To support the expansion of the working parent entitlements for children aged from nine months to four years, alongside the launch of the wraparound childcare programme, applications are now invited for capital funding from all providers who offer, or are looking to offer, provision that supports the rollout of either or both of these programmes.
The remaining funding is limited. We will therefore prioritise this on ensuring the accessibility of places, particularly for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), vulnerable groups or those in the younger age range, two and under.
Funding should not be used to make reasonable adjustments necessary for a specific child to attend. Projects will only be considered where the proposed project is designed to increase the number of early years or wraparound places and has been designed to improve the inclusivity of provision.
If you are unsure if your proposal is suitable, please speak to your early years advisor, who would be happy to discuss this with you.
Whilst applications for provision across the county will be considered, we are particularly keen to hear from providers who are looking to expand or establish provision in the following areas, where there is currently an identified pressure for additional places:
- Brampton.
- Fordham and Isleham.
- Great and Little Paxton.
- Manea.
- Melbourn and Meldreth.
- Sutton and Witchford.
- Ramsey and Bury.
- Warboys.
- Whittlesey.
- Wisbech.
Please note that Cambridge City, Cottenham and Willingham, Mepal and Witcham, Kennett and St Ives are no longer identified as areas with a current pressure for places and therefore are not priority areas for this round of capital funding.
Who can access the funding?
All early years and childcare providers, including both wraparound providers and childminders, who are registered with Ofsted, or legally exempt from registration, are eligible to apply for funding.
This capital funding is in addition to the revenue grants for the wraparound programme.
What can the funding be used for?
Funding requests will only be considered for small capital works and must not be used for revenue expenditure, such as staffing or staff training.
Examples of eligible projects may include:
- To create new childcare places, either through the creation of new settings or expanding provision delivered by existing providers.
- To adapt, re-model or improve existing childcare provision to enable providers to accommodate a wider range of needs, or age groups.
- To purchase fixed assets such as building modifications to enable use of space outside main school/setting operating hours, for example, secure external access, and provide additional toileting facilities.
- To purchase new physical assets, such as a minibus, to support a hub model of wraparound provision, or play equipment, including outdoor play equipment.
This is not an exhaustive list, and all capital projects meeting the criteria will be considered by the panel.
What have we funded already?
Examples of projects funded to date:
- Expansion of a modular nursery building, creating an additional 24 early years places (£50,000 contribution).
- Provision of resources to support wraparound care (£4,458.99).
- Resources to deliver 30 new wraparound childcare places (£3,962.67).
- Funding to establish a new nursery provision offering 50 places (£202,631.41).
- Expansion of an existing nursery extension, providing an additional 32 places (£80,000 contribution).
- Resources to support the expansion of a sessional provision, creating 46 additional places (£29,396.42).
How much funding can I apply for?
Local authorities are able to utilise the funding in ways that best match the needs of their local communities. The approach used in Cambridgeshire may not therefore reflect the approaches taken in neighbouring authorities, or further afield.
To ensure that the Council is compliant with the Subsidy Control Act, funding will be awarded by way of Minimal Financial Assistance (MFA) to any enterprise seeking assistance. This means that a maximum of £315,000 will be awarded to a provider to deliver new places.
The MFA route means that the provider must receive subsidies of no more than £315,000 from any source in a rolling three-year period, which is the elapsed part of the current financial year and the previous two. For example, if a provider is applying for a grant in December 2024, they will need to check what subsidies their company has received within the period December 2022 to December 2024.
Large providers, or those who are part of a franchise or chain, including those with a regional or national presence, may have received several separate MFA awards, albeit not directly impacting the provision in question. These do need to be taken into consideration, which will reduce the maximum amount of funding which can be requested.
Payments to a maintained nursery or other state-funded school are not enterprises and are therefore exempt from the Act, but to ensure fairness of funding, a maximum amount of £315,000 can be requested by providers of this nature.
Further information on the MFA award route can be found in Chapter 7 of the associated statutory guidance for the United Kingdom subsidy control regime, Subsidy Control Act 2022. Size: 2.4 MB File format: pdf
Please note that, as funding is limited, no more than £100,000 will be allocated to a single project. Should your project exceed this amount, you should still apply, as the team will work with you to see if any other funding sources can be utilised.
When can I apply for funding?
Providers can apply to access funding at any time. The window for applications will not close. However, they will be considered at Grant Panels scheduled once per half term.
Upcoming panels will be held on:
- Tuesday, 18 November 2025.
- Tuesday, 27 January 2026.
What evidence will be required when submitting my application?
- Application form.
- Capital Grant Criteria Checklist.
- Confirmation of approval from the full governing body/trust board/committee/company owner.
- Confirmation permission has been sought landlord/site/building owner.
- Copy of premises agreement, hirers/lease/licence, where applicable.
- Copy of any plans, drawings, or full site plan.
- At a minimum, three quotes with a justification of the preferred option to be pursued.
How will applications be scored?
Each application will be considered on a case-by-case basis and scored as follows.
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Scoring
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Criteria
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Outcome
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Priority one
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Meets eligibility criteria.
Funding sources explored and utilised, where applicable.
Sufficiency data suggests additional places are required within the area.
Existing provision in the area considered and not negatively impacted.
Detailed breakdown of cost and delivery timescales provided, including who will be responsible for managing the project.
Consideration of SEND, vulnerable groups or provision for children under the age of two.
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Funding agreed
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Priority two
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Meets eligibility criteria.
Funding sources explored and utilised, where applicable.
Detailed breakdown of cost and delivery timescales provided.
But sufficiency data suggests additional places are required within the area. However, other projects are in the pipeline and not confirmed.
The proposal lacks consideration of SEND, vulnerable groups or provision for children under the age of two.
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Postpone the funding decision until the future meeting when details of pipeline projects are clear.
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Priority three
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Meets eligibility criteria.
Funding sources explored and utilised, where applicable.
Detailed breakdown of cost and delivery timescales provided.
Consideration of SEND, vulnerable groups or provision for children under the age of two.
But sufficiency data suggests additional places are not required at this time.
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Decline, but revisit in the spring term 2026.
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Declined
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Does not meet eligibility criteria and/or
Funding sources not explored or utilised, where applicable.
Sufficiency data suggests additional places are not required within the area.
Other known projects already underway, which would address the deficit of places/concerns that other provisions would be negatively impacted.
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Decline, feedback provided.
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How will cases be prioritised if several applicants apply?
The council will prioritise areas where there is the largest deficit of places, and providers can clearly evidence the demand for the creation of places.
Once demand has been evidenced, the council will give priority to applications where SEND, vulnerable groups or provision for children under the age of two has been considered.
If my bid is declined, can I resubmit?
Yes, applicants may choose to resubmit an application in a future round after addressing the feedback received. There is no limit to the number of applications which can be submitted as part of this process.
Should I share my ideas before applying?
We would encourage any provider or interested party to share any expressions of interest with their early years adviser, if applicable, or by emailing earlyyears.service@cambridgeshire.gov.uk at the earliest opportunity. Your plans, even if they lack detail, can then be taken into consideration when considering other proposals.
Will I receive the funding straight away?
The funding arrangements will be determined on a case-by-case basis and will be dependent upon the level of expenditure required and the works being carried out. However, unless otherwise agreed, 25% will be provided as an upfront cost, with the remaining balance to be provided at key delivery points within the project, or upon completion of the works. The proposed payment schedule will be discussed with the provider following approval from the Panel to fund the project.
Providers should ensure that all documentation is read carefully and are encouraged to raise any concerns regarding the payment schedule at the earliest opportunity.
