How to apply
Applications for the summer 2024 HAF are now closed. Our e-form for providers will be available again in late September for the winter edition.
A range of providers can sign up to deliver HAF activities. The following are examples of the types of providers that can get involved with the HAF programme (but are not limited to):
- sports clubs
- out of hours/after-school clubs
- childminders
- schools (infant, junior and secondary)
- church groups
- food banks
- food providers and hospitality services
- forest schools
- early years (nurseries, pre-schools)
- special needs providers
- youth groups
- youth hostels and outward bound providers
Target audience
The HAF programme is primarily for children aged 5 to 16 (and can include 4-year-olds already in reception year) who are eligible for and receiving benefits-related free school meals (FSM), and their families. Friends of these children can also attend if it encourages the FSM child to attend.
We also encourage HAF providers to make places available to children who are not eligible but who can pay to attend.
15% of the funding can be used to provide places considered as vulnerable or in need of this provision. This may include and not limited to, for example:
- children assessed as being in need
- looked-after children
- children with an EHC plan (education, health and care)
- children assessed as otherwise vulnerable
- children living in areas of high deprivation
Visit the GOV.UK Holiday activities and food programme page for more information on the national programme.
How applications are assessed
We will award grant funding on a number of criteria. We may ask you some questions about your application and suggest changes to help meet the objectives of the programme.
How funding is paid
Providers will be offered a grant cost per head as part of a Service Level Agreement. The grant is offered on a cost-recovery basis only, any monies not spent in line with the grant aid agreement are therefore returned.
Costs
The costs can include anything related to delivery expenditure of your programme (for example, resources, staffing, venue, food, insurance costs).
If your programme is open to a wider group of children, we expect the request for HAF funding to only reflect the costs associated with what the programme would cost if it was only provided for the number of HAF eligible children you are providing places for.
You will be expected to secure funding for non-eligible children through providing paid places or other sources of funding (unless you have been given specific approval to offer provision for those not eligible for FSM).
Marketing and advertising the club/activities
All club providers will need to promote and advertise their provision within their local area. There will be city-wide marketing driven by us, however it is essential that each club and activity is marketed locally and specifically to the relevant target audience (engaging with local schools).
To ensure messages reach communities which may be otherwise be diluted if only shared within the information distributed city-wide.
All club providers will be asked to provide full details of booking their session to be added to the Coordinate Sport online booking system.
Bookings
HAF uses an online booking and registration system provided by Coordinate Sport. This lets residents book directly online and for providers to capture all needed information.
Coordinate Sport have provided guidance on using the HAF booking system .
If you have your own booking system, you can add links to the listing.