Applying for early education funding
Provider requirements
Childcare providers on the Early Years Register can apply to offer early education funding (EEF) for children aged from 9 months to 4 years.
By registering, early years providers agree to abide by the national guidance document Early education and childcare; statutory guidance for local authorities and the local guidance document, the Herefordshire Provider agreement.
Providers must be registered with one of the following organisations:
- Early Years Ofsted
- Schools Ofsted and Department for Education (DfE)
- Independent Schools Inspectorate
- A registered childminder agency
Providers judged by Ofsted as 'Inadequate' or 'Requires Improvement' may be ineligible to offer early education funding (EEF) in Herefordshire.
How to register
It is important that you read the terms and conditions of the Provider agreement. This is the contract and parameters for early education funding (EEF).
Please complete the following online forms:
- Request a Herefordshire Secure File Transfer - Anycomms new user account
- Early years funding payment details form
- Provider Portal registration form
What happens next
Once we have received your completed bank payment details and portal registration forms, our EEF team will process your funding application, and the CYPD team will create your Synergy account.
The CYPD team will send you your Synergy log in details, including user name and password.
The EEF finance team will send you information including:
- The Synergy portal link, enabling you to validate working parent entitlement codes and submit claims
- Parent declaration forms
- Information on term dates, scheduled headcounts, payments dates, and related details
- Training and guidance on using the portal, claiming funding and how to validate 30 hours codes
Parental declaration and privacy notice form - parents must complete
It is a legal requirement, and necessary for GDPR compliance, that parents accessing funded hours complete the relevant sections and sign the parent declaration form. You will need to inform parents about how they can access funded hours at your provision.
You can get copies of the parental declaration and privacy notice forms by emailing eef@herefordshire.gov.uk
Please note, it is your responsibility to retain and securely store completed parental declarations. Do not return them to us unless specifically requested.
Contact details
For queries regarding the EEF claims process and provider payments, please contact:
Telephone: 01432 260021
Email: eef@herefordshire.gov.uk
For queries regarding access to Synergy
Email: cypdata@herefordshire.gov.uk
Claiming procedure after registration, EEF Finance Team notifications and Early Years (EY) portal access
The EEF Finance Team will notify providers when it is time to log in and submit a claim, complete required tasks, and provide other important information related to claims.
Please note, providers must not offer a place to a parent for their child until eligibility codes have been validated using the eligibility checker on the EY portal.
Important, your provision is solely responsible for submitting claims by the deadline provided by the EEF finance team. Failure to do so may result in delayed payments for children.