National Day Nurseries Association

What National Day Nurseries Association does

National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) is a UK-registered charity and membership association founded in 1999, headquartered in Huddersfield with regional offices in Edinburgh (Scotland) and Conwy (Wales). It is the only national membership body specifically representing day nurseries across the UK, serving a 21,000-strong nursery sector and supporting an early years workforce of approximately 250,000. NDNA is governed as a Company Limited by Guarantee (Company No. 3738616) and holds charity registration in both England/Wales (No. 1078275) and Scotland (SC040610).

NDNA operates a multi-product service platform centered on annual membership subscriptions tiered by number of nursery sites, alongside revenue from the NDNA Development Zone (a proprietary learning management system with 500+ online courses), face-to-face and live virtual training delivered via Zoom, the annual NDNA Conference and Awards, and accreditation programmes including Quality Counts (a three-year quality improvement certification) and Millie's Mark (paediatric first aid). Supporting products include PANCo qualifications, the Maths Champions Programme (delivered with the Education Endowment Foundation), the myNDNA member portal, Nursery News Magazine, a legal helpline, policy template libraries, and regional networks across England, Scotland, and Wales. The technology stack relies on conventional SaaS infrastructure (Stripe for payments, Zoom for virtual classrooms) without disclosed AI capabilities or proprietary ML systems.

The commercial model blends recurring subscription revenue (membership, Quality Counts 3-year cycles) with transactional revenue (course bundles priced at £5.25/course for the 500-course member bundle, individual courses at £17.99 for members, conference tickets, publication sales). Customer acquisition runs through direct membership sales, regional network engagement, and event-driven GTM (annual conference). NDNA's go-to-market is primarily a self-serve, membership-based model targeting private, voluntary, and independent (PVI) nursery owners and managers, with a secondary corporate membership tier for multi-site groups and an international membership arm now extending to Saudi Arabia. Strategic positioning emphasizes policy advocacy (FOI-driven funding investigations, Ofsted analysis) and sector representation to government and regulators across all UK nations.

Name

National Day Nurseries Association

Legal name

National Day Nurseries Association

Website

https://ndna.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

NDNA is the UK national charity and membership association for day nurseries, serving approximately 21,000 settings and 250,000 early years practitioners with membership subscriptions, an online training LMS, accreditation programmes, and policy advocacy across England, Scotland, Wales, and internationally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Huddersfield

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: Annual membership fees for nurseries and early years settings, with pricing based on number of sites. Provides access to member hub, resources, legal helpline, discounts, and advocacy services.
2. Online Training Courses: Individual course purchases and bundled training packages delivered through the Development Zone LMS. Pricing varies for members and non-members, with bundles offering significant per-course discounts.
3. Events and Conferences: Revenue from NDNA Conference 2026 and Awards ceremonies, including ticket sales for nursery owners and managers.
4. Publications and Resources: Sales of factsheets, policies, procedures, recorded webinars, and physical publications for early years settings.
5. Quality Counts Certification: Fees for quality improvement scheme accreditation and certification, with three-year certification period.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

NDNA is a national charity and membership association that sells annual memberships to day nurseries and early years settings, providing access to policy support, legal helpline, business support, the myNDNA member hub, regional networks, and Nursery News Magazine. It also sells online training courses via the Development Zone LMS, face-to-face and virtual training, accreditation through Quality Counts and Millie's Mark, qualifications such as PANCo, the Maths Champions Programme, publications, policies and procedures templates, and runs an annual Conference and Awards.

Product overview

National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) operates as a membership-based national charity providing a comprehensive suite of products and services for day nurseries and early years providers across the UK and internationally. The core offering centers on NDNA Membership, which provides access to policy support, a legal helpline, business support services, Ofsted guidance, nursery news magazine, and local network groups. Training and professional development is delivered through two primary channels: the NDNA Development Zone (an online learning management system with 500+ courses accessible via enrollment keys) and live training options including virtual classrooms via Zoom and face-to-face sessions. Quality assurance is supported through Quality Counts accreditation and Millie's Mark health and safety qualification. Specialist programmes include the Maths Champions Programme (delivered with the Education Endowment Foundation), PANCo qualifications, and Champions Programmes for SEND support. The organization operates regionally through NDNA England, NDNA Scotland (as a strategic government partner), and NDNA Cymru, with international membership extending to Saudi Arabia. Additional offerings include the NDNA Awards, annual Conference, nursery policies and procedures templates, publications, and the myNDNA member portal.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Quality Counts: NDNA's childcare quality improvement scheme and self-evaluation framework for nurseries
• Millie's Mark
• PANCo
• Start Life Well Award
• Maths Champions Programme
• myNDNA
• NDNA Development Zone
• NDNA England
• NDNA Scotland
• NDNA Cymru
• NDNA International
• NDNA Conference
• NDNA Awards
• NDNATalk
• Nursery News Magazine
• Early Years Development Zone

Products and services

• NDNA Nursery Membership Annual membership product for UK day nurseries providing policy support, legal helpline, business support, Ofsted guidance, Nursery News Magazine, member discounts, and access to NDNA local networks.
• NDNA Development Zone (Online Training) Online learning management system hosting more than 500 early years training courses accessed via enrollment keys with progress tracking, certificates, and message boards for early years practitioners.
• Quality Counts Accreditation Quality improvement and self-evaluation accreditation scheme for nurseries with both online and onsite assessment components and a three-year certification period, available in the UK and internationally.
• Millie's Mark Health and safety qualification for early years settings covering paediatric first aid and emergency procedures for babies and young children.
• PANCo Qualification NCFE CACHE regulated Physical Activity and Nutrition Coordinator qualification for early years practitioners to lead health and wellbeing in nurseries.
• Maths Champions Programme Early years maths training programme delivered with the Education Endowment Foundation, placing nominated Maths Champions in nursery settings to improve maths pedagogy.
• NDNA Awards Annual awards ceremony recognising outstanding achievements across multiple categories for member nurseries, held as part of the NDNA Conference.
• NDNA Conference Annual national conference bringing together early years professionals with speakers, workshops, and networking opportunities.
• Live Virtual Classroom Training Real-time online training sessions delivered via Zoom including weekly Wednesday webinars and themed virtual training events for early years practitioners.
• Face-to-Face Training In-person training courses delivered at nursery venues or NDNA facilities across the UK, including inspection consultancy and bespoke training packages.
• Nursery Policies and Procedures Template policies and procedures for nurseries covering safeguarding, health and safety, and regulatory compliance.
• NDNA Publications Written publications, factsheets, and downloadable resources for early years practitioners covering regulatory and operational topics.
• Nursery News Magazine Monthly magazine for NDNA members providing sector news, best practice guidance, and policy updates for the early years sector.
• myNDNA Member Portal Online member portal providing access to resources, factsheet of the month, free online training, quizzes, and activity tips.
• NDNA International Membership International membership programme for nurseries and kindergartens outside the UK, including those in Saudi Arabia, with online training discounts and Quality Counts accreditation.
• Legal Helpline Telephone legal advice service for member nurseries covering regulatory, employment, and business matters.
• Business Support for Nurseries Resources and consultancy services helping nurseries improve sustainability, financial planning, and operational efficiency.

Quantifiable outcome

• Ofsted Report Cards: PVI nurseries receive more detailed, focused reports (100% relevant to nursery) compared to school-based nurseries (34% average relevant)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• CitationminorOthersHR and employment law support partner, with logo displayed on NDNA website as a partner offering additional services to members.
• HopeminorOthersPartner logo displayed on NDNA website, offering services to members.
• Wijha Training CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSaudi Arabian training company that partnered with NDNA in 2024 to host training events exploring the importance of early years with focus on instilling quality across nurseries in Saudi Arabia. Hosted Nurseries Quality Forum in Riyadh.
• Education Endowment Foundation (EEF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner for Maths Champions Programme. NDNA shares setting and contact details with EEF for programme monitoring. EEF conducts evaluations and may contact setting staff for interviews and surveys.
• NCFE CACHEcoreTechnology or IntegrationApproved NCFE CACHE Training Centre. NDNA delivers regulated qualifications including CACHE regulated programmes. Learners must adhere to awarding body terms and conditions.
• Takamol HoldingsminorOthersParent company of Qurrah Daycare, a platinum Quality Counts setting in Saudi Arabia providing daycare for Takamol Holdings employees.
• Millie's MarkminorOthersNDNA supports Millie's Mark accreditation, a health and safety certification for childcare providers. Separate privacy notice applies.
• Quality CountsminorOthersNDNA's own quality improvement scheme. Quality Counts has separate privacy notice at qualitycounts.org.uk.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC): US-based large-scale membership association for early childhood educators, offering accreditation, training, conferences, and policy advocacy. Mirrors NDNA's model of accreditation (NAEYC Accreditation) plus professional development for the early years workforce.
• Early Years Alliance: UK membership charity supporting early years settings (including nurseries and pre-schools) with training, resources, and publications. Overlaps with NDNA on policy advocacy, training delivery, and member services in the same UK nursery market.
• TACTYC: UK association for trainee and early years teachers, focused on initial teacher training and professional development. Shares NDNA's training and advocacy function but is more narrowly focused on the practitioner training pathway.
• Canadian Child Care Federation: Canada-wide federation supporting early childhood educators through training, resources, and advocacy. Closest non-UK equivalent to NDNA's combined training + advocacy + policy representation role for early years providers.
• PACEY: UK membership association for childcare and early years professionals, offering training, resources, and advocacy to childminders and practitioners. Closest direct competitor to NDNA's PVI nursery focus, with overlapping training and policy offerings.
• Early Childhood Australia: Australian national peak body for early childhood education and care, with membership, publications, and advocacy. Comparable not-for-profit structure and offering mix (training, policy, member services) to NDNA in a similarly regulated ECEC market.
• Childcare Aware: US-based network providing resources, training, and advocacy for childcare providers and families. Operates a similar nonprofit, member-supported business model focused on workforce support and provider quality improvement.
• National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC): US organization supporting family child care providers through accreditation, training, and advocacy. Comparable accreditation-plus-membership model for early years providers, though focused on home-based rather than centre-based care.

Others

• Mumsnet: UK online community for parents — not a childcare provider association, but a comparable community-driven platform engaging the same audience of parents seeking nursery information. Adjacent ecosystem participant rather than direct competitor.

Emerging players

• Children's Activities Association: UK membership organization for children's activity providers offering accreditation and support. Partial overlap with NDNA's quality assurance role (Quality Counts) but focused on activity providers rather than nurseries.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NDNAtalk

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about National Day Nurseries Association