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Guidance

Holiday activities and food programme

Guidance for local authorities that will receive funding to deliver the holiday activities and food programme.

Updates to this page

From:
Department for Education
Published:
16 December 2020
Last updated:
19 August 2026
Show all updates

  1. Updated 'Holiday activities and food programme 2026 to 2027 financial year' to bring it in line with new free school meals guidance.

  2. Updated to reflect that from 1 April 2026, the Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF) will be made available to local authorities to provide targeted financial support to low-income households.

  3. Updated as MHCLG will publish the grant determination letter for the children, youth and families grant in April 2026. Added link to final local government finance settlement.

  4. Added information for the Holiday Activities and Food programme 2026 to 2027.

  5. Added 'Holiday activities and food programme 2025' and 'Holiday activities and food programme 2025: S31 grant determination letter'.

  6. Added 'Holiday activities and food programme 2024' and 'Holiday activities and food programme 2024: S31 grant determination letter' to page.

  7. Added 'Holiday activities and food programme 2023' and 'Holiday activities and food programme 2023: S31 grant determination letter' to page. The guidance on the page has been updated to reflect this addition.

  8. Added clarification on when an additional HAF week can take place in 'Holiday activities and food programme 2022'.

  9. Updated with grant determination letter and information for 2022.

  10. Updated grant determination letter following the allocation of the contingency fund.

  11. Updated payment schedule and added information on COVID-19 for summer 2021 in 'Holiday activities and food programme 2021'.

  12. Added information on safeguarding requirements and a link to allergies guidance for schools.

  13. Added the 'Holiday activities and food programme 2021: S31 grant determination letter'. Updated the guidance to include updated information on funding and new sections on payments and reporting, support for local authorities, standards for holiday provision and Ofsted registration.

  14. First published.

Applies to England

Documents

Holiday activities and food programme 2026 to 2027 financial year

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Holiday activities and food programme 2025 to 2026 financial year

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Details

The holiday activities and food (HAF) programme provides grant funding to local authorities to co-ordinate free holiday provision for eligible children.

This guidance for local authorities sets out:

  • the aims and objectives of the programme
  • requirements for programme delivery, including minimum expectations for provision
  • how funding should be used
  • information to support effective delivery and use of funding

Detailed grant allocations for the holiday activities and food programme are available.

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