Building South Australia’s ECEC Workforce: Round 2 Flying Start Workforce Grants

In preparation for the rollout of 3‑year‑old preschool from 2026, the South Australian Government is investing in its early childhood workforce. A key enabler of this strategy is the Flying Start grants program, which includes targeted Workforce Grants to support services and organisations in attracting and retaining educators, particularly in regional, rural and hard‑to‑staff areas. 

What are the Flying Start Workforce Grants?

• The Workforce Grants are one component of the broader Flying Start initiative under the $118 million Early Childhood Workforce Strategy. 
• The grants are designed to help address workforce challenges by funding locally led, innovative initiatives that strengthen capacity, collaboration, and retention in the ECEC sector. 
• Under Round 2, grants of up to $150,000 (one‑off, 12‑month funding) are available. 

A broad range of organisations are eligible, including:

• Early childhood education and care (ECEC) services
• Local government authorities
• Community support organisations
• ECEC training providers and Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 

To be eligible, applicants must meet criteria including:

• Be currently operating within South Australia 
• Employ or seek to employ a degree‑qualified early childhood teacher or person with a Special Authority to Teach (SAT) 
• Demonstrate that at least 50% of the services in their proposal are located in outer‑regional, remote or very remote areas or areas with low socio‑economic disadvantage index (SEIFA Decile 1 or 2) 
• Include partner organisations (i.e. shared or collaborative proposals) 

For RTOs, additional requirements apply (e.g. existing training agreements and capacity to deliver face‑to‑face ECEC training in remote locations). 

Eligible initiatives and activities may include (but are not limited to):

• Shared staffing or educator models across services
• Professional development, upskilling, mentoring or coaching programs
• Attraction campaigns or strategies to recruit educators
• Establishing or expanding local training hubs or RTO presence
• Embedding cultural safety, wellbeing and mental health support within workforce strategies.

Key dates and timelines (Round 2)

• Closes: Monday, 3 November 2025 
• Outcome notifications: 17 December 2025 
• Funding period: throughout 12 months, with full project delivery expected within the grant term 

As South Australia phases in universal 3‑year‑old preschool, a sufficiently staffed, supported and skilled early childhood workforce is essential. The Flying Start Workforce Grants aim to catalyse local, place‑based innovation in workforce development, helping services build resilience and capacity tailored to their context. 

For service providers seeking to strengthen their workforce and community impact, this is a timely opportunity to embed sustainable practices and partnerships.

For full details, including grants guidelines, checklists and the online application portal, visit the Flying Start Workforce Grants page.