Fuelled application and delivery guidance
Summer 2026
Introduction:
This document provides information for providers wishing to apply to deliver provision as part of the Fuelled Holiday Activity and Food (HAF) Programme for Summer 2026. It sets out the programme context and outlines the standards and expectations against which applications will be assessed.
Background
North Lincolnshire Council has been awarded grant funding by the Department for Education (DfE) to coordinate the delivery of free activities and food for children and young people in receipt of benefits‑related Free School Meals (FSM) during the Easter, Summer and Winter school holidays in 2026.
In line with DfE HAF guidance, funded provision is expected to support children and young people to:
- receive a healthy and nutritious meal
- be physically active for over 60 minutes
- take part in engaging and enriching activities that support development and well-being
- increase awareness of healthy eating, healthy lifestyles, and/or positive behaviours
- remain safe and avoid social isolation during the school holidays
- maintain connections with school and other local services
These outcomes form the key considerations when assessing applications for funding.
Run dates
Summer HAF provision must operate on weekdays only, between Monday 27 July till Friday 28 of August. The decision has been made to start the programme from the 27 July as there are some schools across the local authority who finish during the week commencing the 20July.
What can I apply for?
Providers may apply for up to 16 days of funding per venue. Where applications include multiple venues, providers may apply for up to 16 days at each venue. Please note that funding decisions will take account of overall budget availability and the need to ensure a fair geographic spread of provision across North Lincolnshire, so that children and families in different communities can take part.
As a result, where a provider applies for multiple days across venues, we may agree an alternative allocation (for example, fewer days per venue) to maximise access and reach across more areas.
Application process
We want to make the application process clear by explaining the stages involved, the deadlines/dates and our expectations.
Our application form will be a web-page based form. The link will be on our website.
Key dates for Summer 2026
| Key date | Details |
|---|---|
| Friday 22 May – applications close | All details must be confirmed by this date. If any details are waiting to be confirmed by then, the application will be rejected unless previously agreed with the team |
| Friday 12 June – application decision | This is the final date for making application decisions. However, we will be approving applications as providers apply. So you may find out sooner than this |
| Friday 19 June – governance documents | Documents must be returned within seven days of receiving your funding decision. The only exception will be your safeguarding matrix. 19 June is the final cut-off for governance documents |
| Tuesday 23 June – agreement contracts | Agreements will be provided once documents have been processed. We must have all agreements in place by the 23 June |
| Tuesday 30 June – activities uploaded | Providers will be expected to upload their own activities to the EEQU booking system. Contact us for support if needed |
| Tuesday 7 July at 2pm – Bookings go live | All bookings will go live on the 7 July at 2pm. Once live, you will need to approve bookings as they come in, so you will be expected to monitor these on a regular basis. |
| Monday 13 July – Promotional materials | We expect all providers to actively promote their activities. All posters or promotional materials must be sent to us by the 23 March so we can distribute them. |
| Monday 27 July – Easter run dates | Activities must take place between the set run dates. Activities will not be funded on weekends or bank holidays. |
| Friday 4 September – Post delivery returns | Your post-Summer returns must be returned by the above date. |
Activity provision and food
All applications will be reviewed and scored by the Leadership Team. When assessing applications, the team will look for clear evidence that providers have read and understood the Department for Education (DfE) HAF guidance, and that the proposed provision meets the expectations of the programme.
To support providers in completing a strong application, the criteria below sets out what applications will be assessed against.
Activity provision
- Sessions will run for a minimum of four hours per day
- Children and young people will take part in at least 60 minutes of physical activity
- Activities are planned and structured, with a clear outline of what participants will be doing
(This information will be used to inform quality assurance visits) - Activities are engaging and enriching, supporting participants to:
- Develop new skills or build on existing ones
- Meet new friends
- Try new or different experiences
- Provision is suitable for school‑aged children, from Reception to Year 11 (ages 4–16), with an age range appropriate to the activity. (You can choose your range e.g. 7-13)
- Delivery times are appropriate to the intended age group
(For example, afternoon or early evening sessions for older children and young people) - Clear steps are taken to support participants to increase their awareness of healthy eating, healthy lifestyles, and/or positive behaviours
Food
- The food offer is clearly set out, including a menu or example meals
(This will be used to inform quality assurance visits) - Hot food is provided where possible, although we recognise that this may not always be practical
- Food provision meets School Food Standards
- The food offer is appropriate and sufficient for the stated age range
- Dietary requirements and allergens have been considered
- Snacks and drinks (such as fruit and vegetable snacks) are available from the start of the session and throughout the day
(Providers should ensure this is reflected within their costings)
Other details
- A clear promotional plan is in place to encourage families to book places
- Reasonable steps have been taken to ensure provision is accessible and inclusive, including consideration of additional support for children and young people with SEND where appropriate
- The proposed provision represents value for money, considering comparable activity types and delivery models
- Delivery staff can signpost or refer families to additional support where needed
(A signposting and referrals toolkit will be shared with successful providers when available)
Booking System
All providers funded by the North Lincolnshire HAF programme must use the EEQU booking system. This is a well-established and innovative system used by many local authorities for their HAF Programmes.
EEQU is platform that allows anyone to see and access the activities available, children will be eligibility checked when making a booking. You will have your own dedicated page to promote direct to families.
The system allows for a mix of funded and paid places, meaning you can take both paid and funded bookings on one platform which we strongly encourage.
It comes with full support in the form of easy-to-follow guides, videos, chat support and phone or video call support.
Things you will need to do when using EEQU
- Complete an induction and create your account
- Upload your activity listings (and regularly maintain them throughout holiday periods by updating new activity dates and descriptions)
- Ensure the activities advertised on EEQU match what you do on the day and that they match with the information you provided on your application form
- You will need to approve bookings as they come in
- You must be promoting your provision
What are the leadership team looking for?
Applications must clearly reflect the proposed delivery. Where activities delivered do not align with the description provided in the application, or where provision has previously experienced consistently low bookings or attendance, funding may not be continued. To support this, the Council will review booking data and carry out quality assurance visits as part of its ongoing monitoring.
Providers should also be mindful that the HAF Programme is specifically targeted at children and young people in receipt of benefits‑related Free School Meals. Funding decisions will therefore be informed by engagement from eligible children and young people.
To ensure a balanced and varied programme across North Lincolnshire, the Leadership Team may prioritise a range of different activities and delivery models. As a result, the number of delivery days funded may differ from those requested to maximise access to a wider range of provision.
Payments by booking
We are trying to ensure that the grant is not paying for funds for that go unspent. If you have budgeted for a staff member that was not paid to deliver a session, due to low bookings, it is important that the HAF funding for this is recovered. Like food, should you request funding for food for 30 places and only 10 children book on, it is unlikely you will pay for 30 lunches, it is important that the HAF funding that goes unspent due to this is recovered.
It is a new approach and there many of you operate in different ways, we will be flexible and take on board any concerns you raise about this. We will ensure no provider ends up out of pocket because of this change. Please try to provide as much context on your expenditure sheet as possible.
Please get in touch
If you have any queries or concerns regarding your application. Get in touch and talk to us about it prior to the deadline. As always, we want to support you throughout your engagement with the HAF Programme. Please communicate with us whenever you need to and we will do our best to help.
You can email us with any questions you may have at fuelled@northlincs.gov.uk , or ring our helpline on 01724 297270 (Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm).