The deadline for companies to apply as suppliers for the free-fruit-for-schools scheme has been extended until the new year.

The department of health, which is overseeing the £42 million nation-wide scheme to give a piece of fruit daily to all four to six year-olds, is now issuing basic application forms that must be completed and returned by January 8.

Announcing the new deadline at the end of last month, health minister Lord Hunt also revealed that the West Midlands will be the first region to be fully covered by the scheme. Extending north to Stoke-on-Trent, south to Worcestershire and Warwickshire, west to Shropshire and Herefordshire and east to Coventry, the area has approximately 2,000 schools, with more than 200,000 four to six year-olds requiring an estimated 1.25 million pieces of fruit every week.

This first part of the scheme is now on course for a summer launch, with the entire programme in place nation-wide by 2004.

'As confidence builds, so the speed of implementation will increase,' said Doug Henderson, ceo of the Fresh Produce Consortium, which has worked closely with the government on developing the scheme.

'This is a brilliantly conceived strategy, which is now beginning to unfold,' he added.

Applications and contracts are being split into two parts, supply of the fruit, and handling and distribution. Companies can express interest in supplying all items of fruit from all origins or one type only.

It is generally accepted that apples, pears, bananas and easy peelers will launch the scheme, and it is likely to be extended to other fruits and vegetables later.

Henderson said the FPC would be available to answer questions and help companies with their applications.

He added that food safety in the wholesale sector was one of the particular areas that the FPC could assist with. The FPC's wholesale operating standards form a central part of government requirements of suppliers to the scheme.

' We are more than willing to talk to and help wholesalers with this,' said Henderson. 'And providing they implement and work to these standards they should have no problems at all. Importers are also prepared to provide them with further support as well.' And retailers, although not expected to be a direct part of the programme, can also get involved.

'We would also hope that the supermarkets will get behind the scheme,' said Henderson. 'Although they may not be supplying the schools, they are almost certainly supplying the parents in the locality.' Companies who want an application form should contact Bob Collins at the department of health on 020 7972

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