Dear Early Years Provider,

Early Years Expansion Grant for Under 2s (from Working Families) & Eligible 2 year olds (from disadvantaged backgrounds) Early years expansion grant 2025 to 2026 – GOV.UK

On the 27^th Feb 2025, the DFE announced that Bristol City Council will be awarded £723,569 in 25-26 of Early Years Expansion Grant for the 3^rd and final phase of the expansion of childcare in Sept 2025. This is when all Under 2s and 2 year olds from working families will see their funded hours ‘double’ from 15 to 30 hours per week. All types of early years providers are eligible to apply this grant (from childminders to multi-academy trust nurseries). We are pleased to share our plans with you on our continued expansion of places now that they have been approved by our Corporate Finance Team and Section 151 Officer.

This grant funding will support the targeted expansion of places for Under 2s (from Working Families) & Eligible 2 year olds (from disadvantaged backgrounds). From our most recent Childcare Sufficiency Assessment (2024), it is clear that we need to continue to focus on creating more places for these two cohorts to meet demand in Sept 2025. Our data shows that we have enough places already for 2 year olds, 3 year olds and 4 year olds from working families.

Eligibility Criteria Under 2s (from Working Families) & Eligible 2 year olds (from disadvantaged backgrounds) and rationale

1. Evidence of demand (so that we award funding where expansion is needed)
2. Evidence that new places are from an area of low sufficiency (so that we ensure a better city wide take up of places)
3. Ofsted judgement of Good or Outstanding (so that we ensure high quality provision)
4. Registered for Tax Free Childcare (so that parents can utilise financial support from the government)
5. Value for money (so that the most cost effective applications succeed)
6. Places created by Sept 2025 (to support the 3^rd and final phase of the expansion)
7. Sustainable business plan (so that providers are creating long term places)
8. Risk assessed expansion (to ensure that grant funding is likely to succeed in the creation of places)
9. Subsidy Control Act 2022 compliant (to ensure limits are not exceeded for grants)

How to apply

After the double bank holiday, will share our application process with all sectors. Applications will be scored by a committee (comprised of Early Years Senior Leaders, Early Years Teachers and BAND) who will award funding. Successful applications will then be sent an agreement which confirms the funding awarded and outlines our T&Cs (which includes a 3 year tenure for provision). Take up of places will be monitored through the early years termly headcounts (3 times a year) and MS forms when the DFE request information on how the grant has been used (details to be confirmed by the DFE).

Please start making your plans now so that you can be ready to apply in a couple of week. If you have any comments on the expansion, please reply to this email.

With thanks, Deb.

Deborah Amphlett

Free Entitlement Development Manager / EY Expansion Lead / Wrap Around Childcare Lead / Bristol Standard Strategy Lead for Finance and Promotions

Bristol City Council – Early Years Service