The Pathway Fund 2025/26 and 2026 /27

The Pathway Fund is delighted to announce the opening of three funding streams on 25th November 2024.

Stream A and B of the Pathway Fund will support registered providers or facilitators of early years (0-4) education and learning provision and Stream C, a NEW stream specifically to support registered childminders and Approved Home Childcarers.

• Stream A for awards between £20,001 and £40,000

• Stream B for awards up to £20,000

• Stream C for awards up to £500

Online Applications will open on Monday 25th November 2024 for the year 2025/2026 and provisionally for 2026/2027

The Pathway Fund is one the Department of Education’s (DE) supports for the early years sector.  In support of the DE vision “Every child and young person is happy, learning and succeeding”.

The outcomes of the Pathway Fund are:  

• Improved development of children who are at risk of not reaching their full educational potential ; and

• An enhanced, more sustainable Early Years sector.

The Pathway Fund Stream A & Stream B is open to all registered providers or facilitators of Early Years (0-4) education and learning provision such as:

• Registered Sessional Daycare Settings (including Out of Schools, Summer Schemes, Playgroups, Crèches).

• Registered Full Daycare Providers (Day Nurseries).

• Registered Childminders / Approved Home Childcarers.

The Pathway Fund Stream C is open to all Registered Childminders and Approved Home Childcarers (AHCs) from 2025/26

• Specifically for applications from registered childminders and Approved Home Childcarers (AHCs)

How can the Pathway Fund help your setting?

Have a look at our Case Studies below to see how successful applicants created better outcomes for children.

 Pathway Case Studies

The Pathway Fund is a diverse and flexible fund which supports registered providers or facilitators of early years (0-4) education and learning provision; to improve the development of children identified as most at risk of not reaching their full potential within the school system.   

The case studies below highlight the range of providers and projects which have been supported by the Pathway Fund, three of which detail how projects adapted and continued to deliver during lockdown in April to June 2020. 

No one provider or project is the same and the Pathway team would encourage all providers or facilitators to read the case studies below and consider how they could deliver a project supported by the Pathway Fund.