Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Pre Market Engagement

West Northamptonshire Council is undertaking pre market engagement with potential providers as part of our intention to commission the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme for a two year period. The Council has delivered the HAF programme locally for the past five years in line with Department for Education (DfE) HAF guidance, supporting eligible children and young people to access healthy meals, enriching activities, and opportunities for learning and personal development during school holidays.
The HAF programme is a key contributor to our Best Start in Life ambition, helping to reduce health inequalities, support physical and emotional wellbeing, strengthen family resilience, and ensure that children and young people are safe, healthy, and able to thrive. As community needs across West Northamptonshire continue to evolve, we are seeking innovative, inclusive, and place based delivery models that align with both national expectations and local priorities.
This pre market engagement seeks to inform our future commissioning approach and ensure that the HAF programme continues to deliver high quality provision that is accessible, nutritious, and inclusive, while targeting those children and families who will benefit most. We are particularly keen to understand how a potential HAF coordinator service can demonstrate alignment with the following local priority areas, which reflect DfE HAF principles and our Best Start in Life strategy:
• Targeting and aligning HAF provision to areas with the highest levels of Free School Meal (FSM) eligibility to reduce inequality and maximise impact
• Delivering a high quality hot food and nutrition offer that promotes healthy eating, food education, and positive lifelong habits
• Ensuring inclusive, high quality SEND provision that removes barriers to participation and supports a wide range of needs
• Developing engaging and age appropriate provision for secondary school aged young people (11+), supporting social connection,...