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Eligibility criteria - intergrated hubs

Integrated hubs require high quality service delivery, and suitable infrastructure to support this service delivery. Organisations may apply as:

  • The provider of an existing Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) service that wishes to convert to an integrated hub.
  • An organisation with an existing infrastructure project that believes it could be a suitable integrated hub project.
  • An organisation wishing to operate a new integrated hub service, which may or may not include providing and/or managing a new build and/or contributing land.
  • An organisation wishing to act as an infrastructure partner, to provide and manage a new build for a new service to operate out of, which may or may not include providing land.
  • And organisation wishing to act as a land partner, to provide land for the development of a new integrated hub.

Organisations may seek to apply to be an integrated hub independently or part of a consortium.

Organisations may also submit multiple proposals across different locations (for example, as an existing ECEC service in location 1 and to operate a new integrated hub service in location 2).

The following eligibility criteria will apply for the commissioning of integrated hubs.

Integrated hub operators and infrastructure partners

Potential integrated hub operators and infrastructure partners must be:

  1. a legal entity, holding an Australian Business Number (ABN), registered for goods and services tax (GST), and
  2. one of the following types of organisations:
    1. not-for-profit (NFP) organisations that are registered or incorporated in Australia,
    2. Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation (ACCO),
    3. Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (ACCHO),
    4. South Australian local government entities, OR
    5. South Australian non-government schools that are registered with the Education Standards Board (ESB) and in receipt of state government funding.

Existing ECEC services

Existing ECEC services are eligible to apply if they meet criteria 1 and 2, as well as the following:

  1. One of the following types of ECEC providers:
    1. an approved provider under the Education and Care Services National Law Act 2010 (National Law) and the Education and Care Services National Regulations 2011 (National Regulations); OR
    2. A CCCFR ACCO-operated service not regulated under the National Law.
  2. Operate or be willing to operate a childcare subsidy (CCS) eligible long day care (LDC) model.
  3. Operate a service that would support a 30-hour, 3- and 4-year-old preschool program for a minimum of 40 children.
  4. Have a rating of ‘meeting’ or ‘exceeding’ against the National Quality Standards at the time of application and assessment. (The OECD will also consider providers who are not yet assessed.)
  5. Located in an area of high developmental vulnerability and greater need (as identified by the OECD).

ACCOs and ACCHOs

The OECD welcomes interest from ACCOs and ACCHOs and is seeking to establish at least 2 integrated hubs with Aboriginal providers.

ACCOs and ACCHOs may register interest to establish a hub in any part of the state and are not restricted to the outlined list of priority areas.

Recognising the different regulatory settings in place for some ACCO services, the NQS quality rating as described for other applicants does not apply. A commitment to quality and continuous improvement will be expected, as for all proponents.

The above-described criteria 1 to 4 are applicable to ACCO and ACCHO applicants.

New services

Organisations interested in operating a new service will be eligible to register their interest if they meet the criteria 1 and 4, as well as the following:

  1. Willing to operate a service that would support a 30-hour, 3- and 4-year-old preschool program for a minimum of 60 children.
  2. Willing to establish the service in a new build area (as identified by the OECD).

Non-conforming applications

Applications for existing ECEC services may also be considered if they can demonstrate exceptional circumstances for not meeting the eligibility criteria.

Examples of non-conforming applications are provided in the Partnership Guide and are indicative only.

Infrastructure partners

Organisations interested in establishing a new building for a new service will be eligible to register their interest if they meet the criteria 1 to 2, as well as the following:

  1. Willing to undertake an infrastructure project to build on land located in a priority new build area as identified by the OECD.
  2. Willing to lease the facility at below commercial rates to an approved provider to operate a CCS eligible LDC model.

Infrastructure partners may or may not provide the land parcel on which the new facility will be built.

Land partners

Organisations wishing to provide land for the purpose of developing an integrated hub may do so independently or as part of a consortium.

  1. Land partners must own, or be willing to source, a suitably sized parcel of land in an identified priority area for a new hub and be:
    1. Willing to gift or sell the land; or
    2. Willing to lease the land and facility at below commercial rates to an approved provider to operate a CCS eligible LDC model.