About this Funding:
The Department for Education is offering funding to expand Early Years Stronger Practice Hubs across England. The Hubs provide support and advice to help early years providers deliver high-quality care for children under five.
Supported by the National Children’s Bureau and the Education Endowment Foundation, this initiative, aims to significantly strengthen early years provision and improve child outcomes in key areas like communication, literacy, mathematics, and personal and social development.
The government aims to recruit 18 further early years stronger practice hubs, with funding extended until 2029. Each hub will receive up to £240,000 per year.
Hubs are led by group-based early years settings rated “good” or “outstanding” by Ofsted. Lead settings will partner with up to four other providers, including childminders, to share best practice, strengthen local networks and offer professional development.
Through collaboration and shared learning, hubs:
- promote training and tools that reflect the latest, evidence-informed research and best practices in early childhood education, ensuring that staff feel confident and equipped to meet the diverse needs of children and families
- encourage equity and inclusion by helping settings identify and address barriers to learning so that every child has the opportunity to achieve their best, particularly those with socio-economic disadvantage
- foster a culture of continuous improvement, where early years professionals are supported to reflect on their practice, share insights and grow together as a community
- support pedagogy and help practitioners make informed decisions that nurture each child’s curiosity, confidence and wellbeing
Eligibility
- Early Years Stronger Practice Hub applications must be made by a Lead Setting, which is a group-based early years setting (school-based, private, voluntary, independent (PVI) or a maintained nursery school).
- The application must also identify a minimum of two to a maximum of four Partner Settings. Partner Settings must be group-based early years settings or childminders.
The closing date for applications is the 16th January 2026.
Useful Links:
Funding Criteria:
Early Years Stronger Practice Hub applications must be made by a Lead Setting, which is a group-based early years setting (school-based, private, voluntary, independent (PVI) or a maintained nursery school). The application must also identify a minimum of two to a maximum of four Partner Settings. Partner Settings must be group-based early years settings or childminders.
