Free School Meals Program
Delivering vital food support at national scale through secure digital supermarket vouchers powered by Tillo.
About the program
Keeping essential support within reach
Free School Meals provide vital support to families across the UK, helping children access a nutritious meal throughout the school week. When schools closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, the UK Government needed a digital alternative that could continue delivering this support to eligible families at home.
- Challenge:
- Deliver a robust and inclusive national solution that allowed families to continue accessing food support while schools were closed.
- Solution:
- Digital gift cards from leading UK supermarkets were distributed through Tillo’s platform to eligible families nationwide.
- Result:
- In the first 12 months, Tillo issued £385 million in vouchers, supporting 1.3 million families across 22,500 schools.
The Solution
A national voucher programme, delivered digitally
Tillo’s platform and API enabled digital gift cards from leading UK supermarkets to be issued and distributed to eligible families nationwide. Immediate digital delivery removed the need for physical vouchers and provided a familiar, accessible way for parents and carers to purchase essential food.
The platform supported both real-time and manual stock management, helping the programme respond to exceptional levels of demand. Real-time data, reporting and trend analysis provided the visibility needed to manage distribution efficiently while maintaining a reliable redemption experience across participating supermarkets.
Delivering vital support with speed and dignity
Families received digital vouchers they could use at familiar supermarkets to purchase food according to their household’s needs. The experience provided a practical alternative to in-person school meals while giving parents and carers flexibility over the items they selected.
The programme was positively received by those using and administering it: 94% of parents and carers expressed satisfaction, while 93% of schools agreed that gift vouchers were an effective alternative to providing meals in person.
We are delighted to be a part of this essential scheme, which will help millions of families over the summer. We believe it is crucial that all children have access to nutritious food, whether schools are open or closed, without the additional meals eaten at home during the holidays placing a financial burden on families.
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