Frequently asked questions
Please note, we will add to this list if and when we receive queries from applicants.
Can childminders apply?
Childminders cannot apply to this programme. The programme guidance and supporting resources on our website, details the eligibility criteria and outcomes that the programme is hoping to achieve. We strongly encourage you to read the programme guidance and supporting resources which should help you to decide if the programme is suitable for you to apply to. The guidance also details who is ineligible under this programme.
Can you give us an example of how we might improve young service children's learning environment, without incurring capital cost?
Investment in play and active play facilities does not align with the Trusts definition of capital expenditure. That is, we do not consider outdoor learning equipment and similar items to be capital expenditure. Capital costs typically entail big enhancements and changes to your building (i.e. a new roof) that would not be eligible under this grant. There is a section in our guidance that refers to capital costs.
Your application should be targeted to the needs of service children. It is important to look at the outcomes that are provided within the guidance.
Can we include the costs of new flooring or decorating?
Where these are business as usual costs i.e. refreshing an existing space, then these costs should not be included.
If you are seeking these costs to open a new room, or space, to specifically expand capacity for young service children then you may include these costs in your application.
Can we send our applications to the Trust for feedback prior to the deadline?
We cannot comment on proposals, or elements of proposals, ahead of receiving an application. It would not be fair on the applicant as we don’t have the whole picture, or on the other applicants as this is a competitive funding programme. We must ensure it remains fair and equitable for all.
Our project needs permission from DIO (Defence Infrastructure Organisation), can we apply?
DIO should not need to be involved with your project at all, either for permission or undertaking work. Please refer to the programme guidance for full eligibility details.
We are a DCS ran nursery located overseas, are we eligible to apply?
As DCS are ran by MOD and the early years funding is MOD, we are not able to accept applications from these facilities.
Does our project have to meet all of the programme outcomes?
No, your project only needs to address one of the outcomes however, you can address more than one outcome, if it is appropriate for your project.
Will the Trust be running a webinar for potential applicants to attend this year?
Yes, we are planning on running a webinar again, the date will be announced on our website, newsletter and social media channels shortly. If you are unable to make the date the recording will be available on our website.
More supporting resources will be available in the coming weeks.
Will there be two rounds to apply this year?
No, there is one deadline for applications this financial year: midday 15 July 2026. You’ll receive a decision before the end of October 2026.
Awards made
| Year awarded | Programme | Funder | Organisation name | Project title | Project description | Project location | Grant amount | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | Action for Children | Accessing the outdoors 365 days | This project will give young children from Service families the ability to access outdoor learning facilities at all times of the year. This project will create shade, shelter, and opportunities for the children, develop, grow, reflect and play during their time at nursery. | England/South East | 51,000.00 | |
| 2023 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | Brambles Outdoor Nursery | Brambles Outdoor Project | This project will enable 'Brambles Outdoor Project' to expand their support for local Service children through the expansion and improvement of their outdoor learning environment, in conjunction with the reorganisation and remedial building work, within their main building. | England/South West | 28,762.00 | |
| 2023 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | Bright Horizons Daycare Centre | Expansion for Growth | Expansion for Growth' will facilitate an increase in capacity for Service children by enabling expansion to the current classroom footprint through the erection of an external canopy. This project will also promote, increase, and broaden children’s learning experiences and opportunities through the outdoors. | Scotland | 79,000.00 | |
| 2023 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | Bright Horizons Family Solutions | RAF Northolt Nursery Garden Enhancements | RAF Northholt Nursery Garden Enhancements' will support serving families, as well as the local community, by providing high-quality childcare through Bright Horizons Family Solutions. This project will enhance the current garden facility to provide further opportunities for delight and wonder for RAF Northolt children, as well as enhanced learning through play. | England/London | 40,460.00 | |
| 2023 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | TnB Early Years | Operation Muddy Boots | independent learners. TnB Early Years Operation Muddy Boots £51,201.00 This project will redesign and improve the outside environment to support military children's mental, emotional and physical development. 'Operation Muddy Boots' will support military families with a welcoming and inclusive space to make meaningful connections with others, reducing isolation. | England/South West | 51,201.00 | |
| 2023 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | Catterick Garrison Preschool Group | Achieving Really Magical Military Years | The project will create an imaginative outdoor space where Service children can thrive, through the awe and wonder of nature. This project will enable children to develop their ability to make choices; pursue independence and develop imagination whilst engaging in first-hand experiences in an inclusive environment, supported by understanding adults | England/North East | 23,700.00 | |
| 2023 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | Catterick Garrison Preschool Group | Wet weather doesn’t stop play | This project will provide an enclosed, sheltered space allowing children of all ages access to outdoor provision, even when muddy, wet and snowy. 'Wet Weather Doesn't Stop Play' will enable Service children to thrive in an outdoor learning environment while developing their senses. | England/North East | 23,500.00 | |
| 2023 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | Children's Links | Boosting Children's Skills Post Covid | This project will support the development of speech, language and communication, enabling children to; develop an understanding of language, develop Social Skills, resilience and self-regulation of emotions, develop play skills to promote learning in all areas of development, and develop gross and fine motor skills, in readiness for writing. | England/East | 43,570.00 | |
| 2023 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | Drumfork Nursery and Family Centre | Reducing Early Years Attainment Gap | Reducing Early Years Attainment Gap' will focus on meeting the Service children's additional Support Needs, such as speech and language delays, attachment issues and developmental delays. This project aims to provide service-children and families with high-quality support for additional support needs, to reduce the attainment gap between service and non-service children. | Scotland | 33,060.00 | |
| 2023 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | Naval Under Fives (Eastern Area) | Outdoor Learning, Developing Enabling Environments. | This project will create an outdoor learning space for Service children to boost both their physical and mental well-being. The created spaces will provide learning opportunities and new sensory experiences, resulting in improved social skills; self-esteem; physical skills; communication and language and help Service children reach their full potential. | England/South East | 78,685.00 | |
| 2023 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | RAFA Kidz | RAFA Kidz Odiham | This project will enable 'RAFA Kidz Odiham’ to enrich the learning and development of Service children via the provision of new equipment and resources in its two outdoor learning areas to promote and encourage healthy and active lifestyles | England/East | 43,638.00 | |
| 2023 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | RAFA Kidz | RAFA Kidz Cranwell | This project will enable 'RAFA Kidz Cranwell' to enrich the learning and development of Service children by refurbishing its outdoor space - replacing the wetpour safety flooring and canopy shelter to promote and encourage healthy and active lifestyles. | England/East | 80,000.00 | |
| 2023 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | RAFA Kidz | RAFA Kidz Leeming | RAFA Kidz Leeming' will enrich the learning and development of Service children via new, high-quality, and robust resources and equipment to engage children’s' senses, encourage creativity, inspire imagination, and provide a connection to their unique surroundings | England/East | 51,781.00 | |
| 2023 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | RAFA Kidz | RAFA Kidz Digby | This project will enable 'RAFA Kidz Digby' to redesign and transform its outdoor space, providing Service children with a great place to learn and develop via outdoor resources and equipment to inspire their imagination, support inclusive play, enhance their social skills, and promote physical activity | England/East | 80,000.00 | |
| 2023 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | RAFA Kidz Medmenham | Igniting a Brighter Future. | Ignite a Brighter Future' will provide Service children with new, exciting, and challenging resources that will help further their learning and development as well as nurturing children's independence and curiosity. | England/South East | 47,119.00 | |
| 2023 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | Sandlings Playgroup & Wrap around Provision | Project Outdoor Classrooms | Project Outdoor Classrooms' will support and complete the development of Sandlings Playgroup’s outdoor spaces. Areas will be safe, stimulating and engaging, allowing Service children vast opportunities to explore, create, question, and immerse themselves in nature as independent learners. | England/East | 36,125.00 | |
| 2023 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | Sunny Days Childrens Nursery Lyneham | Project Garden Transformation | This project will upskill all members of staff to support Service children in the prime areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage which provide the foundations for the ability to learn; and to offer young Service children targeted support with challenges that they may be experiencing. Assessment toolkits, in conjunction with training and improved resources, will help to facilitate targeted child and family support. | England/South West | 68,000.00 | |
| 2023 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | Swallow Playgroup | Support and Wellbeing at Swallow's | Project delivered/partially delivered, with some funding not used | Wales | 43,945.00 | |
| 2023 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | Catterick Garrison Preschool Group | Early Years Joyful and Engaging | This project will build a curriculum that covers all ages in the provision; support the needs of SEND children with a sensory room and create a new area for 3–4-year-old children, enabling increased capacity to meet the growing demand of service families. | England/North East | 12,700.00 | |
| 2023 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | Chestnut House Day Nursery Limited | Forest Schools | Project delivered/partially delivered, with some funding not used | England/North West | 7,920.00 | |
| 2023 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | Greenview Nursey | Future Sustainability | This project will enable a transformation of the nursery outdoor area to encompass and promote an interactive, physical outdoor environment. ‘Future Sustainability’ will educate service children about the importance of being environmentally friendly and how to be greener through awe and wonder environments and activities. | England/West Midlands | 64,950.00 | |
| 2023 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | Honeypot Under 5's Centre | The great outdoors and beyond | This project will enable service children to thrive by promoting positive mental wellbeing through the provision of a safe, secure outdoor learning environment. | England/North West | 34,000.00 | |
| 2023 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | Northern Ireland | 23,421.00 | ||||
| 2023 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | Northern Ireland | 54,000.00 | ||||
| 2023 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | Northern Ireland | 46,762.00 | ||||
| 2023 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | Wiltshire Council | Early Years Military Conference | Project delivered/partially delivered, with some funding not used | England/South West | 16,145.00 | |
| 2023 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | Yeovilteenies Day Nursery | All weather outdoor spaces project | This project will create spaces for service children to extend their learning outside, in all weathers, and will enable ‘The Development Matters’ framework to be extended and implemented. | England/South West | 15,000.00 | |
| 2023 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | YMCA Brunel Group | YMCA Little Ducklings Military Project | This project will provide high quality training for staff around a range of subjects to facilitate holistic, service family centric provision and understanding. ‘YMCA Little Ducklings Military Project’ will improve the outcomes for service children by providing a richly resourced, outdoor environment. | England/South West | 80,000.00 | |
| 2024 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | Action for Children | meaningful mindfulness | The project aims to prioritise children’s emotional wellbeing by providing an environment where they feel safe and secure. By creating designated areas for reflection and emotional regulation, the children will receive the best possible learning experiences. | England/South East | 12,000.00 | |
| 2024 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | Action for Children | Wyton forest adventures | The project aims to upgrade the outdoor area creating a forest school experience and enhancing outdoor learning for all children. This will entail purchasing supplies and equipment to ensure safety and accessibility for everyone with staff in place to facilitate the activities. | England/East | 22,000.00 | |
| 2024 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | Aldershot garrison Pre-school settings | 360* early years development project | The project aims to build an inclusive 360-degree educational programme spanning from infancy to five years old, addressing Early Years support and development for families. This will consist of parenting courses, interactive outdoor play areas, SEN sensory rooms, and specialised training to facilitate a diverse and inclusive nursery population. | England/South East | 33,000.00 | |
| 2024 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | Argyll & Bute Council | Emotional Literacy Early Years Training | This training and mentoring programme aims to assist Early Years staff, including childminders, who work with families in the forces, particularly those based at HM Naval Base Clyde. The project will focus on developing practical ideas and resources to demonstrate how creativity and the arts can aid in managing the emotional challenges faced by babies and very young children (0-5 years old) during Naval deployment. | Scotland | 79,920.00 | |
| 2024 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | Beaumont Community Primary school | Beaumont Early Years Wellbeing Hub | The project aims to provide service children with access to a secure environment staffed with trained professionals who will support their personal, social and emotional development, enabling them to thrive. | England/East | 11,000.00 | |
| 2024 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | Beehive Pre-school Playgroup | Sensory Room for Emotional Regulation | The project will create a dedicated sensory room to help service children regulate their emotions with a calming atmosphere and specialised resources to help comfort them, especially when parents are deployed. A trained member of staff in emotional literacy will work with the children during one-to-one sessions. | England/North East | 19,350.00 | |
| 2024 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | Catterick Garrison Preschool Group | Picture SMILES and GIGGLES | The project aims to develop a classroom that will support babies aged 9 months to 2 years old, as well as children with special educational needs. The classroom will enable a smaller, more focused environment in prime areas of development through sensory-based activities tailored to their needs. | England/North East | 43,913.00 | |
| 2024 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | Cornwall Council (Early Years Service) | Armed Forces Children in Cornwall | The project will deliver a targeted training and support programme for all Early Years providers with children aged 0-5 years from armed forces families. The focus will be on personal, social and emotional development linked to specific needs as identified through local and national research. | England/South West | 80,000.00 | |
| 2024 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | The Haig Day Nursery | Owls Wanderers | The aim of the project is to transform the preschool garden, which is currently tarmac and uneven, into a safer and more enriching outdoor space for children. The project will enhance the space, and improve children’s learning and development in the outdoor environment. | England/South West | 60,000.00 | |
| 2024 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | Mulberry Pre-School | Enabling children's wellbeing | Mulberry Pre-School intends to remove and replace the safety surface in the outdoors area in order to give children access to play opportunities. | England/South East | 29,000.00 | |
| 2024 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | Peter Pan Pre-School | Peter Pan PreSchool Sustainability Project | The project will increase the provision of support expanding the preschool’s capacity to accommodate more places for 2–4-year-old service children; in an area where there is high demand for childcare from armed forces families. | England/South East | 35,000.00 | |
| 2024 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | RAFAKidz Boulmer | RAFAKidz Boulmer | RAFA Kidz Boulmer nursery will enhance its Early Years setting by creating an inspiring outdoor learning environment that will enable year-round play and increase learning opportunities to promote, encourage, and support the healthy development of young children from armed forces families. | England/North East | 33,124.00 | |
| 2024 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | RAFAKidz Brize Norton | RAFAKidz Brize Norton | RAFA Kidz Brize Norton nursery will enhance its Early Years setting by creating new areas within the garden to enable year-round play and provide Forest School training to staff to encourage and support the healthy development of young children from armed forces families to meet their specific needs. | England/South East | 79,256.00 | |
| 2024 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | RAFAKidz High Wycombe | RAFAKidz High Wycombe | The project will enhance outdoor learning environment via new, high-quality, and robust outdoor resources and staff training in Forest School methods to engage children’s senses, encourage creativity and inspire imagination to support and sustain their healthy development. | England/South East | 79,528.00 | |
| 2024 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | RAFAKidz Leeming | RAFAKidz Leeming | The project will enhance its outdoor learning environment via new natural resources and equipment, creation of new zones, Forest School training for staff and installation of gazebos to promote year-round play. This will encourage and support the healthy development of service children. | England/North East | 36,322.00 | |
| 2024 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | RAFAKidz Walter's Ash | RAFAKidz Walter's Ash | The project will enhance its outdoor learning environment by creating new areas, purchasing new resources and undertaking training to deliver the seven areas of learning within the Early Years Foundation stage which will promote, encourage and support the healthy development of young children from armed forces families. | England/South East | 59,699.00 | |
| 2024 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | RAFAKidz Worthy Down | RAFAKidz Worthy Down | The project will enhance Early Years provision and opportunities to learn outside of the classroom by establishing a Forest School and purchasing new equipment to enhance sensory learning, increase understanding of nature and support the learning and development of young children from armed forces families. | England/South East | 72,208.00 | |
| 2024 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | Sandhurst Station Nursery | A place for everyone | This project seeks to improve accessibility to the setting by securing Special Educational Needs training for existing staff, increasing the working hours of those trained so that there is a SEN-trained member of staff covering the full working day, every day, and extending opening hours. | England/South East | 24,719.00 | |
| 2024 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | Wattisham Airfield Childcare Centre | Wacc outside provision project | The project will modernise and update the children’s outdoor provision area with new places to explore and experience new learning opportunities. This will build confidence and support all areas of the children’s learning whilst challenging their skills. | England/East | 20,000.00 | |
| 2024 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | Action for Children | Reflection spaces | Reflection Spaces aims to create calming, comfortable spaces for service children to relax and self-regulate. New designated areas in each room will include sensory resources, soft furnishing and specific resources to support the wellbeing of children and allow them to rest and recharge. | Scotland | 15,000.00 | |
| 2024 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | Action for Children | Resilient Allies | This project will provide service children the opportunity to enrich their cultural knowledge and learning experience with an aim to create an enhanced outdoor learning environment that fosters wonder, exploration and resilience. | England/South East | 50,000.00 | |
| 2024 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | Action for Children | Wittering's garden oasis | Project delivered/partially delivered, with some funding not used | England/East | 50,000.00 | |
| 2024 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | Alexander First School | EYFS Nurture Hub | The project will provide trained staff to deliver a specific curriculum to develop personal, social, and emotional skills to foster good relationships in Service children. The environment will offer a range of sensory and calming activities to enhance emotional regulation and expected development. | England/South East | 50,000.00 | |
| 2024 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | Bulford St Leonard's Nursery | Sensory Room | This initiative aims to create a sensory room to support the emotional and developmental needs of service children in their care who have special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). | England/South West | 17,528.00 | |
| 2024 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | Catterick Garrison Preschool Group | Our community, let's embrace it. | The project will help all children in the programme connect with the community, regardless of age, including forest sessions and visits to local groups and landmarks. The pre-school will aim to improve communication and language skills as part of their current curriculum. | England/North East | 9,314.00 | |
| 2024 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | Children's Links | Specialist support for RAF Waddington | The aim of the project is to improve the skills and knowledge of staff to provide better learning environments. Employed specialist staff will deliver intensive learning and development training within the nursery, including the development of sustainable teaching practice and transition processes, to improve the outcome for all children. | England/East | 50,000.00 | |
| 2024 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | Dreghorn Pre-School and Creche | "Where Service Children Matter" | The project aims to expand provision by offering a breakfast club, improving outcomes in health and wellbeing. This initiative seeks to create a nurturing environment where children can develop essential skills and build a foundation for lifelong learning. | Scotland | 37,908.00 | |
| 2024 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | Invicta Park Playgroup | Inspiring Confidence and Curiosity | This playgroup will further develop and enhance the setting, predominately for children aged 6-36 months and including children with additional educational needs up to age of five years. The project will focus on both indoor and outdoor areas to ensure the provision of a safe and stimulating environment. | England/South East | 49,000.00 | |
| 2024 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | Naval Under Fives (Eastern Area) | Wrap around care | The Wrap Around Care project will offer extended opening hours to support working service families. | England/East | 8,000.00 | |
| 2024 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | Naval Under Fives (Eastern Area) | Naval Under Fives Expansion | This new provision will offer bespoke childcare and education for service children under the age of three years. | England/East | 10,000.00 | |
| 2024 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | Portsmouth City Council | Armed Forces Early Years Cluster | The cluster project will develop a network of armed forces friendly settings within the city of Portsmouth, sharing best practice to meet the needs of service children and connecting families to additional available support within the local area to mitigate against the challenges of service life. | England/South East | 42,070.00 | |
| 2025 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | Aldershot garrison Pre-school settings | AGPS Early Years Specialised Training | Aldershot Garrison Pre-School Settings plan to offer a series of specialised training sessions for all staff to enhance children’s learning and play experiences, and support overall development of the children and staff. | England/South East | 23,960.00 | |
| 2025 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | Cheshire West and Chester Council | T.R.U.S.T. | The project will give early years providers a clear understanding of the unique strengths and challenges that affect the emotional wellbeing and learning of the young service children and families they support. It will also equip them with techniques to promote and maintain emotional wellbeing for children in everyday practice and during times of crisis. | England/North West | 50,000.00 | |
| 2025 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | Drumfork Nursery and Family Centre | Improving Environments to Support Learning | This project will enhance the indoor and outdoor learning environments throughout the nursery with playrooms and gardens transformed to create dedicated areas to nurture and support development of communication and language skills, emotional intelligence, physical/motor skills, literacy, numeracy, and expressive arts/design This will ensure 0-5 year old service-children become capable and successful learners. | Scotland | 42,500.00 | |
| 2025 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | Forces Children Scotland | First-Steps: Early Years Forces Children | Forces Children Scotland and Early Years Scotland will pilot a specialised training and support package through digital and face-to-face engagement, equipping participants with the skills to meet the unique educational needs of children from military families. | Scotland | 27,210.00 | |
| 2025 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | Moray Council | DEPLOYMENT: CREATIVE PLAY KIT TRAINING | Starcatchers will collaborate with ELC settings in Lossiemouth and Elgin to create play kits designed to support military families through the emotional cycle of deployment. Staff will receive training to implement the kits effectively, ensuring smooth rollout. Military families will be able to borrow the kits and use them at home to support their children’s emotional wellbeing. | Scotland | 49,954.00 | |
| 2025 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | RAFAKidz Boscombe Down | RAFAKidz Boscombe Down | RAFAKidz Boscombe Down will foster, support and develop the physical, emotional and wellbeing needs of service children via the provision of high-quality outdoor resources and the creation of a quiet and calm area to support children with special educational needs. | England/South West | 14,076.00 | |
| 2025 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | RAFAKidz Brize Norton Pre-School | RAFAKidz Brize Norton Pre-School | RAFAKidz Brize Norton Pre-School will foster, support and develop the learning and wellbeing needs of service children via the provision of high-quality outdoor resources and staff training to embed STEM provision and support children with special educational needs. | England/South East | 17,355.00 | |
| 2025 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | RAFAKidz Honington | RAFAKidz Honington | RAFAKidz Honington will foster, support and develop the physical, emotional and wellbeing needs of service children by transforming its outdoor learning provision and increasing the number of outdoor resources to inspire their creativity and imaginations; enhance social skills and develop muscular and gross motor skills. | England/East | 13,334.00 | |
| 2025 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | Sandhurst Station Nursery | Small spaces In special places. | Small Spaces in Special Places Sensory Yurt, aims to be a unique outdoor learning environment with play-based, child-led ethos that will offer children regular opportunities to succeed and develop as people, through practical learning and hands on activities in a natural setting. | England/South East | 20,000.00 | |
| 2025 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | Thorney Island Nursery | Thorney's Cosy Courtyard | The project aims to make an unused courtyard space into an exciting, safe, all-weather area for the children. There will be opportunities to use physical equipment, such as bikes and trikes, learn how to grow flowers and vegetables, as well as a quiet area for reading and communicating with others. | England/South East | 50,000.00 | |
| 2025 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | Catterick Garrison Preschool Group | Eat, sleep, Play REPEAT | This project will create a suitable area for the youngest children, who will be increasing their current entitlement from 15 to 30 hours per week in September 2025. It will also develop existing space to better accommodate babies, who are currently sharing areas with older children or placed in a spare room lacking real-world play space and learning resources. | England/North East | 32,470.00 | |
| 2025 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | Dandelion Day Nursery and Kids Club | 0-2 expansion – Peony Room | This project will expand provision in the 0-2 rooms in response to increased demand driven by new government funding for working parents. By creating additional part-time places, the project will alleviate the current pressure on space, which is limiting full-time availability for some military working families. | England/East | 10,000.00 | |
| 2025 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | Greenroots Nursery | Community Pre- School project | The project will provide a high-quality preschool provision within a recently opened nursery that currently caters only to babies and toddlers up to age three. By developing a complete childcare hub serving both military and local community, the project will increase sufficiency by 24 places, supporting the establishment of sustainable, long-term childcare for military families. | England/West Midlands | 64,000.00 | |
| 2025 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | Longhoughton CE Primary School | Early Years Outdoor Provision | The setting will provide children in early years with an inspirational outdoor space for them to learn and grow together. They will be able to play, investigate and explore, which will impact the development of their language and communication, their fine and gross motor skills, and their overall wellbeing. | England/North East | 38,345.00 | |
| 2025 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | Penny Pot Nursery and Creche | Outdoor Learning Environment | The nursery will enhance the outdoor learning environment allowing all year-round access as well as increasing learning opportunities covering all seven areas of learning. | England/North East | 45,000.00 | |
| 2025 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | RAFAKidz Benson | RAFAKidz Benson | RAFAKidz Benson will improve its indoor learning environment with new furniture and resources, along with practitioner training to enable service children to improve their speech and language, social skills and creativity, enhancing their educational development. | England/South East | 11,196.00 | |
| 2025 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | RAFAKidz Brize Norton | RAFAKidz Brize Norton Nursery | RAFAKidz Brize Norton Nursery will enhance its learning environment to enable Service children to develop strong attachments, and feel a sense of belonging, safety and security that sets the scene for learning to enhance their educational development. | England/South East | 5,000.00 | |
| 2025 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | RAFAKidz Cosford | RAFAKidz Cosford | RAFAKidz Cosford will foster, support and develop the physical, emotional and wellbeing needs of service children by transforming the outdoor learning environment to enhance educational development. | England/West Midlands | 53,579.00 | |
| 2025 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | RAFAKidz Cranwell | RAFAKidz Cranwell | RAFAKidz Cranwell will improve its indoor learning environment by using hygge principles to provide comfortable and calm spaces that enable service children to develop speech and language and enable them to self-regulate, enhancing their educational development. | England/East | 48,000.00 | |
| 2025 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | RAFAKidz Medmenham | RAFAKidz Medmenham | RAFAKidz Medmenham will improve its indoor and outdoor learning environments via new furniture, resources and practitioner training to increase capacity within the setting and enable service children to access age appropriate and needs-led support to enhance their educational development. | England/East | 28,580.00 | |
| 2025 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | RAFAKidz Wyton | RAFAKidz Wyton | RAFAKidz Wyton will improve its indoor and outdoor learning environments to enable service children to develop strong attachments and enhance their educational development. | England/East | 28,617.00 | |
| 2025 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | RAFAKidz Valley | RAFAKidz Valley Outdoor Enhancement | RAFAKidz Valley will foster and support the physical, emotional and cognitive development of service children through the transformation of the outdoor environment. Flexible zoned outdoor areas, which are resourced with high quality equipment will facilitate the key Early Years developmental pathways for service children. | Wales | 79,289.00 | |
| 2025 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | RAFAKidz Shawbury | RAFAKidz Shawbury Outdoor Enhancement | RAFAKidz Shawbury will foster and support the physical, emotional and cognitive development of service children through the transformation of the outdoor environment. The creation of flexible, inspirational zoned outdoor areas, resourced with high quality equipment, will spark creativity and imagination, enhancing physical and emotional resilience. | England/West Midlands | 45,837.00 | |
| 2025 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | Dingley's Promise | Tidworth Family Support Programme | The New Tidworth SEND Centre will provide specialist early years education and family support for children from armed forces families with additional needs. Located in a high serving personnel concentration area (around 20,000), the centre will ensure children thrive locally without long journeys for support. | England/South West | 30,200.00 | |
| 2025 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | The Haig Day Nursery | Grow and Play Project | Funding will transform the under 2's play areas making them safer, more challenging and will cover all areas of the early years curriculum particularly physical development and emotional wellbeing which are particularly important for forces children. | England/South West | 45,000.00 | |
| 2025 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | Plymouth City Council | Plymouth Kindred Kids | This project will improve emotional wellbeing, learning, and continuity of care for military children by offering targeted training, fostering enabling and inclusive environments, and strengthening family engagement. It will bring professionals together to meet the unique needs of service families through early intervention, ensuring smoother transitions and long-term positive outcomes. | England/South West | 51,069.00 | |
| 2025 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | Alexander First School | Therapeutic Real-World and Language Hub | Little Roots: Therapeutic Real-World and Language Hub will expand early years places for service children, providing specialist speech and language support alongside therapeutic outdoor learning. The hub will nurture resilience, attachment, and communication skills, creating a lasting, nature-inspired environment that supports wellbeing and school readiness for children aged 0–5. | England/South East | 80,000.00 | |
| 2025 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | Cambrian Learning Trust | Strong Foundations for Services Children | Funding will help to support the youngest service pupils on their educational pathways by recognising their distinct needs within varied school communities. The Trust will develop staff expertise to enable service pupils to build strong foundations of social and emotional wellbeing and achieve academic success. | England/South East | 67,445.00 | |
| 2025 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | Carnagill Primary School | Sensory Start for Service Children | This project will provide safe therapeutic sensory spaces for early years service children and families. Service children will have their needs met with the creation of a sensory reflection garden and direct support from an additional member of staff. This will support current and future service families. | England/North East | 77,676.00 | |
| 2025 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | Catterick Garrison Preschool Group | Pack & Play Military Style | Funding will enable expanded support for local military families by developing a sensory-rich nursery and creating a pack-away provision in the community hall. This ensures high-quality early education and care in a safe, warm, and inclusive environment tailored to the needs of service children. | England/North East | 34,792.00 | |
| 2025 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | North Yorkshire Council | Early Years Service Children's Champion | An Eary Years Service Children’s Champion will identify settings service children attend; identify and signpost information, support, services and guidance to improve staff knowledge and enhance learning environments; improve access to provision; improve outcomes for service children ensuring emotional and developmental needs are met enabling the best start in life. | England/North East | 80,000.00 | |
| 2025 | AF3 Early Years Programme | Armed Forces Families Fund | RAFAKidz Honington | RAFAKidz Honington Sensory Enhancement | RAFAKidz Honington will improve the social and emotional skills and wellbeing of service children through the creation of a sensory space where children can self-regulate and learn to manage their emotions and behaviours. | England/East | 12,480.00 |
