The Executive Decision meeting of Waltham Forest Council on Thursday 20 August 2026 was scheduled to consider a variation to the Grocery Voucher Scheme contract. This meeting was not open to the public.

Grocery Voucher Scheme Contract Variation

The meeting was scheduled to discuss a proposal to increase the value of an existing contract with Reward Gateway (UK) Ltd for the Edenred Grocery Voucher Scheme. This scheme provides grocery vouchers to families entitled to benefits-related free school meals during school holidays, ensuring children have access to meals throughout the year. The proposed increase in contract value is £1,622,717, bringing the total contract value to £2,393,402. This variation is intended to ensure the continuity of the voucher delivery for the remainder of the financial year.

The report indicated that the Council has been working with Edenred since the 2021/22 financial year, initially funded by the Household Support Fund and now by the Crisis and Resilience Fund. A new contract was signed in October 2025, with an initial value of £770,685. Decisions in March and July 2026 confirmed the continuation of the scheme until March 2027. The proposed contract variation is to cover costs from March 2026 to March 2027.

No alternative options were considered as the contract is already in place until October 2028 and is deemed necessary for the delivery of the scheme. The report highlighted that supporting low-income families during school holidays aligns with the Council's priorities to address the cost-of-living crisis and support those most in need.

The additional cost of £1,622,717 is funded through the Crisis and Resilience Fund, provided to the Council as a grant under section 31 of the Local Government Act 2003. The proposed variation is stated to be compliant with the Council's Contract Procedure Rules and the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. An equality impact assessment screening was undertaken, which determined there was no negative or adverse impact on the Council's equality duty, as the scheme positively supports children and low-income families. The report also noted that suppliers are required to provide evidence of their climate change strategies as part of contract management.

The report recommended that the Portfolio Lead Member for Communities and Libraries, Councillor Treacy, approve the contract variation request. The report author was Ellie Miller, Strategy & Policy Manager. The meeting was scheduled to take place at 3:00 pm on Thursday, 20 August 2026.