HAF Information for providers
Deliver funded holiday activities and meals in Buckinghamshire
Could your organisation create opportunities for children and young people to enjoy active, enriching and healthy school holidays?
The Buckinghamshire HAF programme funds approved organisations to provide holiday activities and healthy meals for eligible children during the Easter, summer and Christmas school holidays.
Applications are welcome from:
- community organisations
- charities
- schools
- sports and leisure organisations
- arts and cultural groups
- childcare providers
- private companies
- specialist SEND services
HAF gives children and young people the opportunity to stay active, try new experiences, develop skills, make friends and enjoy a healthy meal during the school holidays.
Delivering HAF can also help your organisation:
- reach new children and families
- strengthen relationships with schools and community partners
- expand or test your holiday offer
- develop staff skills and inclusive practice
- make a positive difference in your local community
Successful providers receive updates, training and support from the Buckinghamshire HAF Team to help them prepare for delivery.
We want to fund safe, welcoming and engaging provision that meets local need.
HAF sessions should normally last for at least 4 hours and, preferably longer. They should provide children with a balanced experience that includes:
- a healthy meal
- enriching activities
- opportunities to be physically active
- informal learning about healthy eating and healthy lifestyles
- an inclusive environment that meets a range of needs
We particularly encourage applications that improve provision for:
- communities with limited access to local activities
- secondary-aged young people
- children and young people with SEND
Applications are welcome from established organisations that can demonstrate they have the experience, staffing, policies and financial arrangements needed to deliver safe and effective activities.
As part of your application, you will need to provide evidence of:
- an appropriate venue
- safeguarding arrangements
- food provision
- staffing arrangements
- insurance
- accessibility
- data protection
- health and safety arrangements
Full eligibility criteria, Ofsted requirements and application requirements are explained in the provider guidance.
Funding can support eligible delivery costs, including:
- staffing
- food
- venue hire
- activity resources
- additional support needed to make provision accessible
Your application must include a clear budget showing:
- the cost of the programme
- the number of HAF places proposed
- how the application represents value for money
Providers must complete the HAF application form and submit it with the required supporting documents stated on the form.
- Buckinghamshire HAF application form [Word document, 122KB]
- Buckinghamshire HAF guidance [PDF, 3354KB]
The deadline for the submission of Christmas 2026 applications is the close of play on Wednesday, 23 September 2026.
If you have any queries regarding a HAF application for 2026, please contact [email protected].
Mixed provision
Mixed provision is when some of the total places offered by an organisation are funded separately, for example by fee-paying customers or from another funding pot.
We welcome HAF funding applications that involve mixed provision.
For these applications, we will fully fund any costs that apply only to the HAF-specific places. Funding for other costs is given on a pro-rata basis according to the proportion of HAF places, for example, venue or staffing costs.
Sun Safety
Buckinghamshire Council is working with the Melanoma Fund to promote sun safety among HAF providers. This includes promoting the Outdoor Kids Sun Safety Code. They provide free educational resources for people who work outdoors with primary-aged children. Find out more about the Melanoma Fund UK Outdoor Sun Safety Code.
The Melanoma Fund is also exploring the idea of having at least one Sun Guard Accredited adult in each club. HAF providers and other settings can achieve this by completing the their free course.
Training opportunities for providers
As part of their funding, Buckinghamshire HAF providers can attend training sessions. These take place before each holiday delivery period.
Training topics include:
- safeguarding
- autism awareness
- the impact of early trauma
Providers are also encouraged to explore the full range of training opportunities delivered by Buckinghamshire Council's Early Years Service. These are available alongside the funded training opportunities provided through the HAF programme.
Tax-Free and Universal Credit childcare
Providers operating from Ofsted-registered venues can also apply to offer Tax-Free and Universal Credit Childcare places to eligible families. These can be used to top up HAF hours or to help a family pay for a full day of provision.
To find out more about childcare support available, visit the Best Start In Life website.
Privacy
We will use the information you provide only for the purpose of this grant funds application.
We will store the information securely in line with data protection laws. Please read our Privacy Information for more details.