Building Blocks – Capacity Building 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.

The Capacity Building stream seeks to make the best use of existing facilities and resources to help many services offer more places to local families.

The funding will:

• create additional infrastructure capacity for funded Three and/or Four-Year-Old Kindergarten, including the early years of the roll-out of Pre-Prep
• address unmet demand as identified in the relevant KISP (Kindergarten Infrastructure and Services Plan)
• promote integrated service delivery, so families can access early childhood education and care, health and development and family services at one location
• improve access to local and responsive early childhood services for children from vulnerable and/or disadvantaged families
• establish early childhood infrastructure at or near school sites.

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.

For the LGA where a project is located, applicants must refer to the published KISP or, because KISPs will be updated throughout 2023 to respond to Pre-Prep demand, other evidence to demonstrate that the project is in an area with infrastructure need based on the Pre-Prep roll-out.

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. 

Integrated Children’s Centre 

The project must provide or intend to provide:

1. a funded kindergarten program for three and four-year-old children. This can be sessional and/or integrated with long day care
2. a new building and cannot be an extension or refurbishment of an existing facility
3. long day care (unless there is no projected demand in the local area)
4. flexible, multi-purpose spaces and other services that meet the needs of the local community, including one or more of the following services:
   • Maternal and Child Health services
   • allied health services for early years (e.g. early childhood intervention services)
   • family services
   • supported playgroups or community parent-led playgroups
   • parenting groups or programs
   • occasional care
   • family day care program coordination
   • counselling services
   • community meeting spaces
   • outside school hours care; or
   • adult education programs.

Funding will only be provided for project costs relating to the early childhood infrastructure element of an Integrated Children’s Centre

New Early Learning Facility 

The project must provide or intend to provide:

• a funded kindergarten program for three and four-year-old children and support the delivery of other services, including long day care, Maternal and Child Health Services, or playgroups

Funding must be for a new building and cannot be an extension or refurbishment of an existing facility.

Modular Kindergarten Facility 

The project must provide or intend to provide:

• a funded kindergarten program for three and four-year-old children, which may also support the delivery of other services, including long day care, Maternal and Child Health Services, or playgroups

Project completion timelines will be agreed on a case-by-case basis but are expected to be on average within 12 months.

Applicants must contact the VSBA Early Childhood Grants team to discuss the application before applying.

Expansions 

Expansions must provide or intend to provide:

• an increase to licensed places at existing facilities delivering funded kindergarten programs for three and four-year-old children

Capacity Building grants will not fund projects that: 

• do not create additional kindergarten capacity and do not address unmet demand as identified in the relevant KISP
• are not at facilities that offer (or intend 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)
• are further stages of existing or completed projects

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

The following costs are eligible expenditure: 

• project management costs
• planning and design costs
• 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), as long as it is within scope of the State’s financial contribution to the project

The following costs are ineligible expenditure:

• site acquisition and lease costs
• routine or cyclical maintenance works
• purchase of cars, buses and other vehicles
• ongoing administration or operational costs
• staff salaries and training
• toys, portable equipment and consumables
• cosmetic upgrades that do not increase capacity
• removal of contaminates on projects sites (e.g. asbestos/arsenic), following announcement of the grant
• additional funding due to project cost overruns

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

1. Supports the integrated delivery of early childhood and related family services and/or the establishment of partnership arrangements with other services (All except Modular 15%, Modular 30%)

2. Improves access to high quality early childhood services for the local community (All except Modular 15%, Modular 30%)

3. Co-located with a government school or supports the establishment of other connections with local schools (All except Modular 15%, Modular 40%)

4. Facilitates access for children of all abilities (All except Modular 15%)

5. Promotes environmental sustainability, and includes environmentally sustainable features in design or construction (All except Modular 15%)

6. Confirmation the project is ready to commence construction (All except Modular 25%)

See the guidelines for full details of the assessment criteria.

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 will create additional capacity and address unmet demand identified in the relevant KISP
• consultation with the service provider, include a letter 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

All applicants are required to provide: 

• a signed KISP document or Department estimates of unmet demand
• considered responses to the selection criteria, that demonstrates how the project will meet these
• authorised written confirmation of co-contribution amounts from the applicant and all other funding organisations including contributions from the Federal Government, Victorian Government, local government or other sources
• a cost plan prepared by a licensed quantity surveyor (excluding modular kindergarten grants)
• a soil assessment report, from a qualified Soil Hygienist. This must include testing for contaminates.
• professional schematic design drawings (excluding modular kindergarten grants)
• a site plan to illustrate which parts of the land or building will be changed by your project
• a project plan to support the dates nominated in the application for stages of the project
• evidence of consultation and engagement with directly affect service providers, such as letters of support or documented

Not-for-profit or non-government schools are also required to provide: 

• evidence of not-for-profit status (such as a copy of your ABN, registration as a not-for-profit, certificate of registration as charity, or a certificate of registration as an incorporated association)
• a signed certified accountant’s confirmation of the applicant’s last two years financial statements as evidence of financial viability
• a letter of support for this project from the CEO of the local government area (or authorised delegate), dated within three months of your application closing date
• if an auspice arrangement is proposed, written confirmation from the auspicing party

Required evidence 

The type of evidence required depends on who owns the land. Evidence of the following must be provided:

• building ownership
• authorisation to build on the site
• intention to operate a facility for at least 10 years after completing the project
• land ownership

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.