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Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) Worker Retention Payment — Australia, 2025-26

Closes 30 Sept 2026

Department of Education

Funding to support a wage increase for all eligible early childhood education and care workers. Applications are submitted through GrantConnect under a demand-driven selection process.

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Deadline

30 Sept 2026

Duration

2 December 2024 to 30 November 2026

Location

Australia

Who Can Apply

• Eligibility is detailed in the Grant Opportunity Guidelines and Application. • Applicants must complete the application form. • Applicants must address all eligibility criteria to be considered for a grant.
Eligibility is stated as detailed in the Grant Opportunity Guidelines and Application. Applicants need to complete the application form and address all eligibility criteria to be considered for a grant.

What's Funded

Providing wage increases for eligible early childhood education and care workers.

Before you apply

Check Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) Worker Retention Payment fit and evidence gaps before 30 Sept 2026

Use this mixed grant page to sanity-check eligibility, funding fit, evidence gaps and application effort before you commit days to drafting. If you already know the grant you want, the 48-hour audit gives a practical go/no-go view, reviewer-readiness score and next-step risks.

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Expected Outcomes

Retention of eligible ECEC workers through funded wage increases over the grant activity period.
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Key Information

Applicant Types

companynon_profitother

Stage

any

Funding Purposes

employment

Keywords

early childhood educationchild careworker retentionwage increaseECECemployment

Official Grant Page

Department of Education

Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) Worker Retention Payment?

The Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) Worker Retention Payment is a mixed grant offered by Department of Education in Australia. Funding to support a wage increase for all eligible early childhood education and care workers. Applications are submitted through GrantConnect under a demand-driven selection process.
2

Who is eligible for the Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) Worker Retention Payment?

  • Eligibility is detailed in the Grant Opportunity Guidelines and Application.
  • Applicants must complete the application form.
  • Applicants must address all eligibility criteria to be considered for a grant.
3

When does the Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) Worker Retention Payment close?

Applications close on 30 Sept 2026.
4

What activities are funded?

Providing wage increases for eligible early childhood education and care workers.
5

How do I apply for the Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) Worker Retention Payment?

Start by checking your eligibility using the free Beta Docs eligibility checker. If eligible, Beta Docs' AI-powered platform can help you draft, review, and refine your application to maximise your chances of success.

Need help applying?

Beta Docs has helped founders secure $160M+ in competitive grants. Our AI platform drafts compliance-perfect applications — and our expert reviewers make sure you stand out.

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