Welcome to the Cambridgeshire Early Years, Childcare, and School Readiness Service (CambsEYC) Local Provider Agreement webpage for 2025 to 2026. This page contains all the information you need about:
- Cambridgeshire County Council’s responsibilities for childcare and early years education, and
- Cambridgeshire County Council’s expectations of early years, childcare, and wraparound providers.
The information is relevant to all Ofsted, or childminder agency, registered providers operating in Cambridgeshire, school-run pre-schools, and providers legally exempt from registration. It is essential for any provider, including schools of all types, seeking to offer funded early years places, also known as early years education funding, the early years free entitlement, or 15/30 hours places.
A separate agreement covers funding arrangements for Cambridgeshire’s Holiday Activities and Food scheme.
There are three parts:
If you are an out-of-school provider or a childminder who is not offering funded places, you only need to read Part 1. General Requirements and Part 3. Legal Terms and Conditions. You can ignore Part 2.
Term
This agreement shall take effect on the effective date, Tuesday, 1 April 2025, and shall continue until Tuesday, 31 March 2026, or such time as it is terminated by its conditions.
How to use this webpage
As part of the council's Business Plan 2025 to 2026, to create a greener, fairer and more caring Cambridgeshire, and to meet its statutory responsibilities, the council offers support to its early years and childcare providers.
The support offered includes:
- Qualifications and ongoing professional training.
- Access to specific advice, including advice on safeguarding, business and inclusion.
- Guidance and resources to improve the quality of provision and outcomes for children, and
- Funding support, where applicable.
Providers are required to sign up for this provider agreement and to comply with the conditions set out in Parts 1 and 3 to access this support. Providers will be sent a link via 'E-Sign' to sign up on an annual basis.
In addition, providers offering early years places funded by the county council are required to meet the further conditions set out in Part 2. Specific Guidance. Providers do not have to deliver early years funded places. However, if they choose to deliver them, they must agree to Part 2. You will be able to indicate this in your 'E-Sign' link.
