ECE Equity Index assessment Data Services
This page provides information on the ECE Equity Index (EQI) assessment.
Updated: March 2026
Description
ECE equity funding is a government initiative to reduce educational disparities between different groups, reduce barriers to participation for groups underrepresented in ECE, and support ECE services to raise their children's level of educational achievement.
Equity funding consists of 4 components. Services may be eligible for funding against 1 or more (or all) components.
Component A: Low socio-economic communities
Measured by Equity Index (EQI).
Component B: Special needs, and non-English speaking backgrounds (including sign-language)
Measured by Equity Index (EQI).
Component C: Language and culture other than English
Measured by attestation (EC15 form).
Component D: Isolation
Measured by Isolation Index.
Information about the Equity Index assessment
What is the Equity Index?
Eligibility for components A and B of Equity Funding is based on the early childhood Equity Index (EQI). The EQI measures the extent to which an ECE service draws its children from low socio-economic communities. The EQI is worked out based on enrolled children’s addresses and information taken from the New Zealand Census 2006.
Language Attestation and Isolation Index components of Equity Funding
Services that are eligible to receive the language component (C) of Equity Funding will have to attest to meeting the requirements using the EC15 form. Forms are available in the Funding Handbook - Appendix 2.
The isolation index (component D) which is based on a services relative isolation and information taken from the New Zealand Census 2006.
An isolation index will be calculated during the same equity index assessment round as an EQI value for new ECE services.
When will the next collection for the EQI assessment take place?
EQI assessments will take place in March 2026 for new services only, and in October 2026 for both new services and services requesting an EQI review.
For eligible services from the March 2026 assessment round, payments made using the allocated EQI value will be paid on 1 July 2026 but effective from new service open dates.
For eligible services from the October 2026 assessment round, payments made using the new EQI will be paid on 1 March 2027 but effective from new service open dates.
New services
New services are automatically included in the EQI assessment rounds in March and October. Enrolled children’s addresses are extracted from the Early Learning Information (ELI) system. Services must ensure enrolment details of all children, including addresses, are kept up to date. New services will be contacted prior to the extraction of address information from ELI.
Please refer to the ECE EQI Allocation Guidelines below for more information.
Reviews
Services must apply for an EQI review to be included in the October EQI assessment round. Applications must be made by completing the EQI Review Form.
Please download the ECE EQI Review Form below. Fill it in and return it to eqi.collection@education.govt.nz
Review applications are due to the Ministry Friday 30 October 2026.
Payments using the new EQI (if there is a change) of services who have been reviewed will be paid on 1 March 2027 but effective from 1 October 2026.
ECE EQI review form and instructions
- ECE EQI review form 2026 [MS Word 75kB]
- ECE EQI allocation guidelines 2026 [PDF 382kB]