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FY26 Early Childhood Block Grant RFP Information

FY 2026 Notice of Intent to Apply

Preschool for All, Preschool for All Expansion, and Prevention Initiative

The fiscal year 2026 Early Childhood Block Grant (ECBG) Request for Proposals (RFP) will be released electronically in the ISBE IWAS system. This includes Preschool for All, Preschool for All Expansion, and Prevention Initiative. Currently funded ECBG programs do not need to apply for this RFP to maintain current funding, unless the entity wishes to apply for additional slots to expand their program.

Eligible applicants must submit an FY 2026 Notice of Intent to Apply to access the IWAS system. The intent to apply deadline is December 30. Entities must complete an intent to apply form before they can make an RFP submission.  On the form, the entity will select which of the three ECBG grants it intends to apply for.

The following entities outside the City of Chicago may apply: Currently funded and new ECBG programs from Regional Offices of Education; public school districts; university laboratory schools approved by the Illinois State Board of Education; charter schools; area vocational centers; and public or private not-for-profit or for-profit entities with experience in providing educational, health, social, and/or child development services to young children and their families.

Administrative agents from a Local Education Agency or another eligible applicant can apply in a subcontracted effort with family child care and family child care group homes that have a current license issued by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.

A separate appropriation has been awarded to City of Chicago District 299. Applicants proposing to provide services for children and families within the Chicago city limits must apply for funds through the Chicago Public Schools Office of Early Childhood Education.

Questions may be directed to the Early Childhood Development Department at 217-524-4835 or ecrfp@isbe.net. ​​​

FY25 Early Childhood Block Grant RFP Information

Fiscal Year (FY) 25 Early Childhood Block Grant Request For Proposals (RFP) - 2024-2025

FY 2025 Early Childhood RFP’s Now Available in IWAS

  • FY 25 ECBG RFP Technical Assistance webinar recordingGo To Meeting Link
  • FY 25 ECBG RFP Technical Assistance Power Point slides PDF Document
  • FY 25 ECBG RFP Technical Assistance FAQ​PDF Document
  • ​​Due Date: The deadline for submitting the FY 2025 Early Childhood RFP’s is 4:00 p.m. on May 16, 2024. 
  • The FY 2025 Early Childhood Block Grant RFP is only for new grantees or current grantees that are wishing to add new slots (serve more children). 
  • The RFP is not for current grantees to request additional funding for their current slots. 
  • The fiscal year 2025 Early Childhood - Preschool for All, Preschool for All Expansion and Prevention Initiative center-based RFP’s are now available in the electronic Grants Management System through the ISBE Web Application Security (IWAS) system.
    • Early Childhood Preschool for All RFP
    • Early Childhood Preschool for All Expansion State RFP​
    • Early Childhood Prevention Initiative RFP
  • In order to submit all Grant Accountability and Transparency Act (GATA) prequalification requirements must be met. This includes completion of the Grantee Registration and prequalification process through the Illinois GATA Web Portal.

Steps To Apply

  1. If your entity has submitted an intent to apply, the authorized official for your organization will have access to the systems.
  2. Other staff members must request access to the systems needed, and the authorized official can grant approval.
  3. Once you are in the system, create your application by selecting "Year: 2025" and choosing "Create Application." Some grants display a "Yes" checkbox that must be selected before the "Create Application" button appears.

Technical assistance pertaining to items not covered by the instructions link in IWAS may be obtained by contacting the Early Childhood Department at ECRFP@isbe.net or call (217) 524-4835.

Eligible Applicants

The following entities outside the City of Chicago may apply: Currently funded and new ECBG programs from Regional Offices of Education; public school districts; university laboratory schools approved by the Illinois State Board of Education; charter schools; area vocational centers; and public or private not-for-profit or for-profit entities with experience in providing educational, health, social, and/or child development services to young children and their families.

Administrative agents from a Local Education Agency or another eligible applicant can apply in a subcontracted effort with family child care and family child care group homes that have a current license issued by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.

A separate appropriation has been awarded to City of Chicago District 299. Applicants proposing to provide services for children and families within the Chicago city limits must apply for funds through the Chicago Public Schools Office of Early Childhood Education.

Technical Assistance

  • Webinars with application information will be held at the following dates and times:
    • Webinar link (same for all sessions)
      • March 26, 2024, from 4:00-5:00 p.m.
      • April 10, 2024, from 10:00-11:00 a.m.
      • April 22, 2024, from 10:30-11:30 a.m.
      • May 3, 2024, from 9:30-10:30 a.m.
  • Office hours for general questions:
    Persons who need special accommodations or interpretation, including Communications Access Real-Time Translation (CART) or live captioning services to access the meeting should contact the Language Access Coordinator at 312-814-5818 or any of the following email address: languageaccess@isbe.net no later than five business days before the meeting.
  • Birth to Five Illinois Regional Team
    The Birth to Five Illinois Regional Team is available throughout the application window to assist applicants with accessing and understanding data, connecting applicants to grant-writing support where possible, and assisting community-based providers, such as family child care homes, with identifying opportunities for collaboration and partners to apply for funding. Birth to Five Illinois Regional Team contact information can be found at the link below.

RFP Documents

Family Child Care Resources

Performance Measures and Standards

FY25 Prevention Initiative Training & Technical Assistant RFP Information

FY25 Prevention Initiative Training and Technical Assistance Request for Proposal - CLOSED

FY24 RFP Information

FISCAL YEAR (FY) 24 EARLY CHILDHOOD BLOCK GRANT REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) - 2023-2024​

ISBE has released the RFP for the FY 2024 Early Childhood Block Grant and is prioritizing applicants proposing to serve the identified preschool deserts to fill critical gaps in underserved areas across the state. View the list of preschool deserts below:

The application is open to public or private not-for-profit or for-profit entities with experience in providing educational, health, social, and/or child development services to young children and their families. DCFS family childcare homes are eligible to apply in joint applications with an administrative agent from a Local Education Agency (LEA) or another eligible applicant and can learn more here: Family Child Care Model​PDF Document

​The Birth to Five Illinois Regional Team is also available throughout the application window to assist with accessing and understanding data; connecting applicants to grant-writing support where possible; and assisting community-based providers, such as family child care homes, with identifying opportunities for collaboration and partners to apply for funding.

Providers that need assistance meeting the program requirements for licensed staff can learn more about the Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity Scholarship Program. Scholarships are available for undergraduate and graduate study. Eligible applicants are individuals currently working or who have worked in the early childhood field, including in home-based or center-based child care; who have obtained membership with the Illinois Gateways to Opportunity Registry; and who are enrolled or accepted to enroll in an eligible program at a participating institution in pursuit of an associate’s, bachelor’s, or master’s degree in early childhood or an additional license or endorsement in the field.

ISBE also offers temporary licenses called short-term approvals for qualified individuals to start teaching immediately while working toward permanent licensure.

*NOTE that programs seeking funding through ISBE must serve children and families outside the city of Chicago. ISBE does not fund entities in the city of Chicago. A separate appropriation has been awarded to the City of Chicago School District 299 for the initiatives funded under the ECBG Preschool for All program. Applicants proposing to provide services for children and families within the Chicago city limits must apply for funds through the Chicago Public Schools Office of Early Childhood Education.

*NOTE that the State of Illinois Grant Accountability and Transparency Act (GATA) requires applicants to complete prequalification requirements before applying for any grant. This includes completion of the Grantee Registration and prequalification process through the Illinois GATA Web Portal​. Grant applications must be submitted by the application deadline indicated in this NOFO/RFP. Applicants are advised to complete the prequalification requirements well in advance of the NOFO/RFP deadline.

STEP-BY-STEP HOW TO APPLY

  1. READ through the respective RFP document below.
  2. VIEW the respective RFP example below.
  3. REACH OUT to the Birth to Five Illinois Regional Team for assistance or ask questions by contacting the ISBE Early Childhood Department at 217-524-4835 or earlychi@isbe.net. 
  4. FILL OUT the respective RFP attachment below.
  5. SUBMIT your application via the ISBE Attachment Manager (choose “Early Childhood RFP” in the dropdown list for ISBE eMail Name) or via   email to earlychi@isbe.net. 

Need technical assistance? Sign up for a webinar here. Go To Meeting Link

FY23 RFP Information

FY23 Preschool Discretionary Request for Proposal opportunities for the STAR NET, Early Choices, and Child Find Awareness Project grants are available. Please see below for more information.

***NOTE: There was a change made to the FY23 Child Find RFP Document on 03/09/22***

Fiscal Year (FY) 23 Request for Proposals (RFP) - 2022-2023

FY22 RFP Information

FY22 Request for Proposal opportunity for Prevention Initiative Training & Technical Assistance (PI T&TA) funds is available. Proposals are due in the ISBE offices no later than 4 p.m. July 12, 2021. Please see below for more information.

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