The scheme offers up to £250 for individual childminders or £500 for larger businesses during the 2013/14 financial year.
The £2m fund is intended to prompt 6,000 childcare businesses to launch by helping founders pay for expenses such as legal and insurance costs.
However, the programme was criticised by early years professionals when it was announced in late 2012, who said that the money on offer was too little to cover the expenses incurred in setting up childcare businesses, including registration with Ofsted, first-aid training and health and safety adaptations in home premises.
Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Pre-school Learning Alliance, said: “The £2m allocated may just about cover insurance costs alone, never mind the cost of purchasing equipment, toys, books, rent and rates, salaries and other core expenses.
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