Inclusive Early Years Fund (IEYF)

The Department for Education has announced £47 million of additional early years funding in 2026 to 2027 to support inclusion in early years settings, the Inclusive Early Years Fund (IEYF). 

The IEYF is intended to help settings strengthen inclusive practice and better support children with additional needs through whole setting approaches, alongside delivery of the Early Years Free Entitlement. It is not linked to individual children and must be used to support sustainable, inclusive provision.

This Oxfordshire IEYF May 2026 guidance document (docx, 26kb) gives more information on Oxfordshire’s approach for this new funding stream, eligibility of providers, payment and examples of how it may be used.