How providers receive funding payments
What you need to do to get childcare funding payments and when you will receive them.
In West Sussex, you can be paid in one of two ways:
- two payments per term
- monthly payments
Two payments per term
You may choose to submit an optional estimate based on expected attendance for the upcoming term. You can do this on the Online Provider Portal (OPP).
If you submit an estimate, you will receive 70% of the estimated termly funding just prior to the beginning of the term.
Once the term begins, you must submit child level data based on the actual attendance. This is referred to as actuals.
We pay any remaining balance following the estimate as part of the actuals. This is usually paid prior to the half-term of the applicable term.
Actuals payments also include the following payments:
- Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP)
- Disability Access Fund (DAF)
Expected payment schedule
West Sussex County Council reserves the right to change the following payment dates.
| Payment description | Payment due week commencing |
|---|---|
| Summer estimate | 7 April 2025 |
| Summer actuals | 9 June 2025 |
| Autumn estimate | 25 August 2025 |
| Autumn actuals | 20 October 2025 |
| Spring estimate | 29 December 2025 |
| Spring actuals | 23 February 2026 |
Monthly payments
Before a term begins, you will submit an estimate, based on the expected attendance for the upcoming term, on the Online Provider Portal (OPP).
We calculate payments by dividing 70% of the estimated termly funding by the number of months in the term minus one month. For example, summer term has 5 months (April to August), so the estimate would be divided into 4 equal payments, rather than 5. This is equivalent to 17.5% of the termly funding per month. You would then receive a 17.5% payment for April, May, June and July.
In spring term, the monthly payments for January and February would be 35% of estimated termly funding. In autumn term, the monthly payments for September, October and November would be 23.3% of estimated termly funding.
You must submit child level data based on the actual attendance once the term has begun. This is referred to as actuals.
Any remaining balance left to pay following the estimate is paid as part of the actuals. We pay this for the final month of the term. For example, in summer the payment would be in August.
Actuals payments also include payments for:
- Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP)
- Disability Access Fund (DAF)
Expected payment schedule
West Sussex County Council reserves the right to change the following payment dates.
| Payment description | Payment due week commencing |
|---|---|
| Autumn estimate September | 25 August 2025 |
| Autumn estimate October | 23 September 2025 |
| Autumn estimate November | 28 October 2025 |
| Autumn actuals December | 24 November 2025 |
| Spring estimate January | 22 December 2025 |
| Spring estimate February | 27 January 2026 |
| Spring actuals March | 24 February 2026 |
All providers
You can find rates for EYFE and associated funding on our Providing EYFE webpage.
All payments are subject to data checks and resolution of any errors. These can include a suspected overestimate, or too many hours being claimed for a child at one or more provisions. You may experience payment delays if you do not resolve identified issues.
If an overestimate occurs, we will reduce or cancel future payments to avoid the need for repayment of funding.
Where required, West Sussex County Council will issue a request for repayment of excessive funds to the provider.
We will pay Inclusion Funding to all providers around half-term, even if they receive EYFE via monthly payments. The only exception is for children approved for Inclusion Funding later in the term. Shortly after we approve these children, if you have claimed EYFE that term, you will receive Inclusion Funding.
If approved, we will always pay Post Headcount Payment requests either alongside or shortly after actuals.
Choosing a payment option
Monthly payments were introduced as an option for providers following a consultation held between June and December 2024.
Use our payment schedule modelling tool below to aid you in deciding which payment schedule would best suit your provision.
You can enter an estimated year of funding claims, and the tool will display a breakdown of payments you could expect to receive throughout the year on each schedule.
Changing how you are paid
When your provision first signs up to offer EYFE, you will specify which payment schedule best suits your provision when completing a provider declaration form.
You can change your payment schedule once per year when completing the annual provider declaration form on the OPP. This usually takes place in spring term and would be applicable from summer term.
If you need to change your bank details where funding is paid to, contact the Early Years Funding Team. If you are changing bank details due to a change in the nature of the ownership of your provision, you will need to reapply to offer EYFE in addition.