Pre-Application Information

Free early education for 2 year olds, known locally as the Early Learning Programme for 2 Year Olds, has been a statutory entitlement for all eligible children from September 2013. The Education Act 2006 places a duty on Local Authorities to secure free early education for disadvantaged 2 year olds. One of our priorities is to ensure there are sufficient quality funded places, which are accessible to families.

What is funding available for?

The Early Years Team have £100k remaining from a previous grant programme that will be allocated on a first come, first served basis for successful applications. Funding is available to support existing providers in the PVI and maintained sectors to adapt their physical space in order to increase capacity to enable additional 2 year old places. The need for this may be more prevalent than in previous years as a result of the introduction of the 30 hour offer and the need to ensure sufficient places for all funded children aged 2, 3 and 4 years. Funding is available for adaptations but not new builds.

What do we mean by ‘capital’?

The general rules for deciding if expenditure is capital are:

  • Is the asset durable? For instance, will the asset last more than 1 year?
  • Will the organisation own the asset? If there is a rental agreement this is not capital, this applies to the funding you are applying for, not the status of the building you occupy

Revenue items, things that ‘run out’ and consumable materials are not eligible under this project. However, you should include related spend like VAT, delivery & professional fees related to the capital project.

How much funding is available?

Nottingham City Council need to demonstrate value for money by ensuring that each new place created comes in at a reasonable price. For instance if a setting requested £20,000 but only created 2 new places this would not be the best use of our limited funding.

We appreciate that there are many variations to consider in each specific project, but as a guide, you can request a maximum of 75% of your overall project costs from this grant fund. You will be asked to match fund the other 25% of your overall project costs. Applications for more than £10,000 will be required to submit 3 quotes.

Successful awards will be paid 50% of their grant award up front, with the balance paid after the first instalment has been monitored. Any expenditure incurred prior to the date of an offer letter will not be accepted.

Who can apply?

Following sufficiency needs identified in the 2017 Childcare Sufficiency Assessment, this final round of funding will be targeted to support providers in 3 priority wards where it is evident that the equivalent of over 30% of eligible 2 year olds are not accessing a place. These priority wards are St Ann’s, Dales and Mapperley. Our local knowledge informs us that many providers in these areas are operating to capacity for 2 year olds places and hold extensive waiting lists. We therefore need to create more places in these areas, with our established providers, to enable this participation to increase, ensuring eligible children have access to a place and the LA is meeting its statutory duties.

You must be an existing Ofsted registered provider who is graded good or above. All settings must be included on the Nottingham City Directory of Providers to deliver funded places for 2 year olds.

Criteria your application will be assessed on:

  • Your setting being graded as good or outstanding by Ofsted
  • Evidence that you serve families in the priority areas identified
  • The number of places you are creating
  • Value for money (see ‘how much funding is available’)
  • Evidence that expanding capacity for 2 year olds is part of your long term business plan and will not displace essential places for other children or compromise overall sufficiency of your setting.

In addition to your application form, you will be asked to submit:

  • 3 quotes if your application is for £10,000 or more
  • A business plan with a minimum of a 3 year financial forecast to demonstrate the continued sustainability of your provision
  • A copy of your rental agreement, with evidence of at least 3 years remaining if you are in a rented premises
  • Evidence of match funding at a minimum of 25% of your overall project costs

When can applications be submitted?

Any time between 1st April – 1st October 2018 by emailing the completed form and supporting documentation to the settings EYFS Support Worker, or posting it for their attention to Early Years Team, Children and Adults, Nottingham City Council, Station Street, Nottingham, NG2 3NG. Please note all funding must be spent and monitored and places open by 31st March 2019.

Application Form

1. ABOUT YOUR PROVISION
Name of setting
Contact name for application
The named contact stated above should be the person who we can talk to if we need further details about your application
Phone / Alternative Number
Ward Area / Best time to contact you
Email
Address for correspondence (including postcode)
Group address (if different)
2. LEGAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR PREMISES

Please tell us about the status of the building where you provide childcare.

Own
Rent or lease
If other, please explain

If you rent or lease:

When does your lease expire?
What are your terms for extending your lease?
Please provide the name, phone number and address of your landlord to allow us to make contact with them
PLEASE ATTACH EVIDENCE OF YOUR RENTAL AGREEMENT TO THIS APPLICATION

If you own the premises:

Do you have any plans to
sell or change the type of
service or business youprovide?

Planning

Do you have/need planning permission for your capital project?
If you do require planning permission, please give an outline of your status and timelines. Who is your city council contact?
3. ABOUT THE PROJECT
In this section please cover:
  • Your current Ofsted grading
  • Evidence of the families you serve, your capacity and waiting list position that have led to this application
  • Please detail the additional support you offer to ensure eligible 2 year olds in your area are able to access a place in your setting
  • The number of places you are proposing to create for 2 year olds and implications for other places you offer
  • What will you be spending the capital funding on & and how will this support the expansion of places
  • Key milestones and dates for your project

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4. ABOUT YOUR PROJECT COSTS
  • This grant will support up to 75% of your overall project costs. Please give us a detailed breakdown of your overall project.
  • If you are requesting a number of items, please list them in order of priority.
  • For applications totalling over £10,000 you must get 3 written quotes and at least one must be a supplier based in Nottingham City. Please mark with an asterisk (*) the preferred supplier for that item.
  • Please also indicate whether the items listed are being requested from this grant or funded by your match funding.
  • Don’t forget to add delivery, postage and package, installation and VAT where applicable.

Item Description / Capital Grant (CG) or Match Funded (MF) / Quote 1 / Quote 2 / Quote 3
Supplier / £ / Supplier / £ / Supplier / £
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Item Description / Capital Grant (CG) or Match Funded (MF) / Quote 1 / Quote 2 / Quote 3
Supplier / £ / Supplier / £ / Supplier / £
10.
11.
What is the total cost of this capital project? / £
How much are you requesting from this grant?
This should total the items marked ‘CG’ above and be for no more than 75% of your total costs / £
How much are you match funding towards this project?
This should total the items marked ‘MF’ above and be for no more than 25% of your total costs / £
For the match funding you are contributing, please complete the following information:
Match Funding Source / Amount / Items Supported / What will this fund? / Funding secured, applied for or to be applied for? / Please indicate evidence is attached
1. / £
2. / £
3. / £
4. / £

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5. DECLARATION
We are authorised to submit this application on behalf of the group named in Section 1. We certify that the information enclosed is correct and undertake to provide clarification as may be needed by Nottingham City Council. We understand we will be expected to sign a set of terms and conditions if our request is successful in order to receive the funding. We agree that Nottingham City Council can use basic information about our application to show how public funding is being used. We also give permission for the information within this form to be recorded and shared within Nottingham City Council as needed to offer good public service, and understand that personal information will be treated with the utmost care.
Person submitting
the form / Signature / Position
Name (Capitals) / Date
Chair or Senior Representative / Signature / Position
Name (Capitals) / Date
6. CHECKLIST

Prior to submitting this form have you:

  • Answered all questions fully?□
  • Signed Section 5?□
  • Enclosed 3 quotes if your request is for more than £10k?□
  • Provided evidence of match funding? □
  • Attached your rental agreement if applicable? □
  • Enclosed your business plan with 3 year financial forecast? □
  • Taken a copy for your records? □

Please return your completed application form via email with your supporting documentation to your EYFS Support Worker orin the post to:

The last date for applications to be submitted is 1st October 2018, subject to funding still being available.

Nottingham City Council collects, holds and processes information, including personal information, to allow it to provide services effectively. To access the NCC Privacy Statement please go to:

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