Building Early Education Fund (BEEF) Grant Opportunities

Information Session for ACCOs

Building Early Education Fund Information Session

On 24 April 2026, SNAICC hosted an information session for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled organisations on the Building Early Education Fund (BEEF), a major investment to expand access to early childhood education and care across Australia.

The session was led by John Burton, SNAICC Executive Director – Policy and Research and Karen Minter, Director of SNAICC’s Early Years Support NSW, with Charlotte Henderson from the Australian Government Department of Education joining to provide additional insights and answer questions. Bringing together over 100 participants from across the country, the session provided practical guidance on the BEEF grant opportunities, including eligibility, application processes and the support available to ACCOs through SNAICC.

The BEEF includes up to $1 billion in capital funding to build, expand and upgrade early learning services. A dedicated ACCO Capital Grants stream aims to strengthen community-controlled provision, with funding focused on infrastructure, such as new centres, extensions and fit-outs, to increase the number of licensed childcare places in areas of greatest need. Importantly, the ACCO grant round will be invitation-only, with invitations informed by community need, project readiness and sector knowledge. In contrast, the Small Scale Capital Grants round is open and currently accepting applications (closing 29 May 2026), supporting projects of up to $3 million that can quickly increase access to early learning.