Need-to-know | Me mātua mōhio#
Late RS7 submissions#
RS7 returns received after 9 June, but before 8 July, will be processed for payment on 21 July.
Resubmissions
Each service is responsible for ensuring the accuracy of the data submitted. Resubmissions are available to correct genuine errors or oversights that emerge.
Resubmissions:
- for the February 2025 to May 2025 period should be made electronically.
- for the June 2024 to January 2025 period should be submitted using a paper-based RS7 form.
Resubmissions relating to any time before June 2024 will not be processed. All records should be documented and filed for auditing purposes.
Pay parity#
A reminder that the July funding period is the last opportunity for services on parity and extended parity to opt into higher funding rates. We have extended the deadline for submitting the EC20a (mechanism to change your services advanced funding attestation) to 27 June.
If you are considering this change for your July funding advance payment, contact [email protected] by 19 June.
For further details, see the Special Bulletin from 29 May:
Heads-up | He kupu puaki#
Funding handbook updates relating to GST#
From 30 June, payment information and funding rates for services will be shown in Pourato, our new funding system. From the 1 July funding period, funding rates will be GST exclusive.
Pourato is designed to align with standard business and accounting practice, which is that payment information shows the GST exclusive amount, the GST amount and the GST inclusive amount.
The ECE Funding Handbook has been updated to reflect this change. You can see the funding rates expressed as both GST exclusive and GST inclusive in Appendix 1:
This includes the rates that will take effect on 1 January 2026 reflecting the cost pressure adjustment announced in Budget 2025.
More information, including a summary of the changes, is available on our website:
Automated emails from Pourato#
From this week, early learning service funding contacts will start to receive automated emails from Pourato acknowledging that we have received your RS7 return. There is no action required. If you don’t receive acknowledgement, check whether the email has gone to your spam/junk folder.
Funding contacts will be emailed their Pourato access link on 30 June when the system is live for service providers.
Note that Playgroup funding will continue to be made through the Education Resourcing System (ERS). There is no change to this process.
If you have questions, contact us on 0800 323 323 (NZ only) or email [email protected].
Join a Pourato preview session#
In mid-June, we’ll be holding online Pourato preview sessions for funding contacts, to help you get familiar with Pourato. These one-hour sessions will cover what you’ll see in Pourato, how to navigate around it and where to find more information to help you use it.
If you haven’t already registered, visit the Pourato for Early Learning webpage and choose a session that suits you:
Pourato for Early Learning – Applications and Online Systems
