It has been announced that Phase 2 of the School-based Nursery programme is now live, with schools and Trusts in England encouraged to apply for the School-based Nursery Capital Grant for AY 2026/27.

When should I apply for the School-based Nursery Capital Grant?

Although there is time to prepare your submission, the application window for School-based Nursery Capital Grant funding 2026/27 is short with it closing on 11 December 2025. Eligible schools should contact their local authority for more thorough and nuanced information.

This is Phase 2. What was Phase 1? Is there a Phase 3?

Phase 1 launched in October 2024, with the aim to fund 300 school-based to expand or establish their sites in order to increase the number of nursery spaces across the country – a problem that has dominated headlines over the past few years. Phase 1 resulted in an average of 20 extra spaces per school-based nursery, totalling 6000 nationally. The government believes that by the end of this month (September 2025), there will be a further 4000 places available due to Phase 1.

Phase 3 is still in the planning phase, focusing on longer-term creation projects that possibly refer to funding new buildings for nurseries within schools and Trusts’ estates.

Applying for your School-based Nursery Capital Grant?

Eddisons has a long and prolific relationship with helping schools and Trusts apply for funding. We were able to secure £Xm in funding through the now-defunct PSDS scheme, and have had similar successes with CIF and SCA applications too.

If you are interested in learning more about how we can help you to apply for funding, including supporting your submission entry and then strategising how to use that money efficiently and effectively, get in touch now.