Laura Eden, Corporate Director for Children and Young People, approved the award of contracts for the Holiday Activities and Food Programme (HAF) Summer 2025 Programme. This decision will provide over 38,000 places for children and young people during the summer holidays.

Holiday Activities and Food Programme (HAF) Summer 2025

The Holiday Activities and Food Programme (HAF) for Summer 2025 has been awarded, with contracts totalling £956,951.20 approved for 20 lead delivery organisations. This funding, provided by the Department for Education (DfE), will offer 38,415 places for children and young people across Newham. The programme aims to provide nutritious meals and a range of physical and enriching activities during the school holidays for children eligible for benefits-related free school meals, as well as those who could benefit from the provision.

The decision was made by Laura Eden, Corporate Director for Children and Young People, who had delegated authority from the Cabinet to award these contracts. The Summer mini-competition was divided into three lots: universal provision for primary school-aged children, universal provision for secondary school-aged children, and specialist provision for children with significant or complex special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Providers were required to meet minimum criteria, including accommodating children with low-level SEND needs and bidding for a minimum of 10 and a maximum of 20 days of provision. Bidders were evaluated on quality (50%), price (40%), social value (5%), and sustainability (5%).

The total value of the awarded contracts is £956,951.20, which is slightly over the anticipated amount due to an underspend in the Easter programme. This programme aligns with the Council's commitment to building a fairer Newham and supporting children and young people to achieve their potential, forming part of the Council's Young People and Food Security Strategy to combat holiday hunger.

Alternative options considered and rejected included doing nothing, which would have meant insufficient provision and a requirement to repay DfE funding, and agreeing funding for local authority-maintained schools only, which had seen no interest and would also not meet the grant requirements.

The HAF programme is funded by a government grant from the DfE, with Newham eligible to claim up to £2,049,110 for the 2025/26 financial year. The awarded contracts are within the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (PCR) thresholds for services and comply with the Council's Contract Standing Orders. The decision also discharges the Council's statutory duty under Section 6 of the Childcare Act 2006 to secure sufficient childcare. An Equalities Impact Assessment has been conducted, recognising the programme's impact on vulnerable children and young people, particularly those facing poverty, which has links to class, race, and disability.

The decision was recorded on 24 June 2025 and can be implemented from 4 July 2025, following the end of the call-in period on 3 July 2025. Further details on the successful providers can be found in Appendix 1 of the report¹.