If you are a professional working in early years childcare and parents of the children under your care are receiving free childcare hours under the national scheme, you can claim funding to cover the cost from us. 

You will need parents or carers to fill out the form below before you make a claim.

Timetable for claiming funds

Payments are scheduled to clear or on before the first day of the related month. For twice termly paid providers, this will be an estimated payment, with balance payments following during the final week before half term (dependent on school term days).

Any April payments may not fall on or before the first day of the related month due to the start of the new financial year.

You can also download a PDF version of the timetable.

Autumn 2024/25

• Portal opens 3 June 2024
• Term time only funding: 2 September 2024 to 27 December 2024 (14 weeks - provider chooses which weeks)
• Stretched offer funding: 2 September 2024 to 27 December 2024 (up to 16 weeks - 1 week not covered, provider chooses which week)
• School holidays: 28 October to 3 November 2024, 16 December to 31 December 2024
• Estimate claim portal closes: midnight 11 August 2024
• Balance claim portal closes: midnight 6 October 2024
• Adjustments portal closes: midnight 12 January 2025

Spring 2024/25

• Portal opens 3 November 2024
• Term time only funding: 30 December 2024 to 28 March 2025 (11 weeks - provider chooses which weeks)
• Stretched offer funding: 30 December 2024 to 28 March 2025 (up to 13 weeks)
• School holidays: 17 February to 23 February 2025
• Estimate claim portal closes: midnight 1 December 2024
• Balance claim portal closes: midnight 19 January 2025
• Adjustments portal closes: midnight 6 April 2025

Summer 2025/26

• Portal opens 10 February 2025
• Term time only funding: 31 March 2025 to 31 August 2025 (13 weeks - provider chooses which weeks)
• Stretched offer funding: 31 March 2025 to 31 August 2025 (up to 22 weeks)
• School holidays: 7 April to 20 April, 26 May to 1 June, 21 July to 31 August 2025
• Estimate claim portal closes: midnight 9 March 2025
• Balance claim portal closes: midnight 4 May 2025
• Adjustments portal closes: midnight 14 September 2025

Autumn 2025/26

• Portal opens 2 June 2025
• Term time only funding: 1 September 2025 to 28 December 2025 (14 weeks - provider chooses which weeks)
• Stretched offer funding: 1 September 2025 to 28 December 2025 (up to 16 weeks - 1 week not covered, provider chooses which week)
• School holidays: 27 October to 2 November, 15 December to 31 December 2025
• Estimate claim portal closes: midnight 10 August 2025
• Balance claim portal closes: midnight 5 October 2025
• Adjustments portal closes: midnight 11 January 2026

Spring 2025/26

• Portal opens 3 November 2025
• Term time only funding: 29 December 2025 to 29 March 2026 (11 weeks - provider chooses which weeks)
• Stretched offer funding: 29 December 2025 to 29 March 2026 (up to 13 weeks)
• School holidays: 16 February to 22 February 2026
• Estimate claim portal closes: midnight 30 November 2025
• Balance claim portal closes: midnight 18 January 2026
• Adjustments portal closes: midnight 9 April 2026

Summer 2026/27

• Portal opens 9 February 2026
• Term time only funding: 30 March 2026 to 30 August 2026 (13 weeks - provider chooses which weeks)
• Stretched offer funding: 30 March 2026 to 30 August 2026 (up to 22 weeks)
• School holidays: 30 March to 12 April, 25 May to 31 May, 20 July to 31 August 2026
• Estimate claim portal closes: midnight 8 March 2026
• Balance claim portal closes: midnight 3 May 2026
• Adjustments portal closes: midnight 13 September 2026

Early education funding guides

The below documents may be of use to you or parents and carers as you work through the funding process. We are aware that the Funding Calculator is currently in an Excel format, which is not accessible to everyone - we are working on a more appropriate solution.

We also recommend that you read the early education funding team privacy notice.

Contact us

If you have any queries regarding claiming Early Education Funding, email your local funding team at earlyeducation.fundingteam@bcpcouncil.gov.uk.