ℹ️ We’ve collated this information based on publicly available data and will review this article regularly.
🎯 Overview of Entitlements
Birmingham offers funded early education entitlements for children aged 9 months to 4 years. The following entitlements are available:
| Entitlement Type | Max Hours per Year | Max Hours per week |
9-23 Month olds | Working Parent Entitlement | 1140 | 30 |
2-Year-Olds | Government funded Entitlement (Disadvantaged) | 570 | 15 |
2-Year-Olds | Working Parent Entitlement | 1140 | 30 |
3 & 4-Year-Olds | Universal Entitlement | 570 | 15 |
3 & 4-Year-Olds | Extended (Working Parent) | +570 | +15 |
👶 Eligibility & Types of Funding
Children can start using funding the term after they turn the relevant age. Here are the eligible date of birth ranges for the current and upcoming terms:
Term | 9 - 23 month olds | 2 year olds | 3 - 4 year olds | School eligible 4 year olds |
Summer 2026 | 01/04/2024 to 30/06/2025 | 01/04/2023 to 31/03/2024 | 01/09/2021 to 31/03/2023 | 01/04/2021 to 31/08/2021 |
Autumn 2026 | 01/09/2024 to 31/11/2025 | 01/09/2023 to 31/08/2024 | 01/09/2022 to 31/08/2023 | 01/09/2021 to 31/08/2022 |
Spring 2027 | 01/01/2025 to 31/03/2026 | 01/01/2024 to 31/12/2024 | 01/09/2022 to 31/12/2023 | 01/01/2022 to 31/08/2022 |
Eligibility & Application Process
Process depends on age and household income
Parents should use the Best Start in Life eligibility checker
For full eligibility criteria and links to apply, see our Eligibility article here
📝 How to Register for Funding
How to apply
Childminders delivering funded hours with tiney will be registered via tiney and approved by Birmingham.
Sign up with tiney and complete onboarding
tiney registers the childminder with Birmingham
Once approved, you will receive confirmation from tiney. You must not confirm any funded placements with parents until you have received this confirmation from tiney.
How long does registration take?
Birmingham will take a few weeks to process the funding.
You can offer funding once you’ve received an email from tiney confirming your registration.
You can offer funding starting mid-term, but note that this may impact result in missing estimate or actual headcount deadlines, which could delay payments.
🏦 Funding Rates
Funding Rates, effective as of April 2026.
Age Group | Entitlement Type | Base Hourly Rate |
9–23 Month olds | Working Parent Entitlement | £12.29 |
2-Year-Olds | Free Early Education (Disadvantaged) | £8.87 |
2-Year-Olds | Working Parent Entitlement | £8.87 |
3 & 4-Year-Olds | Universal Entitlement | £6.28 |
3 & 4-Year-Olds | Extended (Working Parent) | £6.28 |
3 & 4 Year Olds | Deprivation Supplements | £ variable based on eligibility |
All | EYPP - capped at 15 hours per week | £1.15 per hour |
📅 Term Dates & Key Dates
Term Dates & Funded Weeks
Term Dates & Funded Weeks
Term | Funded Term Dates | Funded Weeks (Term Time Only) |
Autumn 2025 | 01/09/2025 – 31/12/2025 | 13 |
Spring 2026 | 01/01/2026 - 31/03/2026 | 12 |
Summer 2026 | 01/04/2025 - 31/08/2025 | 13 |
Headcounts and payments
Headcounts and payments
Information about headcount dates are emailed to tiney every term at the start of the term
Term | Estimate headcount dates | Actual headcount due | Adjustment headcount due |
Summer 2026 | 2nd – 8th March 2026 | 10th April 2026 | 1st May 2026 |
Autumn 2026 | 6th – 12th July 2026 | 14th September 2026 | 2nd October 2026 |
Spring 2027 | 16th – 22nd November 2026 | 15th January 2027 | - |
Payments are made monthly. This is based on the estimate and actual headcounts
Child attendance is required. Children should attend for their full funded hours during the funding return period unless they are ill or on holiday.
Keep evidence. Providers must keep evidence of illness or holiday, such as an email or text from the parent, for compliance.
Contact the LA for queries. If you have questions about children leaving, changes to claims, or monthly payments, email FEEEprovision@walthamforest.gov.uk
📤 Headcount Submissions
Tiney will submit the headcount information on behalf of all tiney childminders in Birmingham, using the contract and schedule information for all enrolled funded children.
We will contact providers before the headcount deadlines to confirm details of claims, and request any missing information (such as funding codes, parent National Insurance numbers, etc). All information is required in order for a claim to be processed for a child.
Payments will be made based on when the claims are submitted.
💷 Payments
Payments will be made based on the number of children claimed in the headcount. They will be made monthly and will be received on the final day of each month
📚 Key Documents & Guidance
Parent declaration form: here
🔗 Contacts
If you have questions about funding in Birmingham, please contact the tiney payments team via your app, or at payments@tiney.co, and we will coordinate with Birmingham Council as necessary.