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 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

Autumn 2026/27

• Portal opens 1 June 2026
• Term time only funding: 31 August 2026 to 27 December 2026 (14 weeks - provider chooses which weeks)
• Stretched offer funding: 31 August 2026 to 27 December 2026 (up to 16 weeks - one week not covered, provider's choice which week)
• School holidays: 26 October to 1 November, 21 December to 31 December 2026
• Estimate claim portal closes: midnight 9 August 2026
• Balance claim portal closes: midnight 4 October 2026
• Adjustments portal closes: midnight 10 January 2027

Spring 2026/27

• Portal opens 2 November 2026
• Term time only funding: 28 December 2026 to 28 March 2027 (11 weeks - provider chooses which weeks)
• Stretched offer funding: 28 December 2026 to 28 March 2027 (up to 13 weeks)
• School holidays: 15 February to 21 February 2027
• Estimate claim portal closes: midnight 29 November 2026
• Balance claim portal closes: midnight 17 January 2027
• Adjustments portal closes: midnight 7 April 2027

Summer 2027/28

• Portal opens 8 February 2027
• Term time only funding: 29 March 2027 to 29 August 2027 (13 weeks - provider chooses which weeks)
• Stretched offer funding: 29 March 2027 to 29 August 2027 (up to 22 weeks)
• School holidays: 29 March to 11 April 2027, 31 May to 6 June 2027, 19 July to 31 August 2027
• Estimate claim portal closes: midnight 7 March 2027
• Balance claim portal closes: midnight 2 May 2027
• Adjustments portal closes: midnight 12 September 2027

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.