Activity providers
Applications for 2026 grants are now closed. If you are a provider of holiday clubs or school age childcare, and are interested in providing activities for the Nottinghamshire Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme, you will need to complete an online application.
There will be a series of prequalifying questions, followed by a request for places for each delivery period. HAF Nottinghamshire has a price per head model, which all providers must work within. Non-SEND places are paid at £35 per head, SEND places within mainstream programmes are paid at £60 per head. Specialist providers (SEND, SEMH) will need to complete an expression of interest, outlining their programme, how it fits the HAF framework, and associated fees.
All programmes should include paid for places unless there are significant reasons why you would not offer these.
All providers must read the provider handbook on the application portal alongside the grant conditions before completing the application, taking note of the assessment framework (which all applications are measured against).
Providers must answer questions in full for an application to be assessed.
Before starting the application form you will be asked to create an online account with us, or to log in to your account if you already have one.
Providers may apply for an annual grant covering all holiday periods or for individual holiday periods. Funding and criteria for 2026 can be viewed here: Holiday activities and food programme 2026 to 2027 - GOV.UK
Applications for annual grants are now closed.
What can we deliver as providers?
The programme offer is wide and varied. Current activities include:
- Multi sports
- Dance
- Drama
- Craft sessions
- Virtual reality
- Activity days
- High ropes
- Forest school
- Cooking with children and families
Ofsted registration
HAF providers may be required to register with Ofsted depending on the type of provision they deliver. Some providers may be eligible to join the Ofsted Voluntary Childcare Register, while others may be exempt from registration altogether. Both registered and exempt providers are able to take part in the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme.
To support high-quality provision and strengthen safeguarding for children and young people, some organisations may choose to register with Ofsted even when this is not a legal requirement. Each HAF provider is responsible for understanding whether their activities require Ofsted registration and for regularly reviewing their status if their provision changes.
Being Ofsted registered can offer direct benefits to families. Parents and carers may be able to access financial support, such as Tax-Free Childcare or the childcare costs element of Universal Credit, when using Ofsted registered provision. This could enable eligible families to reclaim up to 85% of their childcare costs when paying for additional childcare delivered by an Ofsted registered provider.
Further information
- The Holiday Activities and Food programme - when you need to register with Ofsted
- Registration exemptions
Provider training
Our HAF team offer free training, including:
- Dealing with challenging behaviour
- Awareness of ADHD
- Awareness of Autism
- Food safety (Level 2)
- Food allergens awareness
Each provider must have the appropriate safeguarding training and policies in place. These will be requested at quality assurance visits. We offer the following safeguarding training, free of charge: Families First training.
Which providers can deliver the programme?
A range of providers can deliver if they meet the minimum standards for delivery and pass the expression of interest process. Providers that currently deliver are:
- Youth services
- SEND providers
- Schools
- Uniformed services (Scouts, Brownies etc)
- Sports providers
- Forest schools
- Sports clubs
- Food providers
- Alternative education providers
- Faith groups
The Holiday Activities and Food standards background information.
Please contact our team for additional information required: haf@nottscc.gov.uk.
How much demand is there?
View our Padlet map, which outlines areas of need and where current HAF funded venues are in relation to these areas.
What venues were used in 2024?
The PDFs below illustrate where HAF delivery took place between 2022 and 2025. If you would like to deliver a program, contact the HAF team to discuss your venue.
