Namibia ECD Outcomes Partnership

EOF, in partnership with Namibia's Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture (MEIYSAC), is developing an Outcomes Partnership for Early Childhood Development (ECD), with an initial target budget of USD 12 to 15 million. Using the Outcomes-Based Financing (OBF) model, funding from Government, philanthropy and corporates is paid to Implementing Partners only once results are independently verified.

The programme's primary objective is to finance measurable improvements in ECD centre registration, quality, nutrition and child development outcomes. It is structured around two complementary components, sized to available funding:

Quality Improvement: delivers a full, comprehensive package of services to a defined set of centres over the full implementation period, to improve centre quality, nutrition and child development outcomes, and to generate evidence on what works and on cost-efficient use of the government grant.

Registration Readiness: brings targeted support to a larger number of centres to help them meet Government's registration and safeguarding threshold, and may verify that registered centres are using the ECD grant as intended.

Alongside these direct outcomes for children, the programme is designed to strengthen government M&E systems, NGO capacity to deliver within performance-based funding models, and a fully functioning ECD grant system that lays the foundations for future outcomes-based contracting.

The programme runs, in principle, for a three-year implementation period from 2027 to 2030, with launch expected in Q2 to Q3 2027.

Purpose of this Expression of Interest

EOF and MEIYSAC are seeking Expressions of Interest (EOI) from Implementing Partners, Impact Investors and Technical Support Partners interested in the programme. Applicants will be selected through a two-stage process: this EOI, followed by a Call for Proposals (CFP).

The EOI's main purpose is to give EOF and MEIYSAC a clear picture of interested organisations, and to gather information that will help shape the final programme design. Responses received through this EOI will directly inform design decisions still under discussion, to ensure the design reflects the realistic capacity, interest and appetite of the market ahead of the CFP.

At EOI stage, organisations may apply under one of three profiles:

Implementing Partners: organisations responsible for delivering the programme's interventions to ECD centres. Typically Namibian or international NGOs, encouraged to apply in consortia where appropriate.

Impact Investors: organisations that provide upfront working capital to Implementing Partners, enabling programme delivery before outcomes are verified and payments are made. May also provide performance management support.

Technical Support Partners: international, regional or national organisations with expertise in early childhood development, capacity building or programme implementation, providing technical assistance and performance management to Implementing Partners.

All applicants who meet the minimum threshold score at EOI stage will be eligible to apply for the CFP.

Organisations do not need to be legally established in Namibia at the EOI stage but will need to do so before the CFP.