Decision Maker: Cabinet

Outcome: Recommendations Approved (subject to call-in)

Is Key Decision?: Yes

Is Callable In?: Yes

Date of Decision: December 3, 2025

Purpose: To seek cabinet approval to accept the grant award and procure a contract for the supply and delivery of the Holiday Activity and Food (HAF) programme for the period of April 2026-March 2029.  

Content: Cllr Ben Evans sought cabinet approval to accept a grant award from the Department for Education and procure a contract for the continued supply and delivery of the Holiday Activity and Food (HAF) programme for the period of April 2026-March 2029.   Having considered all of the information, Cabinet noted the report and   RESOLVED to:   Subject to Gloucestershire County Council (GCC) receiving a grant determination letter from the Department for Education (DfE) confirming that GCC shall receive £1,655,070 per annum of Holiday Activity and Food programme grant funding during financial years 2026/27, 2027/28 and 2028/29: 1               Approve the acceptance of the above Holiday Activity and Food programme grant funding. 2               Delegate authority to the Executive Director of Children’s Services in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Children’s Safeguarding and Care to approve: a)    The allocation of £1,345,729 from the above Holiday Activity and Food programme grant funding per year during the period 1 April 2026 – 31 March 2029 to fund services through an open procedure as described in Recommendation 3 of this report. This will provide support to children and families in each of Gloucestershire’s districts, on the basis set out in Annex 1 to this report and in proportion to:     i. the number of children and young people who are eligible to receive Free School Meals in each district; ii. the rurality of each district; and iii. the number of children and young people with an Education and Health Care Plan (EHCP) in each district.     b)    The allocation of 10% of the Holiday Activity and Food programme grant funding (i.e. £165,507 per year) to support GCC’s administration costs in providing local coordination for the Holiday Activity and Food Programme. c)     The Allocation of no more than £143,834 per annum of Holiday Activity and Food programme grant funding, in accordance with DFE of funding guidance, for the purpose of filling any gaps and shortfalls in delivery that may exist in relation to the HAF deliverables.     3.     Delegates authority, to the Executive Director of Children’s Services, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Children’s Safeguarding and Care to procure services through an open procedure.   If the value of any single proposed light-touch contract for services through the above open procedure exceeds £500,000, a separate key decision will be sought from Cabinet or (as appropriate) an individual Cabinet Member at the relevant time to authorise the award of such light-touch contract for services. In the event that the Holiday Activity and Food programme grant funding received from the DfE is less than the amount anticipated in Recommendation 1 above, a separate governance decision to authorise the allocation of such funding will be sought at the relevant time through the appropriate decision-making route.