Department for Education grants

The Regional Improvement for Standards and Excellence (RISE) initiative is a programme by the DfE that is central to the goal of raising standards for all children in all schools across the country. RISE forms part of the government’s Opportunity Mission which focuses on breaking down the barriers to opportunity and ending the link between background and success. The RISE grant will provide mandatory targeted intervention to schools that Ofsted have identified as needing to improve which will act as a catalyst for collaboration and improvement. Where appropriate, RISE teams will arrange for a high-quality organisation to work with a school, via its responsible body, with grants available to fund supporting activity.

The School-based Nursery (SBN) Capital Grant 2027 to 2030 (phase 3) is a local authority-led delivery model. Local authorities are responsible for developing and submitting multi-year funding proposals that set out plans for creating or expanding SBN provision in their area. These proposals can include projects across state-funded primary schools, maintained nursery schools (MNS), and Best Start Family Hub (BSFH) sites. This is the third phase of the school-based nurseries programme. It builds on the foundations of phase 1 (SBN Capital Grant 2024 to 2025) and phase 2 (SBN Capital Grant 2025 to 2026) and has an increased focus on supporting disadvantaged families to access early years provision.

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 aim of giving every pupil, regardless of their background, the best start in life. Free breakfast clubs break down barriers to every child achieving and thriving 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, delivering 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 began in April 2026 when a further 500 schools opening their free breakfast clubs, with more schools set to join in September. 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 food industry partners 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. 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 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. Resources received will help schools as they set up their free breakfast clubs and welcome pupils at the beginning of the new school year. See additional text below for more details Additional information: Any offers by partners will not be mandated for Participating Schools to make use of and Participating Schools will retain flexibility and choice in how they procure their activities. Organisations interested in this opportunity are encouraged to join a webinar which will be held at 11:00 on 20th May 2026. To register your interest in attending this event please email breakfastclubs.partnering@education.gov.uk by 5pm on 18 May 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. This notice relates to an opportunity which is not subject to the Procurement Act 2023. Accordingly, this notice is published on a voluntary basis for transparency purposes and to encourage market interest in the relevant opportunity.