Proceeds of Crime Fund

Update in response to COVID-19

The sale of assets was prevented during COVID-19 Alert Level 4 lockdown and proved difficult in Alert Level 3 due to the physical distancing requirements. This has left the Fund with a much lower balance than expected.

In response, Rounds Three and Four are being streamlined into one funding round. This will allow time to provide a larger pool of funding for initiatives than is currently possible.

Close-off for initial proposals will now be Wednesday 23 September 2020.

We apologise for any inconvenience caused. For any queries about the fund or to seek assistance, please contact the PoCF Secretariat at PoCF@justice.govt.nz,

Background of the Fund

The PoCF was established in 2009, and from April 2019 has been administered by the PoCF Secretariat within the Ministry of Justice. It is a contestable fund for initiatives that meet criteria set by Cabinet.

The criteria set by Cabinet in March 2019 are:

Expansion of alcohol and other drug treatment services;
Initiatives to fight organised criminal groups dealing in methamphetamine and other drugs;
Initiatives to address mental health issues within the criminal justice system;
Initiatives that address crime-related harm to communities and improve community wellbeing.

The Cabinet paper and the related Cabinet minute under which the PoCF operates are available here.

Process for submitting funding proposals

The PoCF holds two funding rounds per year. Initiatives can be submitted by any of the 39 public and non-public service departments as defined by the State Services Commission (see the list of eligible agencies). Other organisations can also submit initiatives but must partner with an eligible department. The funding round process is as follows:

Early March and September: Initial proposals can be submitted, using the Proceeds of Crime Fund initial proposal template [DOCX, 29 KB]. This short-form stage allows for sponsors to submit and test their initial idea. If it is approved by the Reviewers Group of senior officials, sponsors will be asked to develop a detailed funding proposal using the Proceeds of Crime Fund detailed proposal template [DOCX, 50 KB].
Late March and September: Closing of new initiatives stage.
April and October: The Reviewers Group determines which initiatives should develop detailed proposals. These detailed proposals need to be submitted within 5-6 weeks for further consideration by the Review Panel.
Late May and November: Closing of detailed proposals stage.
June and December: The Reviewers Group considers the detailed proposals and develops recommendations to authorising ministers on which proposals should receive funding. The recommendations are submitted to the Prime Minister, the Minister of Finance, and the Minister of Justice.
February and August: The Prime Minister and the other Fund Ministers consider the proposals alongside the Reviewers’ recommendations and make decisions on which funding proposals will receive funding.
Late February and August: The PoCF Secretariat then informs applicants of the ministers’ decisions.

Initiatives can be submitted at any time throughout the year, where they will be lodged for the next upcoming funding round. However, they must be lodged by one of the eligible agencies listed below.

Round 2 Application Close Off Date: 27 September 2019

Round 3 Application Close Off Date: 27 March 2020

Reporting requirements

All successful funding proposals are required to provide regular reporting information to the PoCF Secretariat for six-monthly performance reports. The process for performance reporting is as follows:

Early January and July: The PoCF Secretariat contacts the leads of successful and ongoing funding proposals to request information for performance reporting.
Mid-late January and July: Agencies provide performance information back to the PoCF Secretariat.
February and August: The PoCF Secretariat develops the six-monthly performance report in consultation with agencies.
March and September: The six-monthly performance report is completed and provided to the Fund Ministers.

Eligible agencies

39 public and non-public service departments are eligible to submit funding proposals to the PoCF. These agencies are listed in the table below.

Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment	Oranga Tamariki — Ministry for Children
Department of Conservation	Ministry for Pacific Peoples
Department of Corrections	Ministry for Primary Industries
Crown Law Office	Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
Ministry for Culture and Heritage	Serious Fraud Office
Ministry of Defence	Ministry of Social Development
Ministry of Education	State Services Commission
Education Review Office	Statistics New Zealand
Ministry for the Environment	Ministry of Transport
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade	The Treasury
Government Communications Security Bureau	Te Kāhui Whakamana Rua Tekau mā Iwa — Pike River Recovery Agency
Ministry of Health	Ministry for Women
Ministry of Housing and Urban Development	Social Investment Agency
Inland Revenue Department	Te Arawhiti — Māori Crown Relations
Department of Internal Affairs	New Zealand Defence Force
Ministry of Justice	New Zealand Police
Land Information New Zealand	Parliamentary Counsel Office
Te Puni Kokiri - Ministry of Māori Development	Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives
New Zealand Customs Service	Parliamentary Service
New Zealand Security Intelligence Service

Ministry of Justice