Autumn 2026 funding round
Our current funding round is for Reception programmes that focus on communication and language.
It is open to applications until 11am on Monday 2 November 2026.
Keep reading for more information about the types of projects we’ll fund, and links to our full guidance and the application form.
Why communication and language in Reception?
Oral language underpins learning, social development, and future attainment. Reception is a critical stage in children’s development, as this is when formal literacy demands increase and children begin to participate in school life.
Children enter Reception with varying levels of language development. Differences in communication and language development can persist throughout a child’s education. Identifying needs early and planning appropriate support can prevent gaps becoming more pronounced. This is crucial in reducing education inequality.
The EEF has partnered with the Department for Education on this funding round. Our shared commitment is to fund independent evaluations to increase the supply of evidence-backed programmes that support educators working with 4 – 5‑year-old children to improve the communication and language provision in their school.
Find out more about our work in early communication and language.
You can explore the evidence in the Early Years Evidence Store and the Early Years Toolkit.
What types of projects do we want to fund?
This funding round will fund independent evaluations of programmes that are fully developed and ready to be tested in a number of settings.
We are interested in programmes that support educators working with 4 – 5‑year-old children to improve the communication and language provision in their setting. This includes professional development programmesA programme is a package of support, including professional development, that helps early years educators to improve particular areas of practice and children’s outcomes. provided to educators working in the primary school Reception phase. We are particularly interested in programmes that might benefit children from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
We are interested in funding programmes that address the following priority areas:
- Reception leadership: programmes that strengthen leadership in Reception to improve the consistency and quality of language support through effective use of the following strategies:
- use of language environment audit tools
- action planning
- effective information sharing and monitoring
- effective engagement between professionals.
- Identification linked to support: programmes that help Reception staff use screening tools to identify language needs to appropriately inform children’s support. Example tools include ELIM, WellComm, and Language Screen.
- Language development: programmes that train and support educators to strengthen children’s spoken language in Reception.
This round is open to applications for pilot projects and efficacy and effectiveness trials.
- Pilots: pilots include independent evaluations of programmes that are fully developed and ready to be tested for feasibility in a small number of settings.
- Efficacy and effectiveness trials: efficacy trials include independent evaluations of programmes that are ready to be trialled (subjected to an impact evaluation) under best possible conditions. Effectiveness is the stage after an efficacy trial and includes programmes that are already well evidenced and scaled, and ready to be trialled at a larger scale under everyday conditions.
Your programme may have been developed and delivered with other early years educators and/or age groups, but it must have been delivered in Reception to be eligible.
Please consult the guidance notes for more information on these priority areas, and how your programme may fit with these.
Find out more by registering for our webinar
We will host a webinar at 1pm on Tuesday 6 October 2026 to support prospective applicants and answer any questions you may have.
To attend the webinar, please register in advance to receive a Zoom link.
A recording of the webinar will be sent via email to everyone who registers (even if you are unable to attend on the day) and will be made available on this webpage.
How to apply
- Read the guidance notes thoroughly
- Fill in the relevant application form:
Applications must be received by 11am on Monday 2 November 2026.
Questions
Consult the guidance notes or register for the webinar/watch the webinar recording.
If you still have any questions about our Autumn 2026 funding round, you can get in touch at applications@eefoundation.org.uk.
Within our themes, we want to fund projects at different stages of their development. For example, those that are being developed and piloted, and those that have shown a positive impact on outcomes and can be tested on a larger scale.
The EEF funds thematically to target areas most likely to improve outcomes for children and young people from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds. For examples of our past themes, see this page: Our Research Agenda themes and priority areas.
The EEF is an independent charity established in 2011 with an initial £125 million endowment from the Department for Education (DfE). The EEF was re-endowed in 2022 with £137 million. A further £40 million was granted in 2024 to continue our work and expand our remit to support young people in the 16 – 19 sector. This public funding underpins our mission to improve outcomes for children and young people from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
The EEF’s endowment is designed to support our independence and long-term stability as a research organisation. Our contract with the DfE explicitly states that the EEF is independent from the department. We have autonomy over how we set our priorities, commission research, and publish findings. Our decisions are led by the best available evidence, and we are committed to publishing results transparently, including where findings are mixed or show no impact.
Alongside our core endowment, we work with philanthropic organisations and other partners to support activities that align with our mission and strategic priorities. In some cases, we have also received funding from the DfE to undertake discrete research projects relevant to the wider education sector and policy community. These partnerships enable us to extend the impact of our endowment, broaden the scope of activity we can deliver, and contribute to collaboration across the education ecosystem. We only undertake externally funded activity where it is consistent with our charitable objectives and strategic priorities, and where our independence in decision-making and delivery is maintained.
Projects