CfI: Innovation in play to improve child outcomes
CfI: Innovation in play to improve child outcomes supports organisations developing and testing real-world play innovations to expand access to quality play and improve children’s development and learning.
Funder: UK Research and Innovation
Due Dates: October 28, 2026, at 11:00am UK time (Application deadline) | December 4, 2026 (Notification) | February 1, 2027 (Contracts awarded and project start) | January 31, 2028 (Project end)
Funding Amounts: £200,000–£500,000 per 12-month contract, inclusive of VAT; up to £3 million total
Summary: Supports practical, evidence-informed innovations that expand access to high-quality, real-world play and improve children’s development and learning.
Key Information: International organisations may apply, but the majority of work and key deliverables must be completed by the applicant in the UK.
Description
Run by Innovate UK, this Contracts for Innovation competition invests funding from UKRI’s Breaking Down Barriers to Opportunity Mission in practical solutions that improve outcomes for children and young people up to age 18. It focuses on play’s role in the home learning environment: everyday interactions, relationships and experiences outside the classroom that influence development and educational outcomes.
The competition seeks evidence-informed interventions, services, behaviour-change approaches, delivery models and design-led or place-based innovations. Solutions should strengthen face-to-face interaction, improve access to enriching real-world play, and address inequalities in play opportunities. Phase 1 supports prototype development and evaluation, including piloting, testing and validation in realistic settings. By its end, projects must demonstrate robust evidence for practical approaches capable of wider adoption by organisations, services and communities.
