Dear Service Provider,
As we approach the end of September, we would like to remind all Partner Services that Core Funding Programme Year 4 (2025/2026) closes on the 31 August 2026. Partner Services will have until 4pm 30 September 2026 to submit Application Changes as required to ensure their application information is correct. This is to ensure funding is calculated correctly, potential overpayments or recoupments are avoided, and unpaid allocations are not forfeited due to outstanding actions, such as May Review and Confirm, Annual Early Years Sector Profile 2025/2026 and Update Due Date(s).
One area of focus for Partner Services is to review their Operating Weeks per Year both at Service Level and for each active room, within their Programme Year 4 Core Funding application record, to ensure they accurately reflect the weeks that were offered during the programme year.
Where Operating Weeks per Year were originally planned and included in the application, but were subsequently not provided (for example, planned Term and/or Out of Term Time weeks that did not operate in a Partner Service or in a room within a Partner Service), these must firstly be updated in the Service Profile, and a subsequent Core Funding Application Change must be submitted.
For these scenarios the Change Effective Date should be entered as the date you submitted your original Core Funding Application Module. This is to ensure allocations are adjusted correctly from the beginning of the programme year, as Core Funding allocations are spread over 52 weeks, meaning a service may have received a portion of allocations relating to these Operating Weeks which were not provided.
Please note:
- Changes to Operating Weeks per Year at Service Level must be made first through the Service Profile and then a subsequent Core Funding Application Change submitted. The Change Effective Date must be captured under the “Service Level and/or Service Manager Change Effective Date” field.
- Changes to Term-Time/Out of Term Time Operating Weeks per Year at Room Level must be made first through the Service Profile and then a subsequent Core Funding Application Change submitted. The Change Effective Date must be captured under the “Staff Member and/or Capacity Change Effective Date” field.
- If a validation appears and you are prevented from proceeding, please contact the Early Years Provider Centre through raising a Service Request on Early Years Hive.
Failure to update information, where applicable, in respect to Operating Weeks per Year at Service Level or at Room Level may result in funding inaccuracies, overpayments, recoupments, compliance findings, or delays in future payments.
Partner Services are encouraged to review their operating arrangements as soon as possible and ensure any required amendments are submitted before the 4pm 30 September deadline.
Thank you for your cooperation in maintaining accurate Core Funding application records.
Regards,
The Early Years Team
