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Interested in running some school holiday sessions?
Find out everything you need and how to apply to become a provider, as part of the Holiday and Activities Food Programme (HAF).
Take a look at the activities currently on offer for Salford children
The Holiday and Activities Food Programme (HAF) provides funding via the Department for Education to local authorities to deliver support to children in receipt of free school meals through holiday periods.
The programme was further funded for the year 2025/26.
On 17 December 2025, the HAF programme was again funded via a three-year funding settlement of over £600 million.
In Salford, our HAF activities are branded as ‘Salford Holiday Fun’, and as directed via the funding requirements, the holiday periods we are able to deliver HAF projects over are during Easter, Summer and Winter (Christmas).
This holiday provision is for school aged children from reception to year 11 (inclusive) - four to 16 year olds - who receive benefits-related free school meals.
Benefits-related free school meals (FSM) are available to pupils if their parents are in receipt of one of the qualifying benefits, and have a claim verified by their school or local authority.
HAF funding for Salford Holiday Fun programmes will only be available to provide free places for children who go to school in Salford and are in receipt of benefits-related free school meals.
Local authorities have discretion to use up to 15% of their funding to provide free or subsidised holiday club places for children who are not in receipt of benefits-related free school meals but who the local authority believe could benefit from HAF provision.
This may include children who are experiencing food insecurity in the holidays and who meet any of the following criteria:
This above list is not exhaustive.
As a result of the HAF programme, we want children who attend HAF provision to:
We also want to ensure that the families who participate in this programme:
We need a range of providers across the city to help deliver enriching and exciting holiday programmes that will provide the children and young people attending with their best holiday ever!
We are seeking organisations to deliver activities and enriching experiences to children currently accessing benefits related free school meals to help address the holiday experience gap. We are looking for enthusiastic, fun and creative organisations and individuals, educational settings and community champions to help build a programme of opportunities and experiences across the city which will be memorable, and have a long-lasting impact for the children and families of Salford.
Our children and young people in Salford have told us that they would like to do a range of exciting, different activities in the holidays which give them new experiences and opportunities to be independent. They have also told us they love to go on trips to new places, and to do things outside in nature. They have shared that they like the people with them at the holiday clubs to be fun, talkative, playful, inclusive and have a good sense of humour. As you plan your proposal consider how engaging your programme is for children and young people, and how your feedback from them is leading your planned activities.
Please take the time to read the delivery guidance information before proceeding with an online grant application form to ensure you can meet the HAF standards and outcomes required.
Four consecutive weekday dates between Monday 30 March to Friday 17 April, 10am to 3pm (three-week period), excluding the Bank Holidays on Friday 3 April and Monday 6 April 2026.
Monday 27 July to Friday 28 August (five-week period) 4 x 4 consecutive dates, excluding the Bank Holiday on Monday 31 August.
So please choose four consecutive days of delivery per week, over four consecutive weeks from the dates outlined below:
Please choose two days of delivery, 10am to 3pm, from these three dates:
Due to the number of grant applications we receive, if you cannot meet all of the HAF standards or deliver all of the dates please do not submit an application.
Read more about the background to HAF on the GOV.UK website.
Take a look at these two videos if you need some quick inspiration as to why you should apply to become one of Salford’s HAF providers!
Before completing your online grant application form, please read the delivery guidance information below to make sure you can meet the relevant HAF standards and criteria required of providers.
Take a look at the delivery guidance
If there is anything in the guidance document you do not understand, or if you would like to discuss your plans ahead of starting your application, contact health.improvement@salford.gov.uk
Thank you for your interest in becoming a Salford HAF Provider.
We are seeking organisations to deliver activities and enriching experiences to children currently accessing benefits related free school meals to help address the holiday experience gap. We are looking for enthusiastic, fun and creative organisations and individuals, educational settings and community champions to help build a programme of opportunities and experiences across the city which will be memorable, and have a long-lasting impact for the children and families of Salford.
Applications to be a Salford HAF provider in 2026 are now closed.
Grant applications must be submitted within these timeframes.
There is only this one grant application period for the entire year of 2026. Therefore, your grant application must cover all 22 days of HAF delivery (Easter, Summer, and Winter) and showcase how you are delivering at these time periods.
We will not accept grant applications that do not cover all of the HAF delivery periods.
Four consecutive weekday dates between Monday 30 March to Friday 17 April, 10am to 3pm (three-week period), excluding the Bank Holidays on Friday 3 April and Monday 6 April 2026.
Monday 27 July to Friday 28 August (five-week period) 4 x 4 consecutive dates, excluding the Bank Holiday on Monday 31 August.
So please choose four consecutive days of delivery per week, over four consecutive weeks from the dates outlined below:
Please choose two days of delivery, 10am to 3pm, from these three dates:
Due to the number of grant applications we receive, if you cannot meet all of the HAF standards or deliver all of the dates please do not submit an application.
Once your grant application and supporting documents have been submitted, the Health Improvement Service will review these against the varying required HAF standards outlined in the delivery guidance, and let you know if you have been successful by 23 February 2026.
You will then be sent your Exchange of Letters Contract, Information Sharing Agreement, and a copy of the standard Salford City Council Corporate Terms and Conditions, which you will need to sign and return within seven days.
For those of you who cannot meet all the delivery guidance requirements for HAF, grants will also be available through Salford CVS for the 2026 programme which are open for organisations unable to meet all of these requirements.
If you are unable to view documents of these types, our downloads page provides links to viewing software.
This page was last updated on 10 February 2026
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