Planning

Best Start Free Breakfast Clubs Enrichment Sponsorship Academic Year 26/27

DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION

This public procurement record has 6 releases in its history.

PlanningUpdate

18 Feb 2026 at 14:31

PlanningUpdate

18 Feb 2026 at 13:43

PlanningUpdate

18 Feb 2026 at 13:35

PlanningUpdate

18 Feb 2026 at 13:14

PlanningUpdate

18 Feb 2026 at 10:01

Planning

17 Feb 2026 at 18:03

Summary of the contracting process

The Department for Education is planning a procurement process to find partners for its "Best Start Free Breakfast Clubs Enrichment Sponsorship Academic Year 26/27" initiative. The programme aims to provide resources for free breakfast clubs across the UK, focusing on areas such as musical instruments, sports equipment, and toys. It seeks to collaborate with organisations offering non-digital, interactive enrichment activities for pupils. The procurement is in the planning stage, with a market engagement webinar scheduled via Microsoft Teams at 11:00 on 5th March 2026. Interested parties must register by 5pm on 4th March 2026 via email. This initiative is poised to impact over 680,000 children through 3,000 schools and targets the most disadvantaged areas, commencing nationwide rollout in April 2026.

This procurement offers a significant opportunity for businesses, especially those providing educational resources and enrichment activities for children. It welcomes participation from Small to Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprises (VCSEs), and consortia. Businesses specialising in child-friendly resources like arts supplies, board games, outdoor equipment, or sports kits will find this an excellent opportunity to introduce their products into educational settings. The Department is open to diverse and tailored proposals, accommodating various delivery addresses across the UK regions, including UKC, UKD, UKF, UKG, UKH, UKJ, and UKK. The initiative does not involve monetary compensation for resources but can offer brand visibility through partnership. Interested businesses should seize this chance to partner with the Department and contribute to children's nourishment and educational success.

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Notice Title

Best Start Free Breakfast Clubs Enrichment Sponsorship Academic Year 26/27

Notice Description

Best Start Free Breakfast Clubs: Enrichment Activities Partnership Market Engagement Notice This notice is not a call for competition. Could your organisation partner with the Department for Education's (DfE) free breakfast club programme to help pupils start the day ready to learn? The free breakfast club programme supports the government's aims of giving every pupil, regardless of their background, the best start in life (www.gov.uk/government/publications/giving-every-child-the-best-start-in-life). Free Breakfast clubs break down barriers to every child achieving and thriving (https://teaching.blog.gov.uk/2024/12/13/start-your-school-day-right-the-benefits-of-breakfast-clubs/) at school and in later life, by ensuring they are ready to learn as well as supporting families with the cost of living, and tackling poverty. The first 750 'early adopter' free breakfast clubs opened their doors in April 2025, and these schools are now successfully offering a free 30-minute club alongside a healthy breakfast to their pupils. Following on from the success of this test and learn phase, national rollout will begin in April 2026 targeting the most disadvantaged areas, with a further 500 schools taking part. By September 2026, over 680,000 children across 3,000 schools will benefit from the programme. We know the difference a soft start and healthy breakfast can make for pupils with regards to attendance, attainment and behaviour, and we believe greater impact can be achieved by partnering with organisations who can help schools make their breakfast clubs even better. Last October, in a landmark move, the government joined forces with four industry partners (www.gov.uk/government/news/british-brands-back-free-breakfast-clubs) to provide the 750 early adopter schools with discounts and deals as part of a test and learn phase. These partnerships are helping schools to serve up more affordable, varied breakfast options whilst saving time for busy school staff, which is why we launched a market engagement period (www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/009972-2026) to explore further opportunities for food partnerships beyond July 2026, when the current agreements end. Alongside this, we would like to explore partnerships that can support pupils' soft start to the day. Our early adopter schools are already offering engaging activities that enhance children's development and wellbeing1, and we want to build on this success. To help support schools further, we are seeking partners who can offer resources that make free breakfast clubs even more fun and enriching, helping pupils begin the day ready to learn. We are also considering how activity ideas and materials could be brought together in one accessible place online to further support schools in shaping enjoyable and inclusive free breakfast club sessions. We are interested in resources suitable for all primary-aged pupils from Reception, Key Stage 1 (ages 5-7), and Key Stage 2 (ages 7-11), and welcome partners that could support light-touch, child-led activities for one or more of these age-groups in any of the following categories: express creativity explore the outdoors be active connect with the wider community develop wider life skills We are particularly interested in physical resources such as toys, board games, activity kits, books, arts and crafts supplies or sports and outdoor equipment, as well as voucher-based options such as gift cards or redeemable credits that allow schools to choose resources tailored to their pupils' interests and available space. These examples are not intended to be exhaustive, and other suitable proposals are welcome. Whilst the Department would welcome a range of offers from potential partners, the Department's expectation is that resources aimed at pupils which are wholly digital and/or IT based are unlikely to meet the above requirements Resources received will help schools as they setup their free breakfast clubs and welcome pupils at the beginning of the new school year, ensuring every child can start their school day nourished, settled, and ready to learn. We will be hosting a webinar via Microsoft Teams at 11:00 on 5th March 2026 for organisations interested in this opportunity. To register your interest in attending this event please email breakfastclubs.partnering@education.gov.uk by 5pm on 4th March 2026 with the names and email addresses of proposed attendees. If you are not able to attend the Teams event but wish to express your interest in this opportunity, please email breakfastclubs.partnering@education.gov.uk with your name, organisation and contact details. We look forward to hearing from organisations who share our ambition to make free breakfast clubs a positive, enriching experience so that every pupil, regardless of their background, has the opportunity to achieve and thrive. Please note that this notice is for early market engagement and exploratory purposes and is not a call for competition. The Department reserves the right not to enter any formal processes or agreements. Accordingly, the Department will not be liable for any bid cost, expenditure, work, or effort incurred by a provider in acting based on this notice.

Planning Information

We will be hosting a webinar via Microsoft Teams at 11:00 on 5th March 2026 for organisations interested in this opportunity. To register your interest in attending this event please email breakfastclubs.partnering@education.gov.uk by 5pm on 4th March 2026 with the names and email addresses of proposed attendees. If you are not able to attend the Teams event but wish to express your interest in this opportunity, please email breakfastclubs.partnering@education.gov.uk with your name, organisation and contact details.

Publication & Lifecycle

Open Contracting ID
ocds-h6vhtk-06568f
Publication Source
Find A Tender Service
Latest Notice
https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/014829-2026
Current Stage
Planning
All Stages
Planning

Procurement Classification

Notice Type
UK2 - Preliminary Market Engagement Notice
Procurement Type
Standard
Procurement Category
Goods
Procurement Method
Not Specified
Procurement Method Details
Not specified
Tender Suitability
Not specified
Awardee Scale
Not specified

Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV)

CPV Divisions

37 - Musical instruments, sport goods, games, toys, handicraft, art materials and accessories


CPV Codes

37000000 - Musical instruments, sport goods, games, toys, handicraft, art materials and accessories

Notice Value(s)

Tender Value
Not specified
Lots Value
Not specified
Awards Value
Not specified
Contracts Value
Not specified

Notice Dates

Publication Date
18 Feb 20265 days ago
Submission Deadline
Not specified
Future Notice Date
4 Mar 20262 weeks to go
Award Date
Not specified
Contract Period
3 Aug 2026 - 31 Jul 2027 6-12 months
Recurrence
Not specified

Notice Status

Tender Status
Planning
Lots Status
Planning
Awards Status
Not Specified
Contracts Status
Not Specified

Contracting Authority (Buyer)

Main Buyer
DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION
Contact Name
Not specified
Contact Email
breakfastclubs.partnering@education.gov.uk
Contact Phone
Not specified

Buyer Location

Locality
LONDON
Postcode
SW1P 3BT
Post Town
South West London
Country
England

Major Region (ITL 1)
TLI London
Basic Region (ITL 2)
TLI3 Inner London - West
Small Region (ITL 3)
TLI35 Westminster and City of London
Delivery Location
TLC North East (England), TLD North West (England), TLF East Midlands (England), TLG West Midlands (England), TLH East (England), TLJ South East (England), TLK South West (England)

Local Authority
Westminster
Electoral Ward
St James's
Westminster Constituency
Cities of London and Westminster

Further Information

Notice Documents

Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS)

View full OCDS Record for this contracting process

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To help support schools further, we are seeking partners who can offer resources that make free breakfast clubs even more fun and enriching, helping pupils begin the day ready to learn. We are also considering how activity ideas and materials could be brought together in one accessible place online to further support schools in shaping enjoyable and inclusive free breakfast club sessions. We are interested in resources suitable for all primary-aged pupils from Reception, Key Stage 1 (ages 5-7), and Key Stage 2 (ages 7-11), and welcome partners that could support light-touch, child-led activities for one or more of these age-groups in any of the following categories: express creativity explore the outdoors be active connect with the wider community develop wider life skills We are particularly interested in physical resources such as toys, board games, activity kits, books, arts and crafts supplies or sports and outdoor equipment, as well as voucher-based options such as gift cards or redeemable credits that allow schools to choose resources tailored to their pupils' interests and available space. These examples are not intended to be exhaustive, and other suitable proposals are welcome. Whilst the Department would welcome a range of offers from potential partners, the Department's expectation is that resources aimed at pupils which are wholly digital and/or IT based are unlikely to meet the above requirements Resources received will help schools as they setup their free breakfast clubs and welcome pupils at the beginning of the new school year, ensuring every child can start their school day nourished, settled, and ready to learn. We will be hosting a webinar via Microsoft Teams at 11:00 on 5th March 2026 for organisations interested in this opportunity. To register your interest in attending this event please email breakfastclubs.partnering@education.gov.uk by 5pm on 4th March 2026 with the names and email addresses of proposed attendees. If you are not able to attend the Teams event but wish to express your interest in this opportunity, please email breakfastclubs.partnering@education.gov.uk with your name, organisation and contact details. 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