45 calendar days after the funding agreement takes effect. This information is also open access information under the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 (NSW) which must be made publicly available unless there is an overriding public interest against disclosure of the information.

In accordance with these requirements, relevant information about the funding awarded under the Program will be made available on the NSW Government Grants and Funding Finder (Finder).

All records in relation to this Program will be managed in accordance with the requirements of the State Records Act 1998 (NSW) .

9. Ethics

The Preschool Attendance Boosting Project has ethics approval for the purpose of the project evaluation. Approval has been provided by the University of Wollongong Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) and the State Education Research Applications Process (SERAP).

SERAP approval is only granted for projects that involve department preschools and that have met the department’s probity checks, including the requirement that all researchers and research assistants working on the project must have their Working with Children Check (WWCC) clearance verified as well as meet the requirements of any additional screening checks requested by the department. The Probity Unit verifies all WWCC clearances with the Office of the Children’s Guardian for all research assessed through SERAP.

10. Enquiries

The program management team for the Preschool Attendance Boosting Project can be contacted via the Early Childhood Education Information and Enquiries team for any enquiries, feedback or complaints: 

• Phone: 1800 619 113 
• Email: ecec.funding@det.nsw.edu.au.

11. Evaluation

The department may undertake an evaluation to understand the effectiveness of the Program.

Successful applicants will be required to participate in the evaluation of the Preschool Attendance Boosting Project. Project partners will support services to identify and collect data necessary for the evaluation.

12. Notified standards and policies

All contracted grantees must comply with all relevant provisions in the Government Sector Audit Act 1983 , the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 , and the Privacy and Personal Information Act 1998. Compliance with any other legislation referenced in the program’s funding agreement instrument(s) is also required. 

13. Glossary

Activities – An activity selected and approved to be implemented, at an eligible service, as part of the Preschool Attendance Boosting Project.

Assessment criteria - The criteria that the assessment panel will use to evaluate eligible applications.

Attendance Boosting Activity – Activities designed to support enrolled children attend their enrolment schedule.

ECCMS – The Department of Education’s Early Childhood Contract Management System.

ECEC - Early childhood education and care.

Enrolment –The initial intake into early childhood education and care and acceptance of a place by the family – the child is on the preschool roll.

Funding agreement - The agreement between the department and the successful grant applicant. The agreement includes the application, funding letter, The Preschool Attendance Boosting Project Program Guidelines and outlines the terms and conditions of receiving the funding.

National Quality Framework (NQF) for ECEC in Australia - Australia’s system for regulating early childhood education and care. It provides a national approach to regulation, assessment and quality improvement. The Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) is an independent national authority that helps administer the NQF.

Practice partner - Individual professionals from the UOW team, CELA, or SNAICC. Practice partners are available to support participating services to prepare their grant applications, implement activities, and collect data.

Preschool Reform Agreement (PRA) Preschool Attendance Boosting Project - Developed by the NSW Department of Education under the Australian Government’s Preschool Reform Agreement (the Agreement),

Preschool – An early childhood education program delivered by a qualified early childhood education teacher in the 2 years before mandatory school. A preschool program may be delivered in, community preschools, long day care services, public preschools, and integrated services.

Preschool Reform Agreement (PRA) – The Australian Government’s Preschool Reform Agreement (the Agreement) reaffirms a national commitment to provide universal access to, and improved participation by, children in quality preschool programs in the year before full-time school (YBFS), with a focus on Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children and disadvantaged children.

Priority cohorts – This term is used to describe Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children, children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, children experiencing disability, children from low socio-economic status backgrounds.

Project Partners – This term is used to describe the researcher’s (University of Wollongong) partners is supporting the Preschool Attendance Boosting Project. The project partners include Community Early Learning Australia (CELA), SNAICC-National Voice for Our Children, and other practice partners with relevant experience and qualifications.

Quality – This term is used to describe early childhood services delivered in accordance with the Early Years Learning Framework and the National Quality Framework.

Researcher - Early Start at the University of Wollongong (UOW) have been commissioned by the department to assist with the Preschool Attendance Boosting Project.

Service – ECEC services that cater to children from infancy to school age or 0-6 years old. ECEC service types included here are community preschools, long day care services, public preschools and integrated services that offer a preschool program.

SmartyGrants - Grants administration system. Applicants will use this system to complete and submit their application and their acquittal report.

State Education Research Applications Process (SERAP) - Supports the quality of research activities in NSW Government schools by assessing applications to conduct research. Research cannot be conducted in NSW Government schools without the approval of the department.