Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) Worker Retention Payment

About this grant

This program provides worker retention payments to ECEC service providers to help increase their workers' wages.

Eligibility requirements

All of the following criteria must be met:

• Providers must:
• Be approved for child care subsidy (ccs)
• Operate centre based day care (cbdc) or outside school hours care (oshc) services
• Engage workers through a workplace instrument that meets the grant conditions
• Limit fee growth by a set percentage from august 2024
• Agree to pass funding on to all eligible workers though increased wages.
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• Funding to establish or expand a heritage agreement

What the funding covers

• Worker retention payments.

How to apply

1. 1Confirm readiness: Ensure you meet criteria (e.g., ABN, turnover limits, GST registration), align project objectives with grant goals, and estimate time for evidence gathering and writing.
2. 2Gather evidence: Collect documents like financials, business plans, market research, project budgets, resumes, risk analysis, and support letters to prove capability and impact.
3. 3Register/log in: Obtain an Australian Business Number (ABN) if needed, sign into the relevant portal (e.g., Business Grants Hub portal), and note any prerequisites like advisory service reports.
4. 4Prepare and write application: Address all selection criteria clearly (project details, government alignment, costs, outcomes, benefits); keep concise, factual, and compelling; validate for completeness.
5. 5Review, approve, and submit: Proofread, get stakeholder sign-off, submit online via the portal before deadline (no late entries); expect eligibility check, merit assessment, and outcome notification.
6. 6Visit https://business.gov.au/grants-and-programs/early-childhood-education-and-care-ecec-worker-retention-payment for application details

Application tips