Ceeda said it would shut down its operations from 1 May after spending more than two decades reporting on the early years sector.
A statement published on the organisation’s website said the decision to close had been made with “sadness” and it had been a “great privilege” to provide independent research and intelligence on funding and workforce challenges in the early years.
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Dr Jo Verrill, Ceeda’s managing director, said fundraising for its research programmes had always been challenging but had become increasingly difficult to sustain in recent years.
“We would like to thank everyone who has made our work possible by supporting, funding or participating in our research programmes. We could not have done it without you,” she said.
The organisation, founded in 1999 by Verrill, was set up to carry out independent research for childcare providers, investors, local authorities and sector stakeholders.
Its research programmes have included data on the early years workforce and more recently about the impact of Covid-19.
It launched a portal, About Early Years, that provided real-time data tracking closures and numbers of children in settings which were still operating during the pandemic.
News of Ceeda’s closure next month was met with sadness from its supporters, many of whom thanked the organisation for its important contribution to the early years sector.
Sad news - you have done important work to shine a light on the funding challenges in the early years sector.
— Beatrice Merrick (@b_merrick) April 8, 2022
