Birmingham City Council (programme managed by StreetGames)

Bring it on Brum! Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme grants

Grants for organisations to run free holiday clubs in Birmingham, with a healthy meal and enriching activities, for children in Reception to Year 11 who receive benefits-related free school meals. This is Birmingham's Holiday Activities and Food programme, known as Bring it on Brum!, managed by StreetGames for the council. Funding is worked out per space per day: up to £25 a child a day if you provide your own food, or £18.50 if you use the central food service, based on a 4-hour session. The next window is for Christmas 2026 clubs only: the grant portal opens at 9am on Monday 12 October 2026 and closes at midnight on Sunday 1 November 2026.

Apply on the funder’s site

You could get: Amount not specified
Closes in: 14 days left; 1 November
Effort: Moderate; full application with documents

Who can apply

Organisations that will deliver a holiday club in Birmingham for school-age children (Reception to Year 11) who receive benefits-related free school meals
Eligible types are: constituted community, voluntary, faith and not-for-profit social enterprises; community interest companies (CICs); charitable organisations; schools, colleges and educational establishments; out-of-school providers and childcare; and commercial organisations delivering against a social objective that are not applying for funding that will generate profit
You must have policies and procedures for safeguarding (including safer recruitment of staff and volunteers), food safety, health and safety, accessibility and inclusiveness, and record keeping, plus public liability insurance covering holiday activities including food provision, and employer's liability and/or professional indemnity insurance
All staff should have an enhanced DBS check with barred list information
Clubs must register with Ofsted where the law requires it
Children newly eligible for free school meals from September 2026 only because of the Universal Credit expansion are not eligible for HAF in 2026, so they cannot be counted as funded places

What it funds

Delivery of a holiday club during the spring (Easter), summer and winter (Christmas) school holidays for children eligible for benefits-related free school meals, including:

Venue hire
Staff costs
Food costs
Physical activity costs
Enrichment, healthy eating, healthy lifestyles, positive behaviours and signposting costs
Training costs (where the course is not offered through the programme's free training)
Other costs, such as resources and materials to deliver the programme outcomes

requests must not exceed £25.00 per space per day if you provide your own food, or £18.50 per space per day if you use the central food service (no direct food costs); the funding model is based on a 4-hour session

places for vulnerable children and children with SEND who are not eligible for free school meals are funded through solicited applications only (up to £30.00 or £23.50 per space per day); contact your Area Lead

What it will not fund

Sessions on weekends or bank / public holidays (for winter 2026, not Christmas Day 25 December or the Boxing Day holiday on 28 December)
Holiday periods other than spring (Easter), summer and winter (Christmas); half-term provision is unlikely to be funded
Places for children who are not eligible (if only some of your spaces are for eligible children, the rest must be funded elsewhere or be paid-for places)
Costs of sessions longer than 4 hours (these must be funded from other sources)
Commercial organisations applying for funding that will generate profit

How to apply

Read the 2026 Bring it on Brum! Delivery Guidance in full before applying
From 9am on Monday 12 October 2026, start a new application on the StreetGames grant portal via the Bring it on Brum! 'Apply for HAF Funding' page (you need to create an account with an email address and password)
Complete a separate application form for each venue; several programmes at one venue can go on one form (talk to your Area Lead about the multi-venue form if you plan 5 or more venues)
Submit by midnight on Sunday 1 November 2026
Applications are reviewed 2 to 13 November 2026: stage 1 checks eligibility, quality and value for money (cost per space per day); stage 2 maps provision against where eligible children live. Every question must score 3 out of 5 or more to progress
Successful applicants are sent a partnership agreement via the portal between 16 and 20 November 2026 to download, sign and upload
Upload your winter programme to Coordinate Sport between 16 and 27 November 2026; bookings go live on the Bring it on Brum! website on 30 November 2026
Deliver between 21 and 31 December 2026, then complete programme monitoring and financial reconciliation by 22 January 2027

this window is for winter (Christmas) 2026 only funding. Annual (spring, summer and winter) applications were taken in January 2026, open to established providers meeting the annual award criteria.

80% of the grant is usually paid up front and 20% after satisfactory monitoring and financial reconciliation; if you spend less than the first 80%, the difference must be paid back.

demand exceeds the funds available in many areas, and programmes may be reduced in size; offers for 100+ spaces a day are made only in exceptional circumstances.

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