The Pathway Fund 2023/24 and 2024/25 is now closed

The Pathway Fund is one the Department of Education’s (DE) supports for the early years sector.  In support of the DE vision “A system that is recognised internationally for the quality of its teaching and learning, for the achievements of its young people and for a holistic approach to education”. 

The outcomes of the Pathway Fund are:  

• Improved development of children who are at risk of not reaching their full educational potential ; and

• An enhanced, more sustainable Early Years sector.

The Pathway Fund is open to all registered providers or facilitators of early years (0-4) education and learning provision such as:

• Registered Sessional Daycare Settings (including Out of Schools, Summer Schemes, Playgroups, Crèches).

• Registered Full Daycare Providers (Day Nurseries).

• Registered Childminders.

The Pathway Fund will be administered over two streams, Stream A and Stream B. Applicants can apply online to one or the other, not both. Only one application per organisation will be accepted.

How can the Pathway Fund help your setting?

Have a look at our Case Studies below to see how successful applicants created better outcomes for children.

 Pathway Case Studies

The Pathway Fund is a diverse and flexible fund which supports registered providers or facilitators of early years (0-4) education and learning provision; to improve the development of children identified as most at risk of not reaching their full potential within the school system.   

The case studies below highlight the range of providers and projects which have been supported by the Pathway Fund, three of which detail how projects adapted and continued to deliver during lockdown in April to June 2020. 

No one provider or project is the same and the Pathway team would encourage all providers or facilitators to read the case studies below and consider how they could deliver a project supported by the Pathway Fund.