Childcare Support Fund - second application window

You can apply if you are: 

• based in or delivering services in Scotland 

• a third sector organisation. This includes voluntary and community organisations (both registered charities and other organisations or associations who are incorporated or accredited by the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator), social enterprises, mutuals and co‑operatives 

• a partnership of third sector organisations (see partnership requirements below) 

Funding can be used for: 

• paying a childcare provider who is registered with the Care Inspectorate, for services provided to families who are participating in this project. This payment will result in a subsidised or fully funded place for a child 

• some staff costs, including those required to engage and support families, agree childcare requirements, and co-ordinate provision of and payment for childcare services 

• other reasonable project delivery and equipment costs 

Funding cannot be used for: 

• costs not linked to delivering the childcare support funding project 

• payments made directly to parents or carers 

• payments made to services which are not registered with the Care Inspectorate 

• capital works, including building or refurbishment projects 

• recoverable VAT 

All funding must be spent by: 

• 31 March 2027 

If two or more organisations are submitting a joint application: 

• this is a partnership arrangement  

• the partnership as a whole must meet the eligibility criteria 

• there must be a lead organisation who will be responsible for overall grant management and compliance 

• all partner organisations must be fully involved in and aware of the application 

• roles, responsibilities and accountability must be set out in a partnership agreement

As set out in Bringing Hope, Building Futures, childcare is essential infrastructure which not only supports children’s development, but also enables parents to access work, training and learning in the knowledge their child is safe and well looked after.  

As also set out in the Plan, in 2026/2027 we are investing £15 million in giving third sector organisations money to pay for registered childcare for children from 9 months to the end of primary school. This funding aims to meet the following objectives.  

• Contribute to the Scottish Government priority of eradicating child poverty. It will do this by following the principles set out in Bringing Hope, Building Futures, including those of Whole Family Support.   

• Focus on the drivers of child poverty, in particular the theme of increasing earned incomes, whilst recognising that access to flexible, affordable childcare contributes to  reducing costs of living  and supporting children and families to thrive  

• Focus support on low income families who are living in poverty, or at risk of living in poverty, including the six priority family types set out in the Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan.  

• Expand the availability of flexible and affordable childcare by providing short-term support to these families, at key times when the cost and availability of childcare is a barrier to the outcomes above.  

• Identify the key times in a family’s life when cost and availability of childcare is a barrier. These could include, but aren’t limited to, temporary disruptions in existing childcare arrangements, a change in work circumstances, a need to access training or other support, transitions such those between childcare providers, or between term time and holiday childcare, and a change in family circumstances such as a relationship ending, bereavement, disability or illness.  

• Engage with low-income families who are living in or at risk of living in poverty, and agree support with them which is timely, flexible, and includes access to childcare. Agreements about the type and duration of childcare support will be informed by family circumstances, and, where appropriate, professional, community and lived experience insight.   

• Match families with childcare services which meet their agreed needs. This will include finding and creating agreements with childcare services who are registered with the Care Inspectorate, agreeing appropriate sessions, supporting families to use the childcare services where needed, and administering funding to registered childcare services to subsidise or fully fund childcare costs.  

• Complement, not duplicate, existing support for families to access flexible, affordable childcare. This will include early learning and childcare (1140 hours) entitlement that families are already accessing. It will also include financial support for the cost of childcare provided through the childcare element of Universal Credit, the Flexible Support Fund and Tax Free Childcare. At a local and local authority level it will include local partnerships, statutory and non-statutory services, and employability services. Finally, it will include services provided through other Scottish Government grants such as the Whole Family Support Third Sector Delivery Fund.

Apply using the online application form on Find a Grant.  

Before applying, you should read the full guidance and prepare supporting documents. If you need support, contact digitalgrants@gov.scot. We aim to notify applicants of the outcome within three weeks of the closing date.

The fund is open to third sector organisations that are already working closely with low-income families. Applicants must be able to demonstrate a minimum grant amount spend of £250,000 and strong links to relevant local services and childcare provision. 

Applications must be submitted by the published closing date on the Find a Grant page. The fund is time-limited to 2026/27 and aims to support immediate needs while enabling families to move towards longer-term childcare solutions.    

How applications will be assessed 

Applications will be assessed against the following criteria, which together cover strategic alignment, value for money, deliverability and impact. 

• Extent to which the proposal aligns with the Whole Family Support approach set out in the Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan, “Bringing Hope, Building Futures” 

• Extent to which the proposal clearly links to one or more of the three drivers of child poverty reduction, with particular focus on increasing earned incomes 

• Evidence that the proposal prioritises low income families from one or more of the 6 priority family types 

• Evidence that the proposal will provide childcare support to families at key times of transition or challenge, when the cost and availability of childcare is a barrier to the drivers of child poverty reduction 

• Evidence that the proposal will enable flexible, needs-led decision making about childcare support, informed by families’ circumstances and, where appropriate, community and lived experience insight 

• Evidence that capacity, capability and governance arrangements are in place which will enable delivery at pace during the 2026/27 financial year, including the ability to manage public funds, agree families’ childcare needs, and administer payments to registered childcare providers. 

• Evidence that the proposal fills a local or national gap or challenge in childcare support, and complements, rather than duplicates, existing services and financial supports. 

• Evidence that the proposal has been / will be developed alongside local and / or national partners from across sectors. This will include registered childcare services. Depending on local context, this may include local partnerships, statutory and non-statutory services, employability services and wider whole family support provision. 

• Evidence that the proposal has a clear plan for monitoring, evaluation and learning to support sustainability and inform future investment decisions. This should tell us how funding is being used, the types of childcare barriers being addressed, the scale of delivery, and the outcomes achieved for families.  

• Evidence that the proposed geographical reach, numbers of families to be supported and predicted impact is proportionate to the funding applied for. 

• Proposal is fully costed and clearly demonstrates value for money. This should include 

• How the proposal will maximise the proportion of spend that goes directly toward funding or subsidising the cost of places in registered childcare services; 

• How applicants intend to purpose their resources to deliver reasonable delivery and staffing costs;  

• Why Scottish Government funding is required to address the identified childcare barriers; and 

• How delivery during 2026/27 will inform future approaches to supporting families with childcare costs. 

A full definition of value for money can be found in the Scottish Public Finance Manual. 

An assessment panel will score bids against the specific criteria outlined here and will make recommendations to Ministers, who will make decisions on fund allocations.