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22 May 2026
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DfE Early Years Inclusive Early Years Fund |
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Early Years Inclusion Funding
We are writing to inform you of new funding made available by the Department for Education through the Inclusive Early Years Fund (2026–2027). This funding is designed to support early years settings to further develop inclusive practice and improve outcomes for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
As part of a national investment of £47 million, this funding will be distributed to eligible early years providers via the local authority. Settings that deliver the Government’s funded early education entitlements may be eligible to receive an allocation. While not all providers will receive funding, those that do will be given a single upfront payment to support whole‑setting approaches to inclusion, rather than funding tied to individual children. The DfE aim for the funding to be used to,
- Help providers to adopt setting – wide inclusive practice
- Support workforce development and training to further develop inclusive practice
- Enable early interventions for children with SEND
- Strengthen inclusive environments
Eligible early years settings will receive funding through a lump sum allocation in July 2026, with the DfE indicating that allocations should be a minimum of £1000. The funding is intended to help providers within areas of deprivation strengthen inclusive environments, improve early identification of need, and enable earlier intervention without delay and it is additional to existing funding streams such as Early Years Inclusion Funding (EYIF) and Disability Access Funding (DAF). Payments will be made in line with national guidance, ensuring providers can plan effectively to support inclusive practice within their setting. All eligible settings will be notified by July 2026 and payments will be issued by the end of July 2026.
Following the distribution of the funding Early Years providers will be encouraged to share how they have used the funding to support practice through their request for local authority Early Years Inclusion Funding.
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