Early learning and childcare providers - local authority funding and support: overview 2022 to 2023

Annex B

Summary of Funding Arrangements for Delivery of Free Meals

• Table B1 sets out information provided by local authorities on the payments made to funded providers in the private, third and childminding sectors to deliver the free meal commitment for those children receiving funded ELC in 2022-23.
• Funding to deliver this commitment is additional to the sustainable rate and local authorities must ensure that they are transparent as to the funding being provided to private, third and childminding sector providers for the delivery of the free meal commitment.
• Local authorities may fund the free meal commitment by providing funding as a separate payment per meal, or as a 'top-up' to the sustainable rate.
• Local authorities may alternatively meet the free meal commitment by providing appropriate meals directly from in-house catering.

Table B1: Overview of funding for settings delivering free meals to children receiving funded ELC

Local Authority / Funding to deliver the free meal commitment

Aberdeen City

• £2.75 per meal

Aberdeenshire

• £2.50 per meal
• The rate is currently under review.
• Provide meals directly to some funded providers.

Angus

• Rate of £3 per meal
• A top-up to the sustainable rate of £0.10 per hour for snacks.
• Angus pay for up to six meals per week if children are funded on a term time only basis and take three 10-hour funded days per week; or up to five meals per week for children spreading their funded entitlement over 39 weeks or more.

Argyll and Bute

• £3.11 per meal
• The rate is currently under review.
• Provide meals directly to some funded providers.

Clackmannanshire

• £3 per day
• Available via partner nurseries and childminders.

Dumfries and Galloway

• £3.00 per meal
• Provide meals directly to some funded providers.

Dundee City

• £2.10 per meal per session
• Funding is paid irrespective of whether a child attends their funded session or takes up the offer of a funded meal.

East Ayrshire

• £3.00 per meal
• Provide meals directly to some funded providers.
• A child accessing their 1140 hours over 3 full days receives the same amount of funded food provision as the child accessing hours across 5 half days (a long morning or a long afternoon)

East Dunbartonshire

• £0.50 top-up to the hourly rate
• Provide meals directly to some funded providers.

East Lothian

• £0.35 top-up to the hourly rate

East Renfrewshire

• £0.50 top-up to the hourly rate (to a maximum of £3.00 per day)

Edinburgh

• £3.10 per meal

Falkirk

• £0.37 top-up to the hourly rate for partner nurseries
• £1.90 per meal for childminders

Fife

• £0.40 top-up to the hourly rate

Glasgow City

• £3.00 per meal
• Funding of one meal per half day session, up to a maximum of 5 meals per week.
• This means that the child accessing their 1140 hours over 3 full days receives the same amount of funded food provision as the child accessing over 5 half days.

Highland

• £3.00 per meal
• This figure includes a temporary uplift of £0.70 until April 2023, and is subject to review.

Inverclyde

• £0.50 top-up to the hourly rate

Midlothian

• £0.40 top-up to the hourly rate

Moray

• £2.35 per meal
• Provide meals directly to some funded providers.

North Ayrshire

• £3.00 per meal for partner nurseries
• £2.50 per meal for childminders
• Provide meals directly to some funded providers.

North Lanarkshire

• £3.00 per meal.
• Provide meals directly to some funded providers.

Orkney Islands

• £2.40 per meal

Perth and Kinross

• £2.80 per meal.
• £0.20 per day for a healthy snack

Renfrewshire

• £3.00 per meal.

Scottish Borders

• £2.40 per meal.

Shetland Islands

• £1.99 per meal currently
• Provide meals directly to a majority of funded providers.

South Ayrshire

• £2.87 per meal.
• The rate is currently under review.

South Lanarkshire

• £0.50 top-up to the hourly rate

Stirling

• £0.35 top-up to the hourly rate
• Provide meals directly to some funded providers.

West Dunbartonshire

• £3.00 per meal.

West Lothian

• £0.30 top-up to the hourly rate for meals
• £0.10 top-up to the hourly rate for snacks

Western Isles

• £2.00 per meal.
• Provide meals directly to some funded providers.