21 March 2025

Grand Challenges Canada, with the support of The Lego Foundation, has unveiled an exciting new initiative, Play Learn Thrive, aimed at addressing critical gaps in Early Childhood Development in Emergencies (ECDiE) and Education in Emergencies (EiE).

This funding opportunity seeks innovative solutions to strengthen support systems for children aged birth to 12 years in complex crisis settings, with a focus on projects implementation in at least one of four target countries: Jordan, Lebanon, Kenya, and Uganda. The initiative prioritizes children who are most vulnerable and whose developmental and educational needs remain unmet.

In addition, GCC seeks a service provider to support its Child Development Learning Platform, with submissions due by March 31, 2025. The initiative also focuses on Jordan, Lebanon, Uganda and Kenya, aiming to strengthen early childhood development through its Saving Brains and Play Learn Thrive portfolios.

The selected provider will deliver technical support and scale innovations from July 2025 to June 2026, with potential three-year extension. The initiative aims to implement cost-effective solutions improving early childhood development in vulnerable communities.