Early Years Education Funding Payment and Statutory Guidance
Funding is received by local authorities and all providers are funded according to the Early Years National Funding Formula.
- Terms and conditions
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Hampshire County Council use the Department for Education's Early Education and Childcare Statutory Guidance for Local Authorities in shaping Hampshire’s Early Years Education Funding Payment Terms and Conditions.
April 2026
Following the Department for Education’s updated statutory guidance on the provision of early years education, published on 9 February 2026 and coming into effect on 1 April 2026, these terms and conditions will replace the EYE Funding Payment Terms and Conditions dated May 2025 and all previous versions.
Final 2026 Early Years Education Funding Payment Terms and Conditions
In addition, please see the link to the letter of variation issued to all active providers. This letter outlines the changes made to the Agreement following the latest DfE guidance. Providers will be required to review, agree, and sign this letter, which will be sent to each provider in the coming days.
Letter of Variation - EYE Funding 2026
Please also see the link to the replacement Schedules, provided in a PDF with tracked changes, so that providers can easily view the variations.
September 2025
These terms and conditions will replace the EYE Funding Payment Terms and Conditions dated February 2024 and all previous versions.
Below is a version of these terms and conditions with any changes highlighted so you can see the differences between the Early Years Education Funding Payment Terms and Conditions February 2024, and the version dated May 2025.
Early Years Education Funding Payment Terms and Conditions Final May 2025
- Census guidance
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Early Years Census guidance
The early years census is a statutory census that takes place every January. All local authorities must submit data for this census.
Early years entitlements: local authority operational guide
Local authorities are expected to follow this guide, which is intended to help them to fund early years providers to deliver the early years entitlements in accordance with their legal obligations and government policy.
Early years entitlements: local authority funding operational guide 2025 to 2026 - GOV.UK
Free early years provision and childcare: model agreement
Information local authorities should include in their agreements with early years providers to deliver free entitlements.
Free early years provision and childcare: model agreement - GOV.UK
December 2016
A duty to secure 30 hours of childcare to three- and four-year-olds of working parents. The regulations provide for the additional 15 hours of childcare for children of working parents.
The Childcare (Early Years Provision Free of Charge) (Extended Entitlement) Regulations 2016
- Early Years Education Funding compliance reviews
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If you have any matters relating to the delivery or compliance of the Early Years Education Funding Payment Terms and Conditions, business surgeries are held locally. Contact your area Childcare Development Officer for details.