Early education partnerships funding
Guidance for early years providers and state-funded primary schools in England applying for the early education partnerships funding opportunity.
Applies to England
Documents
Details
Early education partnerships will strengthen relationships between early years providers, including nurseries, childminders and maintained nursery schools, and schools.
The Department for Education (DfE) will provide funding to enable partnerships to work together, share resources, knowledge and expertise, and help schools, early years providers and families prepare for children starting reception.
Funding for up to 100 partnerships will be available between September 2026 and March 2029, as follows:
- year 1 (September 2026 to March 2027) will be a development phase, providing an opportunity for partnerships to identify local needs, form partnerships, and begin to plan the activities they will carry out
- year 2 (April 2027 to March 2028) selected partnerships will mobilise and begin to deliver tailored activities, with support from a delivery partner
- year 3 (April 2028 to March 2029) will see partnerships continue to deliver activities and begin to embed good practice approaches that will benefit children beyond the funding period of this initiative
Guidance
For more information about early education partnerships, read the partnership guide.
Detailed guidance about the year 1 development phase and how to apply is available in the year 1 application guidance.
How to apply
Make sure you read both guidance documents carefully.
Once partnerships members have been agreed, the partnership grant administrator must complete the application form by 23:59 on Friday 17 July.
Details about the information required to complete the application form is available in the year 1 application guidance.
DfE will be holding webinars during the application period as an opportunity to find out more information. Register for one of the following dates:
We aim to confirm the outcome of partnership applications in autumn 2026.
Contact us
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If you need further information after reading the guidance documents, contact earlyeducation.partnerships@education.gov.uk.