Building Blocks Grants – Inclusion

The Victorian Government is delivering an unprecedented early childhood reform agenda.

In June 2022, the Best Start, Best Life reform was announced. A key component of this reform, which will commence from 2025, includes increasing hours for Pre-Prep (Four-Year-Old Kindergarten) from 15 to 30 hours by 2032. This means that over the next decade, Four-Year-Old Kindergarten will increase to a universal 30-hour a week program of play-based learning for four-year-old children across Victoria.

The Best Start, Best Life reform builds on the Victorian Government’s commitment of $1.68 billion, announced in 2018, to support the delivery of increased hours and the roll-out of infrastructure expansion required for the Three-Year-Old Kindergarten reform.

Three-Year-Old Kindergarten is already rolling out across the state, expanding universal access to 15 hours of government-funded kinder every week. Three-Year-Old Kindergarten programs are gradually increasing, reaching 15 hours per week across Victoria by 2029. Four-Year-Old Kindergarten will transition to Pre-Prep in stages from 2025. From 2032 all children across Victoria will be eligible for 30 hours of Pre-Prep each week.

To support these major reforms the Victorian Government is expanding kindergarten infrastructure. It has committed to introduce the Best Start, Best Life reform over the coming decade and to co-invest with the early childhood sector to build and expand kindergartens across the state. The Building Blocks grant program is an integral part of that commitment and is critical to success of universal access to increased hours of Three and Four-Year-Old Kindergarten across Victoria over the next 10 years.

See What Type of Grant Can I apply for? below for further details on the funding streams and amounts available.

Inclusion stream

The Building Blocks Inclusion stream provides funding to kindergartens to upgrade early childhood buildings and facilities (including playgrounds), and purchase equipment to provide safe and more inclusive environments for children of all abilities.

Funding is for projects designed to:

• increase engagement, improve learning outcomes and strengthen inclusive early childhood learning environments for children of all abilities
• promote inclusion in early childhood teaching approaches that are tailored to the needs of all learners
• create innovative early childhood learning environments based on inclusive and universal design best practice

Projects must be for a kindergarten in Victoria that is, or will be, licensed to provide a funded Three and Four-Year-Old Kindergarten program for four years from project completion. The kindergarten must offer, or intend to offer, both programs. This can be sessional or integrated with long day care.

There are two categories of grants under the Building Blocks Inclusion stream:

1. Buildings and Playgrounds
2. Equipment

Buildings & Playgrounds

Equipment

Exclusions

The Building Blocks Inclusion 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; and
• have already started, or been completed (i.e. retrospective funding).

Buildings and playgrounds

Indoor inclusive learning spaces

Funding may be provided to create learning spaces that engage all children and focus on improving their social and emotional wellbeing. This includes flexible areas that can cater for the needs of different types of learners and are innovatively linked with education programs.

Outdoor inclusive learning spaces, including playgrounds

For some children, a learning place that addresses sensory or learning needs can provide a stimulating environment that they require to support learning. These spaces are areas where children can go voluntarily and remain under supervision. Demonstrating how the outdoor learning spaces will benefit all children and connect with teaching practices will enhance your application.

A key objective under the Supporting Children and Families in the Early Years Compact is that all young children are engaged, confident and creative learners. An accessible and inclusive playground means it is as easy as possible for everyone to play, encouraging all children to be more physically active. Demonstrating how the playground is accessible by all children will enhance your application.

Acoustic treatments

The ability for a child to hear and understand what is being said in the classroom by the teacher is vital for learning. This ability can be significantly reduced by poor classroom acoustics. There are acoustic treatments that contain and absorb sound, thereby improving class concentration and allowing the teacher’s voice to easily reach all students.

Acoustically treated curtains can be installed in front of windows to reduce external noise in classrooms.

Hardwood flooring reflects rather than absorbs sound. Carpeting classrooms is a sufficient solution to dampen the interior noise of students and movement of furniture.

Installing acoustic panels or a suspended acoustical ceiling cloud (partial ceiling) to the current high ceilings will absorb sound, reducing interior noise within the room.

Sensory garden

Sensory gardens can provide a range of health benefits, including reduced stress and lowered blood pressure, and can also make a great contribution to emotional and physical wellbeing.

Sensory gardens should be designed with accessibility and inclusion in mind and could include a variety of raised beds and planters for vegetables and herbs, which will ensure they are easily accessible by all children.

These gardens can serve therapeutic and educational purposes for children. By providing plants with fragrance and colour, installing wind chimes or ground surfaces with different textures, the activation of a range of senses that range from sight and hearing, smell and touch, to even taste can be achieved.

Accessible ramps

You might need a sloping ramp with slip-resistant strips that provides access to the main entrance and integrates aesthetically with the building.

The ramp will benefit those who use wheelchairs or walkers as well as those who may not use equipment but whose balance, strength, or stamina make stair climbing difficult or unsafe.

Having the ramp as the main access point for children of all abilities will encourage inclusion and integration.

Two handrails can be installed on both sides of the ramp and continuously around intermediate landings and extend beyond the entry and exit points.

The construction of the ramp will make it possible for all individuals to navigate their environments confidently and safely.

Equipment

Multi-play equipment units

Multi-play equipment units are developed to encourage all children to interact within the same play space, can be modified and adjusted to fit all age groups and abilities.

The units can incorporate wheelchair accessible ramps, timber bridges, slides, scramble nets, accessible clamber ramps, climbing frames and sensory play panels.

Primarily these units provide children with challenging physical activity to train their coordination, confidence, and balance. These creative structures also encourage imaginative playtime. They also offer all children opportunities to learn and develop their social skills by encouraging interactive, group play between peers.

Moveable items that can be purchased include (but are not limited to):

• access ramps to support transition between play areas and entry/exit to services
• safety surfacing (e.g. soft fall mats)
• indoor/outdoor sensory equipment such as:
  • sensory wall panels
  • resonance boards
  • adjustable sand and water table
  • tee pees
  • toys
  • multifunctional activity tables
  • cushions
  • chairs and flexi stools
  • steppingstones
  • hanging sensory/ pod swings
  • pots and plants
• tactile equipment (e.g. sand, fidget toys)
• weighted and resistance equipment (e.g. weighted soft toys and blankets)
• adjustable/inclusion tables and chairs to suit all abilities
• adjustable change tables
• mobility stools
• toilet frames/steps
• balance beams
• adjustable walking frames
• writing slopes wedges
• wadding/protective padding for building structures, e.g. around veranda posts
• installation costs (for installing inclusive equipment funded through the Inclusion stream

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; or
• 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 within Building Blocks.

For further information regarding grant eligibility, please refer to the Building Blocks Inclusion assessment factsheet below.

If you propose a Buildings and Playgrounds project on land owned by the Department of Education (DE) you must contact the VSBA Early Childhood Grants team as early as possible during the development of your proposal to discuss the approach to land and project delivery.

The VSBA Early Childhood Grants team can be contacted by phone on 03 7022 0214 or email building.blocks@education.vic.gov.au.

Applications for projects on DE land must include:

• a completed Land Use Proposal Form;
• a copy of any existing lease or agreement between relevant parties;
• a detailed design of your proposal; and
• 2 quotes from a qualified professional for projects less than $200,000 OR 1 Quantity Surveyor report for projects of $200,000 or more.

Successful grant recipients must also enter into a lease agreement with DE (if not already) in addition to their Common Funding Agreement.

Further information on these requirements can be found in the frequently asked questions.

A Building Blocks Inclusion assessment factsheet is available below to help you understand the inclusion assessment process.

This factsheet explains the type of information you need to include in your application. Please make sure that you refer to this factsheet when preparing your application.

Following the assessment process, the Department will provide its recommendation to the Minister for Early Childhood & Pre-Prep for final approval.

The Minister reserves the right to provide strategic investment to projects. The Minister may also, on advice from the Department, provide funding to partners, in exceptional circumstances to support the provision of funded Three- and Four-Year-Old Kindergarten services across the state.

Organisations that receive a grant must:

• agree to the requirements outlined in these guidelines (failure to do so may result in funding being withheld);
• enter into a formal Common Funding Agreement with the Department;
• where applicable, follow the Building Blocks Acknowledgement and Publicity Guidelines, including liaising with the Department and holding events on request, such as sod turns and openings, and erecting signage for projects (signage only required for projects valued at over $250,000);
• submit an acquittal form and the required supporting evidence for approval by the Department upon completion of the project; and
• agree that no additional Department of Education state funding will be allocated to the proposed project and if additional costs arise, they must be met by the applicant.

To remain eligible for funding, you must not enter into a contract or commence any works proposed in your application before we inform you of the application outcome.

Before submitting your application, we encourage you to review the following documents which further clarify your obligations for receiving Building Blocks funding:

• Acknowledgement and Publicity Guidelines
• Common Funding Agreement Terms and Conditions

Merit assessment criteria

Funding recommendations will be based on the extent you can demonstrate that your project addresses the following assessment criteria. These are weighted according to the specified percentages. The weightings align with Building Blocks Inclusion stream objectives:

Buildings and Playgrounds

• Demonstrate how the proposed works increase engagement and improve learning outcomes for children of all abilities (30%)
• Demonstrate how the proposed works support teaching approaches that promote inclusion in classroom organisation or outdoor activities (30%)
• Demonstrate how the proposed works support the seven universal design principles (20%)
• Demonstrate how the proposed works will promote environmental sustainability (10%)
• Demonstrate project readiness (10%)

Equipment

• Demonstrate how the proposed purchases develop or enhance the inclusiveness of the kindergarten environment (100%)

The Betrayal of Trust Report found that survivors of institutional child abuse were sometimes unable to identify an appropriate legal entity to sue.

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse also recommended that governments consider requiring organisations they fund to be insured against child abuse.

From 1 July 2019, non-government organisations funded by the Victorian Government to deliver services to children will be required, as a condition of funding to be:

• incorporated separate legal entities that can be sued in their own right in child abuse proceedings
• appropriately insured against child abuse.

The new requirements will improve the ability of child abuse survivors to bring a legal claim for compensation and ensure that successful claims can be paid.

There are other grant programs that provide funding for the development of early childhood facilities and services. The Department must be advised of other funding applications for your project. We reserve the right to consider grant applications made for other programs, offered by the Department or other government departments, and to submit Inclusion stream applications to other Department agency led grant programs for consideration for funding under those programs where appropriate.

Project management requirements

For Building and Playgrounds grants, a qualified and experienced project manager must be identified at the time of application and appointed within four weeks of the funding announcement. The name and contact details (email, telephone number, including mobile) of the proposed project manager must be included in the application. The project manager must be appointed before the Common Funding Agreement can be executed.

Project reporting requirements

As a condition of funding for Buildings and Playgrounds grants, successful applicants must comply with project monitoring and reporting requirements, including:

• monthly status reports through an online reporting system to provide an update on progress, updating proposed, forecast, and actual dates for project milestones, flagging risks and issues, and providing the required evidence when payment milestones have been met;
• advising the Department in advance of key milestones including architect appointment, design completion, sod turn and construction completion and providing opportunities for public communication of these milestones;
• advising the Department of scope changes (relating to time, cost, and project scope) by completing and submitting a Request for Variation (RFV) form via an online reporting system;
• site inspections, meetings and teleconferences with Department staff or representatives if required;
• production of building contracts, receipts and/or invoices when requested; and
• acquittal through an online reporting system

As a condition of funding for Equipment grants, successful applicants must comply with project monitoring and reporting requirements, including:

• advising the Department of scope changes (relating to time, cost, and project scope) by completing and submitting a RFV form via an online reporting system;
• site inspections, meetings and teleconferences with Department staff or representatives if required;
• production of receipts and/or invoices when requested; and
• acquittal through an online reporting system

A Soil Hygienist Report is required for any project that disturbs the soil to determine the suitability of the site for the proposed purpose of an early learning centre. It is important that an environmental professional is engaged to provide a Soil Hygienist Report – and not a geotechnical report.

Soil Hygienist Reports must:

• be performed by a qualified environmental professional
• align with standards such as the National Environmental Protection (Assessment of Contaminated Sites) Measure (NEPM)
• involve a desktop review of past site history and soil investigation samples for analysis of contaminants with particular focus on where project soil works are proposed
• compare contamination results against NEPM human health and ecological investigation levels as well as Victoria EPA Industrial Waste thresholds
• include a statement to indicate if the site is suitable for the intended use as an early learning centre and/or potential project risks
• specify if contaminated soil is identified above the levels specified for the intended use as an early learning centre

If contaminated soil is identified above the levels specified for the intended use as an early learning centre, recommendations for a soil management plan must be developed (e.g. for safe management or removal and disposal of the contaminated soil) and provided as part of your grant application. Examples of consultants who specialise in soil hygienist testing and site assessment, are listed below:

• The Australian Contaminated Land Consultants Association
• The State Government Construction Supply register under Contamination Testing category

A Division 6 Asbestos Audit Report is project site specific and is required for any project that involves work to a building where the fabric of the building will be disturbed.

Division 6 Asbestos Audit Reports must:

• be performed by a trained professional such as an Occupational Hygienist
• contain the results of a visual and invasive inspection of a building to monitor and identify Asbestos Containing Material (ACM).
• include the logged results of the asbestos audit in an asbestos register, which is to be updated following all subsequent audit reports and removal works.

If ACM is discovered in a building or site, an asbestos management, removal, and disposal plan. must be developed and provided as part of your grant application. Information and examples of consultants who specialises in asbestos and site assessment, are listed at:

• The State Government Construction Supply register under Contamination Testing category
• WorkSafe Victoria

For further information about asbestos safety, including how to find and identify asbestos, asbestos management and asbestos disposal visit Asbestos Victoria.

All successful applicants are required to upload information into the Department’s reporting system to complete their acquittal.

Recipient organisations must contact the Department immediately if they:

• require a project extension
• propose a change in project scope
• propose a change in project costs which results in either an overspend or underspend.

Applicants will be required to complete a Request for Variation form (which will be submitted through an online reporting system), together with detailed evidence that explains the reason for the variation. The applicant will be asked to allocate any underspend towards additional eligible items in line with the guidelines before an acquittal is accepted. Overspends remain the responsibility of the organisation.

Further information on acquittal requirements and variation requests can be found in the frequently asked questions.

Application forms can be accessed online through SmartyGrants. Applicants must be registered to use the Smarty Grants application system. Registration is free.

For assistance with the online application system, please email the SmartyGrants Support Desk or call on 03 9320 6888 between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday. You can also consult the SmartyGrants help guide.

The Department will not consider late applications.

Please think ahead

Two documents that require the most time to secure are the Soil Hygienist Report and the Asbestos Report. It is recommended that applicants obtain these reports or engage in these services prior to the commencement of the application process.

Applications for projects on Department land are not required to provide a soil hygienist report. The VSBA will complete this requirement following the submission of your application.

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

Note: Items marked with an Asterix (*) are only required if you are a not-for-profit or non-government school.

The following links are provided as a starting point for considering best practice approaches to inclusion. You are encouraged to undertake your own research to identify solutions that will meet their needs.

Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority

• National Quality Framework

Department of Education

• Disability Standards for Education
• Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework

International resources

After the closing date

After the closing date for applications has passed, the Department will check to confirm that applications meet the following eligibility requirements:

• all required documentation has been provided (refer to Application Checklist at Appendix B)
• assess all eligible applications against the assessment criteria; and
• convene an assessment panel to oversee recommendations and manage any conflicts of interest.

We may also undertake further project cost assessment in instances where project costs are particularly complex, or clarification is required.

Following this process, the Department will provide its recommendation to the Minister for Early Childhood & Pre-Prep for final approval. The Minister reserves the right to provide strategic investment to projects. The Minister may also, on advice from the Department, provide funding to partners, in exceptional circumstances, to support the provision of funded Three- and Four-Year-Old Kindergarten services across the state.

Past performance

We will review your past performance and assess whether it is likely to have an impact on the successful delivery of your project. This will include considering whether you have:

• taken appropriate steps to deliver previous projects funded through the Building Blocks program (or previous Children’s Facilities Capital and Inclusive Kindergartens Facilities program) within appropriate timeframes
• overdue projects funded by the Department and whether extensions have been requested and approved;
• completed projects funded by the Department and whether you have submitted all documentation required to acquit the grant funding, including regular monthly reporting and acquittal within the contracted time frame; and/or
• proposed an operator of the service with a record of delivering a quality kindergarten program, particularly in the same community or area as the project.

Poor performance against these factors may result in projects not being recommended for funding or funding withdrawal.

If you are unsuccessful in obtaining funding for a Building Blocks Inclusion grant you may:

• contact the Early Childhood grants team for feedback on your application and outcome; or
• seek a review into the assessment of your application.

The VSBA Early Childhood Grants team can be contacted by phone on 03 7022 0214 or email building.blocks@education.vic.gov.au

Before applying, please refer to the Building Blocks Inclusion assessment factsheet below. This factsheet contains important information about your grant application.

Please also read the frequently asked questions.

If you have any queries, contact the VSBA Early Childhood Grants team at building.blocks@education.vic.gov.au

Information privacy

The information you provide will be dealt with in accordance with the Public Records Act 1973 and the Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014