Early Education Funding Entitlements

If you would like to sign up to deliver the early education funding entitlements, you will need to contact us by emailing: earlyyears@warwickshire.gov.uk.

Before contacting us, we ask that you read the information referred to in the documents and downloads section to the right of this page.

If you are a *Provider registered on the Ofsted Early Years register or exempt as delivering via a school run provision and hold the appropriate Ofsted grading (including those awaiting their first inspection), you can apply to deliver early education funding entitlements for eligible children and be assessed to be added to Warwickshire's directory of funded providers.

Information about Warwickshire’s requirements to deliver the early education funding entitlement places can be found in the Requirements of Early Education and Childcare Funding Entitlements 2024, a copy is found to the right of this page, which is available to download.

When you have been added to Warwickshire’s Directory, you will be funded by the Local Authority to deliver the early education funding entitlement hours which are free to parents. The hourly rates paid for the early years entitlements are:

• £5.25 per hour for three and four-year-old places
• £7.39 per hour for two-year-old places
• £10.07 per hour for nine months + places

Parents must be provided with these hours free of charge at the setting; providers can charge for meals and snacks as part of a funded entitlement place, and that they can also charge for consumables, such as nappies or sun cream, and additional services, such as trips and specialist tuition.

Arrangements for charging for additional services must be clear and transparent, including separate, clear details provided as to what is included as a ‘consumable’, meal or snack.

Parents must be permitted to send their child to the setting for funded hours without paying any charges, should they choose to do so.

Providers must complete a Provider Agreement to be added to Warwickshire’s Directory to deliver the early education entitlement funded places, an example can be found to the right of this page.

When you are ready to go ahead, we will send you a link via DocuSign to sign the Provider Agreement.

When your completed Provider Agreement has been received, you will be added to Warwickshire’s Directory of funded providers. The website link and logins will be sent to you to access the FIS Synergy Provider Portal, where claims for the early education funded entitlements are made. Guidance for the early education entitlements funding process can be found to the right of this page.

Please note: the funding claim process is completed online via a Provider Portal and therefore you will need to ensure that you have adequate IT equipment and internet access.

*Providers includes preschools, nurseries, childminders & school run provision