Closed
Source verified July 18, 2026
Operational Start Up Fund for School Age Care
Startup support for new school-age care spaces
Funding available
$ 150,000
Deadline
Closed
Location
British Columbia, Canada
Overview
The Operational Start Up Fund for School Age Care provides $1,500 per new school age care space, up to $150,000 per site, for eligible school districts and child care operators in British Columbia to expand or create school-based programs. It supports initial operational costs such as lease costs, licensing applications, and staff salaries and benefits.
/100
Opportunity Score
Moderate potential, but conditions must align.
At a glance
Funding available
Financing goals
- Increase performance through digital transformation
- Develop a new product or service
- Develop workforce skills
Eligible Funding
- Maximum amount : 150,000 $
Funds Providers
Eligible candidates
Eligible Industries
- All industries
Location
- British Columbia
Legal structures
- Public or Parapublic institution
Annual revenue
- All revenue ranges
Organisation size
- All organization sizes
Audience
- All groups
Next Steps
1
Determine your project
2
Validate your eligibility
Activities funded
- Expand or create new school age care programs on school grounds.
- Create new school age spaces, including new programs and expansions that add new licensed school age spaces.
- Bring newly built spaces into service.
Official resources
Application portal
Eligibility
Who is eligible?
- Boards of Education.
- A Board-selected Not-For-Profit Authorized Operator.
Eligible expenses
- Costs associated with the development of an inclusion policy and licensing-required program policies.
- Housewares, office supplies, small appliances, toys, art supplies, books and games, and parent check-in technology.
- Lease costs and legal costs directly related to child care facility operation and unrelated to ongoing legal disputes.
- Marketing and advertising, licensing applications, utilities, planning, curriculum development, and instructional planning.
- Staff salaries and benefits, training, and certifications such as First Aid, CPR, Criminal Record Check, and Responsible Adult.
Ineligible Costs and Activities
- Cost escalations.
- Bad debts, business-related meals and entertainment, fundraising, and insurance for operations.
- Fixed outdoor play equipment and program equipment eligible for Ministry of Infrastructure Child Care Capital funding.
- Loans, networking activities, proprietary programming, and renovations.
- Staff gifts, taxes, travel expenses, and vehicle rentals.
Selection criteria
- The ministry may reject an intake form if, in its opinion, the SACSG program's viability is unsubstantiated, including concerns about financial capacity, long-term sustainability, licensing compliance, and other risks or deficiencies.
How to apply
- Complete and submit the online OSU Intake Form for the SACSG Program associated with the approved Ministry of Infrastructure 2026-27 Child Care Capital project by February 28, 2027.
Processing and Agreement
- The ministry reviews the intake form for completeness and may request clarification or missing information.
- The ministry provides the funding decision.
- If approved, the operator enters into a funding agreement and payment is issued.
- After the spaces become operational, successful operators must submit an annual report each year for three years.
- The ministry may conduct random internal audits, and recipients must retain all financial records and proof of payment for seven years following the licence date.
Additional information
- The ChildCareBC Operational Start-Up Fund is a provincial grant program and not a procurement process.
- The ministry has sole discretion to determine whether a cost is eligible.
- Any ineligible costs are the financial responsibility of the operator.
- Funding recipients must retain all financial records and proof of payment for seven years following the licence date.
Contacts
Frequently Asked Questions about the Operational Start Up Fund for School Age Care Program
What is the Operational Start Up Fund for School Age Care?
The Operational Start Up Fund for School Age Care provides $1,500 per new school age care space, up to $150,000 per site, for eligible school districts and child care operators in British Columbia to expand or create school-based programs. It supports initial operational costs such as lease costs, licensing applications, and staff salaries and benefits.
How much funding can be received?
Operational Start Up Fund for School Age Care Funds up to $150,000 of admissible expenses.
Who is eligible for the Operational Start Up Fund for School Age Care program?
To be eligible for the Operational Start Up Fund for School Age Care program, you must:
School districts must plan to deliver board operated care and have been successfully awarded funding through the Ministry of Infrastructure’s Child Care Capital Grant in 2026.
Not-for-profit operators must deliver school age child care on school grounds and be selected by a School District to operate spaces funded through the Ministry of Infrastructure’s Child Care Capital Grant in 2026.
The spaces must be part of an approved 2026-27 Child Care Capital project.
What expenses are eligible under Operational Start Up Fund for School Age Care?
Expand or create new school age care programs on school grounds.
Create new school age spaces, including new programs and expansions that add new licensed school age spaces.
Bring newly built spaces into service.
Who can I contact for more information about the Operational Start Up Fund for School Age Care?
You can contact Government of British Columbia (BC) by email at cccf@gov.bc.ca or by phone at 1-888-338-6622.
Where is the Operational Start Up Fund for School Age Care available?
The Operational Start Up Fund for School Age Care program is available the province of British Columbia.
Is the Operational Start Up Fund for School Age Care a grant, loan, or tax credit?
Operational Start Up Fund for School Age Care is a Grant and Funding