Growing tomorrow's childcare

Summer 2025 (S106) capital funding opportunities available now

Are you an Ofsted rated Good or Outstanding early years and childcare provider OR are you able to evidence how you would achieve and maintain a Good or Outstanding rating?

Are you thinking of expanding your provision to create new childcare places OR do you have a building or a piece of land that you could use to create a whole new provision?

If your answer is 'yes', read the information below to find out about available funding:

Essex Early Years and Childcare has secured funding from local housing developers across the county to create new early years and childcare places: this is known as Section 106 funding (S106).

S106 Capital Funding can pay for buildings and fixed assets to support the creation of new early years and childcare places; we publish opportunities for early years providers to apply for capital grants.

Fixed assets could include:

refurbishment of an existing space
installation of an additional toilet or partition wall
ramps to improve access for children and parents with disabilities
a project to expand the learning potential of your outside area

Please note:

proposed building projects must comply with building regulations - full details are provided in the guidance documents below in the Resources section
S106 funding cannot be used for ongoing revenue costs such as staffing or rent

Examples of past projects

View a gallery of completed projects for inspiration (Word, 4.3MB)

Our team can:

talk through your ideas for potential projects with you
support you with the submission of your funding application

Contacts

Business Management Consultants: Email bmc@essex.gov.uk

Community Development Leads: Email CCDL@essex.gov.uk

Funding opportunities

The table below lists the funding pots available for summer 2025 applications

The project scopes give details of where the funding can be spent and the age group it is intended for.

Important: please check the criteria to ensure your project would be eligible, and that your postcode falls into the required area.

District	Project name	Funding available	Terms	Number of new places	Project scope
Braintree	EY&C Bocking & Blackwater	£76,171	0-11 years, within 3 mile radius of CM7 9LL OR within Bocking South ward	4	Project scope Bocking & Blackwater
Braintree	EY&C Braintree Central	£295,954	0-4 years, within Braintree Central ward	13	Project scope Braintree Central
Braintree	EY&C Braintree West	£136,350	0-5 years, within Bocking North ward OR within 3 miles radius of CM7 5BJ	6	Project scope Braintree West
Braintree	EY&C Yeldham	£86,576	0-4 years, within Yeldham ward	4	Project scope Yeldham
Brentwood	EY&C West Horndon	£5,251	0-1 years, to best serve development	1	Project scope West Horndon
Colchester	EY&C Broadfields, Wivenhoe	£174,122	0-5 years, within 3 mile radius of C07 9SF	7	Project scope Broadfields Wivenhoe
Epping Forest	EY&C Waltham Abbey Honey Lane Ward	£26,632	0-5 years, within 3 mile radius of EN9 1UP	1	Project scope Waltham Abbey
Maldon	EY&C Burnham on Crouch	£281,961	0-11 years, within 3 mile radius of CM0 8DN/CM0 8PJ AND 0-5 years within Maldon district	12	Project scope Burnham on Crouch
Rochford	EY&C Hawkwell East	£776,310	0-5 years, to best serve development	32	Project scope Hawkwell East
Tendring	EY&C Hamford Ward	£191,521	0-4 years, within Hamford ward	8	Project scope Hamford ward
Tendring	EY&C Holland & Kirby Ward	£374,474	0-4 years, within Holland & Kirby ward	16	Project scope Holland & Kirby ward
Tendring	EY&C Kirby Cross	£31,338	0-4 years, within Kirby Cross ward	1	Project scope Kirby Cross
Tendring	EY&C Lawford, Manningtree & Mistley	£311,700	0-4 years, within Lawford, Manningtree & Mistley ward	13	Project scope Lawford, Manningtree & Mistley
Tendring	EY&C Walton	£315,384	0-5 years, within Walton ward	13	Project scope Walton
Uttlesford	EY&C London Road, Newport	£76,213	0-5 years, within 3 miles radius of CB11 3PS	3	Project scope London Road, Newport
Uttlesford	EY&C Clavering Ward	£51,277	0-5 years, within 3 miles radius of CB11 4PE	2	Project scope Clavering ward
Uttlesford	EY&C Little Easton	£12,418	0-19 years to best serve development	1	Project scope Little Easton

Timeline

The table below gives key dates for this round of funding:

Launch	21 May 2025
Last date for BMC / CCDL support	4 August 2025
Closing date	18 August 2025
Quality visit	1-19 September 2025
Site visit to assess build project	1-19 September 2025
Moderation panel	9 October 2025
EY Resource panel	16 October 2025

The terms of each Section 106 agreement vary. Note the important information below:

check the project scope document to ensure that your project meets the criteria
The S106 is a legally binding agreement and therefore not open to negotiation
if you are outside of the specified area, or will not be delivering services for the identified aged range, your application will not be progressed
guidance notes are included throughout the application form; refer to these notes when completing the form to avoid your application being declined due to insufficient or incorrect information being provided

Application submission

Submit your application or direct any enquiries to ey.capitalgrants@essex.gov.uk.

There is also Childcare Reforms Capital Expansion funding available to apply for now, in specific areas of Essex. This funding is to create new FEEE1W and FEEEE2W places.

Visit Information and guidance about FEEE1W and FEEE2W for details of where the funding is available and how to apply.