Activities delivered under the holiday activities and food programme (HAF) must include at least one meal a day (breakfast, lunch or dinner), nutritional education and food education for families and carers.   

All food provided (including snacks) must:

• meet the school food standards
• comply with regulations on food preparation
• take into account allergies, dietary requirements and preferences as well as any religious or cultural food requirements. 

The expectation is that food served by providers will be hot, but we acknowledge that there will be occasions when this is not possible and that a cold alternative may be necessary. 

Nutritional education sessions do not need to be formal learning activities and can include activities such as getting the children involved in preparing and cooking food, growing fruit and vegetables and taste tests.

HAF providers are required to make available weekly training and advice sessions for parents, carers or other family members. The sessions should provide advice on how to source, prepare and cook nutritious and low-cost food. This can be combined with the nutritional education aspect of the programme, for example, by inviting children and their families to prepare and eat a meal together. 

We are keen to build our food supplier base to support delivery of the HAF programme and would love to hear from you if you have experience and knowledge around food and nutrition and feel you could support holiday activity providers with the provision of food and/or delivery of the nutritional education and food education element of the HAF programme. Please get in touch with us at HAF@bcpcouncil.gov.uk  

We will be taking applications for funding to deliver HAF places during the summer and Christmas holidays. For further details, please read our grant terms and conditions and grant funding information and the DFE requirements of the programme.

Please email HAF@bcpcouncil.gov.uk if you have any queries.