Dear Service Provider,
Equal Start Bia Blasta programme year 2026/2027 opened on the 24 August 2026 and will operate until the end of 2026/2027 ECCE programme year.
To receive payments under Equal Start Bia Blasta programme, a service must meet the following requirements:
Existing Bia Blasta service
Existing Bia Blasta services do not need to opt in again. However, they must:
- Submit a Core Funding Partner Service Funding Agreement 2026/2027
- Submit an ECCE contract 2026/2027 and have at least one child registered for ECCE
New Bia Blasta service invited to participate by the Department of Children, Disability and Equality
- Opt in for programme year 2026/2027 as per the Department’s email invitation
- Submit a Core Funding Partner Service Funding Agreement 2026/2027
- Submit an ECCE contract 2026/2027 and have at least one child registered for ECCE
Bia Blasta allocations will commence from the latest of the following dates:
- The first week of the ECCE Programme 2026/2027
- The week you opt into Bia Blasta
- The week in which you submitted your Core Funding Partner Service Funding Agreement 2026/2027
- The week in which you submitted ECCE Funding Agreement 2026/2027 and have active ECCE registrations
Services must meet all eligible criteria before funding commences. Services that do not meet the eligibility criteria from the start of the ECCE calendar year 2026/2027 will only receive weekly payments from the date on which all eligible criteria have been met.
Please note that designation as an Equal Start Bia Blasta service does not indicate eligibility for funding under the Equal Start Staffing Supports Programme for the 2026/2027 programme year. Services will be notified of their designation if eligible.
To view Equal Start Bia Blasta allocations, please go the Funding tab on the Early Years Hive.
- Further guidance and support are also available on the Early Years Hive in the Equal Start Bia Blasta section of Help and Support.
If you require any further assistance or clarification on the above, please contact the Early Years Provider Centre by raising a Service Request on the Early Years Hive.
Regards,
The Early Years Team
