The following information provides guidance to individuals and organisations who are applying for an early childhood education and care provider approval in Queensland.
Applying for provider approval
An individual or organisation wanting to apply for provider approval in Queensland must submit an online application through the
National Quality Agenda IT System (NQA IT System). Prospective providers can also lodge an application for Child Care Subsidy (CCS) approval with the Australian Government at the same time.
The
Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Agency (ACECQA) is responsible for managing the NQA IT System and has developed user guides to assist applicants to apply for provider approval and service approval, including:
Information on the various application pathways for provider approval and service approval (e.g. National Law and/or CCS) can be accessed by the applicant once they have registered and logged in to the
NQA IT System portal.
Before applying for provider approval, you must register with
Provider Digital Access (PRODA), which is used by the Regulatory Authority and the Australian Government to verify and authenticate the identities of applicants and persons with management or control (PMCs) registering for the NQA IT System.
Information required for provider approval
The
Education and Care Services National Law and the
Education and Care Services National Regulations set out the information which must be provided by an applicant seeking provider approval.
Section 11 of the National Law outlines what is required of applicants for provider approval. Applications for the relevant approvals being sought should be made online via the NQA IT System. The system will guide the provision of this information, which includes a range of
prescribed information and payment of the application fee among other requirements.
The prescribed information will be different depending on whether the application for provider approval is made by an individual or a person other than an individual.
It is important to note that it is an offence to knowingly provide false or misleading information or documents to the Regulatory Authority.
Provider approval by individual
This applies to a sole proprietor.
Carefully read
regulation 14 which outlines the prescribed information that must be included in an application for provider approval by an
individual in Queensland. This includes, among other things, identity details, working with children card or check, statements in relation to previous service history, criminal history and bankruptcy.
A completed
declaration of fitness and propriety form (i.e. PA02 form) and associated evidentiary documents must be submitted.
Provider approval by a person other than an individual
This applies to approval by corporate body, parents and citizens association, partnership and government body, for example.
Carefully read
regulation 15 which outlines the prescribed information that must be included in an application for provider approval
by a person other than an individual. This includes, for example, basic details about the applicant and any of their trading names, a contact person, documentary evidence of the legal status of the applicant and its constitution (e.g. a current extract report from the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) for a company or the partnership agreement for a partnership), and financial declarations.
The application must also include the information set out in
regulation 14 for each individual who will be a person with management or control of an education and care service to be operated by the applicant.
A
declaration of fitness and propriety form (i.e. PA02 form) must be provided by:
- each person who comprises the applicant (i.e. in the case of a company this is every director on the board)
- each person with management or control of an education and care service to be operated by the applicant (this may include all or some of the board and potentially other key officers of the corporation).
More information
Provider approval application process
Once an application for provider approval is lodged through the NQA IT System, it will be received by the Regulatory Authority in the jurisdiction in which the applicant ordinarily resides for validation and assessment. If an applicant is submitting a joint application for provider approval, the Australian Government will also receive the application for CCS at the same time.
For applicants that ordinarily reside in Queensland, the Regulatory Authority will receive the application and will check that it contains the prescribed information (regulation 14 for an individual,
regulation 15 for a non-individual) required and that the
application fee for provider approval has been paid.
The Regulatory Authority will assess the application against the requirements for provider approval specified under the National Law and National Regulations including assessing the fitness and propriety of any persons with management or control. As part of the assessment process, the Regulatory Authority may request further information be provided within a specified time period. Evidence of management capability may also be required which may include completion of an online assessment and/or attendance at an interview.
Read more about
management capability for persons with management or control.
Once the assessment of the application is complete, the Regulatory Authority will advise the applicant in writing on the outcome of the decision to either grant, grant with conditions or refuse the application for provider approval.
If the application is granted, the Regulatory Authority will issue a certificate for a provider approval which must be displayed at the approved provider’s premises once service approval is granted.
For the approval of combined applications made under the National Law and for CCS approval, it is important to note that while applications can be assessed at the same time, approval will be granted separately. This is because the Australian Government cannot grant CCS approval until the applicant has been granted approval under the National Law. If you have questions relating to CCS approval, please contact
CCSassessments@education.gov.au.
Applicants may apply to have an internal review of a decision to refuse a provider approval within
14 days of the day on which they were notified or became aware of the decision. Find out more and download the
application for internal review of reviewable decision (PDF, 324KB) (AR01 form) on the ACECQA
applications and notifications forms page.
Incomplete provider approval applications
If an application for provider approval is lodged through the NQA IT System and does not contain the prescribed information and the payment of prescribed application fee, the Regulatory Authority will consider the application to be
incomplete.
The Regulatory Authority will:
- advise the applicant in writing that the application is incomplete
- specify the information that is outstanding
- specify a time period for the receipt of this information.
If an application is deemed incomplete and the outstanding information is not provided within the requested time period, the applicant will be advised the application is closed and the fee (if paid) will be refunded. The applicant can submit a new application once all prescribed information is ready to be lodged.
Assessment of an application for provider approval does not commence until all prescribed information has been provided.
Approval decisions timeframe
Under the National Law, the Regulatory Authority must decide applications for provider approval within
60 days after receiving a complete application for provider approval.
An application for provider approval must meet the requirements specified under
section 11 of the National Law and include the prescribed information outlined in regulations
14 and
15.
The Regulatory Authority may seek further information for the purposes of assessing an application once it is deemed complete. If the Regulatory Authority requests further information, the time taken to provide the further information is not included in the 60-day legislated decision-making timeframe. Similarly, should an interview and/or completion of online assessment be required, the time from the point of invitation through to the conduct of the interview and/or online assessment is not included in the 60-day decision timeframe.
If the requested information is received by the Regulatory Authority within the specified time period, the application will be assessed against the requirements of the National Law and National Regulations.
If the further information is
not received by the Regulatory Authority within the specified time period, the application may be assessed against the requirements of the National Law and National Regulations, based on the information already received.
For more information about timeframes for assessing provider approval applications and how this is calculated, see the provider approval section in ACECQA’s
Guide to the National Quality Framework.
Lodging an application for provider approval
The Regulatory Authority accepts applications for provider approval lodged online through the
NQA IT System throughout the year.
It is important to note that the Regulatory Authority does experience a peak period for applications for service approval between October and January each year due to new services seeking to operate at the commencement of a new calendar year (i.e. in January of any given year).
Applicants are therefore strongly encouraged to consider submitting their provider approval applications prior to this peak period if they are planning to operate a new service commencing in January of any given year. This will ensure sufficient time is allowed for both the provider and service approval applications to be assessed by the Regulatory Authority, including time for any requests for further information, prior to the proposed opening day of the new service.
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