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Protected: Impact at Scale Labs: Early Years in Kenya and Tanzania

Applications are now open until 30 July, 2026

Home / Protected: Impact at Scale Labs: Early Years in Kenya and Tanzania

Impact at Scale Labs: Early Years in Kenya and Tanzania supports locally led organisations improving access to quality childcare for children aged 0–5 years across Kenya and Tanzania. The Labs has demonstrated that strong childcare models can be designed, tested, and validated.

Strategic Priority

Knowledge Accelerator

Funding Catalyst

Partnership Builder

Announcing the launch of Impact at Scale Labs: Early Years in Kenya and Tanzania.

The programme will address one of early childhood education’s most urgent gaps:

  • Only 27% of children in sub-Saharan Africa are enrolled in early childhood education, half the global average, and – and just 54% are developmentally on track.
  • Women bear the full weight of unpaid childcare, constraining their economic participation.
Overview of the Labs programme

Who we are

The Impact at Scale Labs: Early Years in Kenya and Tanzania is an 18-month, cohort-based programme identifying and funding promising, locally led childcare organisations in Kenya and Tanzania. This lab is jointly funded by the Hilton Foundation and Echidna Giving. It builds directly on the learning from the Impact at Scale Labs: Early years in Kenya implemented between 2023-2025.

What we offer

Selected through a competitive application process, The Labs’ organisations will receive milestone-linked catalytic funding of USD 50,000-100,000 each alongside intensive coaching, technical assistance, peer learning, and partnership support to strengthen their childcare models, generate evidence, and scale sustainably. The programme runs from October 2026 to March 2028.

Dual thematic focus

The Labs target promising solutions supporting childcare models for children aged 0-5 years in low-income communities, with child development outcomes and women's economic empowerment as dual cross-cutting priorities. These solutions integrate and demonstrate gender equality and social inclusion (GESI), in model design, workforce, and community engagement.

Who will Early Years in Kenya and Tanzania support?

We are looking for locally led, innovative childcare  and early childhood education and development  organisations with a bold vision for scale and the ambition to grow their impact. We aim to:

  • Identify and fund eight locally led childcare organisations in Kenya and Tanzania through a competitive application process, providing catalytic funding of US$50,000–100,000 each.
  • Support organisations to test and validate their childcare models, strengthen gender responsiveness, and generate evidence on child development and women’s economic empowerment outcomes.
  • Embed childcare solutions within community, government, and private sector systems in Kenya and Tanzania.
  • Produce and disseminate high-quality knowledge products and establish Communities of Practice that connect childcare practitioners across Kenya and Tanzania.
  • Build investment-ready organisations that collectively mobilise follow-on funding, demonstrating the scalability of locally led childcare models.

Learn more about the call for proposals

Read about the application process, eligibility criteria and other requirements here for the Impact at Scale Labs: Early Years in Kenya and Tanzania.

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Application Form

Download the official application form below and follow the instructions carefully to complete your application.

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Application Portal

Upload your completed application form and all supporting documents below. Refer to the application form for detailed submission instructions.

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Application Webinar

Have questions about the Lab or the application process? Join our application webinar for answers to your questions about the programme and application process.

Next webinar: 12 PM EAT, Friday, July 10, 2026

Register for the webinar

For more urgent questions, send us an email here.

Contact us
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Application Timeline

The timeline below sets out the key milestones from launch through to contracting and programme start. 

  • Application launched: 26 June 2026  
  • Q&A webinar for interested applicants: 10 July 2026  
  • Application closes: 30 July 2026  
  • Application review and shortlisting: Early-mid August 2026  
  • Round 1 interview with shortlisted organisations: Late August 2026 
  • Due diligence for organisations selected following Round 1 interviews: Early-mid September 2026  
  • Investment Committee interviews with finalist organisations and final approvals: Late September 2026  
  • Contracts signed: Mid-October 2026  
  • Grantees announcement: Late October 2026  
  • Onboarding begins: Late October 2026 

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