The Global Schools Forum has launched the Impact at Scale Labs: Early Years in Kenya and Tanzania — an 18-month, cohort-based programme identifying and funding promising, locally led organisations improving access to quality childcare for children aged zero to five years across Kenya and Tanzania. The programme is jointly funded by the Hilton Foundation and Echidna Giving, and runs from October 2026 to March 2028.
Eight locally led childcare organisations in Kenya and Tanzania will be selected through a competitive application process. Each will receive milestone-linked catalytic funding of between $50,000 and $100,000, alongside intensive coaching, technical assistance, peer learning, and partnership support to strengthen their childcare models, generate evidence, and scale sustainably.
What Selected Organisations Will Receive:
- Milestone-linked catalytic funding of $50,000 to $100,000
- Intensive coaching and technical assistance throughout the programme
- Peer learning opportunities with other selected organisations
- Partnership support to embed childcare solutions within community, government, and private sector systems
- Support to generate evidence on child development and women’s economic empowerment outcomes
- Connection to Communities of Practice linking childcare practitioners across Kenya and Tanzania
- Investment readiness support to mobilise follow-on funding beyond the programme
Who Can Apply:
- Locally led organisations in Kenya or Tanzania working in childcare and early childhood education and development
- Organisations with a bold vision for scale and the ambition to grow their impact
- Those whose models serve children aged zero to five years in low-income communities
- Organisations that integrate gender equality and social inclusion in their model design, workforce, and community engagement
An application webinar takes place on Friday, July 10, 2026 at 12:00 PM EAT for organisations with questions about the programme and application process. Register for the webinar