Building Blocks – Improvement Grants

The Building Blocks program is an integral part of a Victorian Government commitment to build and expand kindergartens across the state and to provide universal access to 15 hours of government-funded kinder every week by 2029.

Your organisation can apply if it is:

• a Victorian local government (Council)
• a not-for-profit community organisation that is a legal entity (for example an incorporated association, incorporated cooperative or Indigenous corporation)
• a Victorian government school
• a Victorian non-government school registered with the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority or Catholic Education Commission of Victoria

For-profit organisations cannot apply for any grant streams.

Applicants cannot apply for more than one grant for the same project.

Applicants may apply again if they have been successful with applications in previous rounds or grant streams.

See the guidelines for full details of eligible and ineligible organisations.

Projects must be for a facility in Victoria that is, or will be, approved to provide a funded Three and Four-Year-Old Kindergarten program and must offer or intend to offer both programs. 

Early Learning Facility Upgrade (ELFU)

The project must improve the quality of the learning environment.

Applicants are also encouraged to consider the potential for renovated facilities to support the provision of other early childhood services.

Upgrades that increase capacity of approved places at existing facilities will be viewed favourably in the assessment process.

Minor Infrastructure (MI)

The project must improve the quality of the learning environment.

Information Technology (IT)

Information Technology grants support the purchase of desktop, laptop or tablet computers and televisions for use in the delivery of educational programs or service administration.

The Improvement stream will not fund projects that:

• are not at facilities which offer (or are intending to offer) both Three- and Four-Year-Old funded Kindergarten programs
• are located outside Victoria
• do not align with the program objectives
• do not meet the requirements outlined in these guidelines
• do not meet the assessment criteria
• have already started or been completed (i.e. retrospective funding)

See the guidelines for full details of eligible and ineligible projects.

The following costs are eligible expenditure for Early Learning Facility Upgrades and Minor Infrastructure applications: 

• project management costs
• planning and design costs, including soil hygienist reports
• site preparation, including clearing or demolition
• construction and commissioning
• landscaping and car parking
• fixed fittings and fixed equipment
• removal of contaminates on project sites (e.g. asbestos/arsenic), pending it is within scope of the State’s financial contribution to the project
• routine or cyclical maintenance works
• upgrades that do not increase capacity

The following costs are ineligible expenditure for Early Learning Facility Upgrades and Minor Infrastructure applications: 

• site acquisition and lease costs
• purchase of cars, buses and other vehicles
• ongoing administration or operational costs
• staff salaries and training
• toys, portable equipment and consumables
• removal of contaminates on projects sites (e.g. asbestos/arsenic), following announcement of the grant
• additional funding due to cost overruns

The following costs are eligible expenditure for Information Technology applications:

• desktop computers
• laptop computers
• tablet computers
• televisions
• accessories

The following costs are ineligible expenditure for Information Technology applications:

• applications solely for software items
• applications for software training
• mobile phones
• bee-bots
• leased equipment (e.g printers)

See the guidelines for full details of eligible and ineligible expenditure.

1. Improves the quality of the learning environment at existing facilities that are approved or intend to be approved for Three- and Four-Year-Old kindergarten (Facility Upgrades 40%, Minor Infrastructure 50%)

2. Delivers a quality kindergarten program that maintains current capacity or responds to projected demand for funded kindergarten places (Facility Upgrades 10%)

3. Improves access to high-quality early childhood services for the local community (Facility Upgrades 12.5%)

4. The proposed project facilitates access for children of all abilities (Facility Upgrades 12.5%, Minor Infrastructure 17.5%)

5. The proposed project promotes/adheres to environmental sustainability, and includes environmentally sustainable features, for example in design or construction (Facility Upgrades 12.5%, Minor Infrastructure 17.5%)

6. Confirmation the project is ready to commence construction (Facility Upgrades 12.5%, Minor Infrastructure 15%)

7. Demonstrate how the proposed purchase will be used to provide educational benefits to the service (Information Technology 100%)

You should read and understand the guidelines.

You need to ensure you are eligible for the funding. Applicants that do not meet all the eligibility criteria outlined above will not be considered.

Successful applicants will demonstrate:

• a construction ready project that promotes inclusiveness and environmental sustainability
• how the project improves access for the local community and children of all abilities
• consultation with service providers and local council, include letters of support
• a sound and justifiable budget including all financial contributions and key expenditure items related to the project
• the capacity, capability and experience to deliver the project in full within the agreed timeframe

Depending on the grant you are applying for, you will need to provide the following:

• Considered responses to selection criteria
• Written confirmation of co-contribution, if applicable
• Builders quotes and/or Quantity Surveyor Report, including a minimum 15% contingency in project quotes – two builders quotes for projects under $200,000 or one quantity surveyor report for projects of $200,000 or more
• Supplier quote (for IT applications)
• Project budget (ELFU and MI applications)
• Soil contaminates report, if applicable (ELFU and MI applications)
• Asbestos report, if applicable (ELFU and MI applications)
• Designs, plans and permits (ELFU and MI applications)
• Affected services (ELFU and MI applications)
• Not-for-profit status*
• Signed financial statements for the last two years (ELFU and MI applications)*
• Local Government endorsement (ELFU and MI applications)*
• Auspice arrangement, if applicable*
• Evidence of land ownership (ELFU and MI applications)

* Not-for-profit and non-government schools only.

See the guidelines and source website for full details of information requirements.

Applications are submitted online via the SmartyGrants portal.

Book a no obligation discovery session with GrantHelper to explore your alignment with this grant and how we can assist you to increase your chances of success.