Dear Service Provider,
The November Review and Confirm window will open from 1 November to 14 November 2025.
This process enables Core Funding payments to continue by facilitating Partner Services to review their most recent application information.
Partner Services can complete their Review and Confirm with two options available:
- Review and Confirm with Changes
- Review and Confirm without Changes
What is new for the November Review and Confirm 2025/2026 Programme Year?
As per the Department communication issued on the 30 October 2025, all services are being asked to review and update the “Rate of Pay Per Hour” value for active Staff Members entered in the Service Profile.
To ensure the “Rate of Pay Per Hour” field in the Service Profile contains current data, the Department are resetting the value of this field to “blank”. Therefore, all Partner Services will need to action this prior to completing the November Review and Confirm. All Partner Service are required to update this field for certain staffing roles as outlined below.
Steps to Follow
Prior to completing the Review and Confirm, Partner Services are required to update the Service Profile to:
- Update the “Rate of Pay Per Hour” value for active Staff Members who are in-ratio or managerial staff, in the Service Profile. You will not be able to submit your November Review and Confirm until this is completed.
- Ensure all data captured in the Service Profile is accurate and up to date for the 2025/2026 programme year.
- Ensure your Core Funding Application is at status ‘Approved’.
Important: If your application is at ‘Referred back’, you must address the reason for ‘refer back’. You must then complete the November Review and Confirm process before completing the Rate of Pay Per Hour” field in the Service Profile.
Where can Partner Services find further information about Review and Confirm?
Core Funding supports and training materials can be found on Hive under the Help and Support section of the Early Years Hive.
Staff Funding Additional Contribution
This is a reminder that new Employment Regulation Orders (EROs) applicable to the Early Years Services Sector, came into effect on 13 October 2025.
Partner Services will now see the Staff Funding Additional Contribution on Step 4 of the summary page from 13 October 2025. If you have not already submitted an Application Change as outlined in earlier communications regarding the ERO please complete a Review and Confirm with Changes.
Important Note: Core Funding Payments
If a Partner Service does not complete the Review and Confirm process within the required timeframe, Core Funding payments will be placed on hold until such a time as the process is completed. Failure to complete the Review and Confirm may result in a Core Funding Application being declined and allocations being lost.
Regards,
The Early Years Team