BUPA Childcare, which owns the chain of 45 nurseries, announced its intention to sell the entire Teddies Nurseries business last summer.
But Chris Edwards, property director of Teddies Nurseries, said the sale would now be restricted to just nine nurseries in Bedford, Banbury, Cheltenham, Ipswich, Knutsford, Newbury, Market Harborough, Peterborough and Swindon.
Mr Edwards said, 'Our plans do not now include opening or acquiring new nurseries outside our core area of London and the south-east. The nine nurseries are not within a manageable operational cluster, given the structure and resources available, so we have taken the decision to sell them.'
The nine nurseries offer a combined 529 childcare places. The sale will reduce the number of settings in the chain to 36 and cut the total number of childcare places from 2,627 to 2,098.
The nurseries are for sale both individually and as a package. Prices range from 100,000 for an 80-place leasehold nursery in Peterborough to Pounds 700,000 for a 50-place freehold nursery in Bedford.
The nurseries have already been on the market for three weeks and offers must be received by 27 May.
Mr Edwards would not comment on what would happen if they remained unsold.
He said, 'Interest levels have been high. In the unlikely event we are unable to secure a purchaser, we will review the options at that stage. We are working closely with staff and parents and are committed to ensuring the wellbeing of all the children we care for.'
Mr Edwards confirmed Teddies had no plans to sell any other nurseries. He said, 'We have opened two new ones this year in Coulsdon, Surrey, and Tunbridge Wells. We will continue to invest and develop services in our remaining 36 sites.'