What Explore & Develop does

Explore & Develop (legal entity: Explore & Develop Pty Ltd.) is a private Australian franchisor of early childhood education and care (ECEC) services, headquartered in Lane Cove, NSW, and operating since 2004. The group runs 30+ childcare centres across NSW and ACT, collectively employing 700+ qualified educators, Early Childhood Teachers, and Diploma/Certificate III staff, serving families with children aged 6 weeks to 6 years through nursery, toddler, and preschool programs aligned to the Early Years Learning Framework. Each centre is independently owned and operated by a franchisee, with the central Support Office providing branding, training, operations support, curriculum frameworks, and franchise services; services are delivered through physical centres rather than digital channels.

The core product is regulated childcare delivered in natural, home-like environments with play-based, emergent learning programs and a dedicated School Transition Program. Underlying technology is standard off-the-shelf operational software rather than proprietary IP: OWNA is used for enrolments and waitlist management, Xero for bookkeeping, Canva for marketing content, erly.app for job applications, and Op Central as the franchise operations portal. Multiple centres hold ACECQA 'Exceeding' ratings under the National Quality Framework, with the Annandale service among a small number nationally to achieve the top 'Excellent' rating.

Explore & Develop earns revenue through three streams: (i) child care fees paid by families (~$167.50–$188.50 per day depending on room and location), (ii) the Australian Government Child Care Subsidy paid directly to providers on behalf of eligible families, and (iii) franchise fees, royalties, and support charges paid by franchisees to the central franchisor entity. The customer base is entirely B2C (families), with a secondary customer segment of early childhood professionals seeking franchise ownership. The company has no institutional investors, no disclosed funding rounds, and no parent company, making it a bootstrapped, operator-led franchise business.

Name

Explore & Develop

Legal name

Explore & Develop Pty Ltd.

Website

https://exploreanddevelop.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Explore & Develop is a private Australian franchisor operating 30+ early childhood education and care centres across NSW and ACT, delivering nursery, toddler, and preschool programs to families under a franchise model with central support, training, and ACECQA-rated quality frameworks.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Early Childhood Education & Care

NAICS

Child Care Services (62441), Child Care Services (624410), Child Care Services (6244), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Child Day Care Services (8351), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Preschool Programs within Childcare Centers (EDACABAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Toddler-Focused Childcare Centers (EDACAAAG), General Preschools (Play-Based) (EDACABAA), Center-Based Toddler Care (18–36 months) (EDACAGAB), Parenting Skills & Child Development Education (EDACALAA)

Keywords

• Early childhood education
• Childcare services
• Preschool programs
• Franchise childcare
• Early learning centres

Headquarters

HQ city

Lane Cove

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices30 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Child Care Fees: Revenue is generated from child care fees charged to families for early childhood education and care services. Fees vary by location and room type (nursery, toddler, preschool). The organisation offers a Child Care Subsidy Calculator to help families estimate government assistance.
2. Australian Government Child Care Subsidy: The Australian Federal Government provides Child Care Subsidy financial assistance to eligible families, paid directly to providers to reduce fees. Eligibility based on income level, activity hours, and daily fees charged.
3. Franchise Fees: Explore & Develop operates as a franchised group where individual owners/operators pay franchise fees for brand access, support, training, intellectual property, resources, and operational guidance from the Support Office.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Explore & Develop delivers early childhood education and care for children aged 6 weeks to 6 years through a franchise network of 30+ centres across NSW and ACT. Services include nursery, toddler, and preschool programs based on the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF), supported by a School Transition Program, a Child Care Subsidy Calculator, a Parent Resource Library, and franchise opportunities for prospective operator-owners.

Product overview

Explore & Develop is a franchise network of early childhood education and care services operating across NSW and ACT, Australia. The company operates on a franchise model where each service is independently owned and operated by franchisees who are supported by a central support office. The core offering consists of early childhood education and care for children aged 6 weeks to 6 years, delivered through play-based learning programs guided by the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF). Key products include nursery, toddler, and preschool programs across 30+ locations, a School Transition Program to prepare children for kindergarten, and a Child Care Subsidy Calculator tool for families. The company also provides professional development programs for educators including annual conferences and leadership training in partnership with Semann & Slattery, along with a Parent Resource Library offering educational content. New services continue to open, including purpose-built centers in areas like Artarmon Dickson Ave, Rhodes, and Wilton.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Early Childhood Education and Care Services Centre-based nursery (6 weeks–2 years), toddler, and preschool (2–6 years) programs delivered through a franchise network across NSW and ACT under the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF), with play-based, child-led learning and a School Transition Program to prepare children for kindergarten.
• Franchise Opportunities Franchise offering for early childhood professionals to own and operate their own ECEC service under the Explore & Develop brand, with centralised management, operations, training, and resource support from the Support Office.

Quantifiable outcome

• One of the highest ACECQA results nationally
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Happy FamiliesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParenting resource organisation. Explore & Develop is proudly partnered with Happy Families to provide additional resources and support to families.
• Tresillian Family CarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAustralia's largest child and family health organisation providing expert parenting advice during the early years. Tresillian helps parents gain confidence in routines around breastfeeding, sleep, settling, and nutrition. Explore & Develop references Tresillian resources and recommendations in newsletters and parent information.
• Semann & SlatterycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExplore & Develop has a leadership program in partnership with Semann & Slattery that identifies emerging leaders and supports those with potential to grow and thrive, helping them step up and succeed well into the future.
• Australian Federal Government (Child Care Subsidy)coreOthersThe Australian Federal Government provides Child Care Subsidy financial assistance to eligible families, paid directly to approved early childhood education and care providers including Explore & Develop services.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Goodstart Early Learning: Australia's largest not-for-profit early learning provider, operating around 670 centres nationally. Directly comparable in product (long-day care, preschool, nursery) and target customer (families with 0–5 year-olds), with overlapping geographic presence in NSW and ACT.
• G8 Education: ASX-listed operator of ~430 childcare centres across Australia under brands including Affinity, Guardian, Only About Children, and Little Learners. Directly comparable in core offering, franchise/corporate operating model, and national scale ambitions.
• Affinity Education: Operator of ~200 childcare centres across Australia under the Milestones and Papilio brands. Directly comparable in centre-based early learning, age range served, and tiered brand portfolio (premium and value).
• Guardian Childcare & Education: Premium Australian childcare operator with 70+ centres across NSW, VIC, QLD, ACT, and WA. Closely comparable in premium positioning, play-based pedagogy, and family-facing service model, with significant overlap in Sydney suburbs.
• Busy Bees Australia: Australian arm of global Busy Bees group, operating 80+ centres nationwide. Comparable in centre-based early learning, government-subsidy participation, and pedagogy-driven premium positioning.
• Only About Children: Premium operator of ~70 campuses combining early learning and primary school. Comparable in targeting higher-income families, integrated health/education offering, and Sydney/Melbourne footprint.
• Petit Early Learning Journey: Premium Australian childcare group operating ~50 centres across QLD, NSW, VIC, and SA. Comparable in premium positioning, community-rooted pedagogy, and franchise/corporate hybrid operating model.
• Think Childcare: ASX-listed operator of 60+ childcare centres across Australia. Comparable in centre-based early learning model, listed-market valuation comparability, and exposure to Child Care Subsidy economics.
• Montessori Academy: Australian operator of Montessori-aligned childcare and preschool centres across NSW, QLD, and VIC. Comparable in long-day care, preschool, and franchise-style multi-site expansion, with curriculum differentiation via Montessori pedagogy.
• KU Children's Services: One of Australia's largest not-for-profit early childhood education providers, operating 130+ centres. Comparable in long-day care and preschool services, government-subsidy participation, and reputation for quality pedagogy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/exploreanddevelop
• Instagraminstagram.com/exploreanddevelopwilton
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/explore-develop-early-childhood-education

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Explore & Develop