Restricted expansion grant

This grant funds the establishment of mostly new First Nations-led early childhood education and care (ECEC) services in remote areas with limited access to ECEC. It is part of the Community Child Care Fund (CCCF). It is a Closing the Gap measure.

On this page:

This opportunity is open to identified services.

About the grant

We’re expanding the restricted grant as part of the government’s commitment to achieving Closing the Gap targets.

The aim is to increase participation rates of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children in ECEC settings.

Restricted expansion grants fund mostly new First Nations-led ECEC services:

  • mainly in remote and very remote areas
  • with low or no supply of Child Care Subsidy (CCS) approved care. 

These services prioritise Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children. Services are culturally safe and reflect children’s individual learning and development, culture, abilities and interests.

Grants are also available to services with an existing restricted grant to help them deliver ECEC that:

  • is accessible
  • is culturally informed and responsive 
  • is delivered by culturally competent staff 
  • use trauma informed education and care practices.

The restricted expansion grant runs from 2021–22 to 2024–25.

Applications for a restricted expansion grant are by invite-only. 

The grant is part of the Community Child Care Fund which helps services address barriers to ECEC participation.

Outcomes

All CCCF grant recipients are listed on GrantConnect.

To date, we’ve announced the following sites under the restricted expansion grant.

State/territoryLocationOrganisation
Northern TerritoryAlice SpringsCentral Australian Aboriginal Congress
Northern TerritoryTi TreeCentral Desert Regional Council
QueenslandKowanyamaKowanyama Aboriginal Shire Council
QueenslandLockhart RiverPuuya Foundation
QueenslandNapranumNapranum Aboriginal Land Council
Western AustraliaGeraldtonBundiyarra Aboriginal Community Corporation
Western AustraliaKununurraWunan Foundation

Grant guide

The CCCF Restricted Expansion Grants Guide has information for expansion grant recipients about:

  • grant rules
  • the laws you must be aware of
  • resources and contact information.

The guide is provided to selected providers upon invitation to the grant round.

If you have questions about your grant, email CCCFR-Expansion@education.gov.au

Reporting

Once open, services who get a restricted expansion grant must report serious and work health and safety incidents to us. It is a condition of your grant.

Report serious incidents

Report work health and safety incidents

Business support

We offer free business support to services who get a CCCF grant. This can help you review and improve your service’s financial viability and sustainability.

Learn more about business support

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