Proceeds of Crime Fund

Proposals for Round 3 closed on 23 September 2020. Final funding decisions are expected around March 2021.

The next funding round will close on 15 March 2021. It's expected that approximately $5-6 million will be available for this round.

This page provides information on the Proceeds of Crime Fund (the Fund). All information is correct as at 27 November 2020.

For any questions, please contact the Fund Secretariat at pocf@justice.govt.nz.

On this page:

Purpose of the Fund

The purpose of the Fund is to:

address organised crime harm and drug-related harm
test innovative solutions to complex issues relating to crime-related harm
enable agencies to build an evidence-based case of what works in addressing crime-related harm.

Criteria for funding

Initiatives for funding must align with at least one of the following four criteria set by Cabinet:

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

In each funding round, one third of the funds available for allocation are prioritised for initiatives to fight organised criminal groups dealing in methamphetamine and other drugs.

Who can apply to the Fund

Initiatives must be submitted by one of the 39 service departments as defined by the Public Service Commission (see the table of eligible agencies below).

If your organisation isn’t on this list, you can partner with an eligible agency to submit your proposal. Note that eligible agencies may have an internal approval process at national office to endorse an initiative. These need to be completed ahead of time for this process. Please consult with the agency directly on their internal timeframes.

For information on agency contacts, please email pocf@justice.govt.nz.

Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment (MBIE)	Oranga Tamariki — Ministry for Children
Department of Conservation	Ministry for Pacific Peoples
Ara Poutama Aotearoa Department of Corrections	Ministry for Primary Industries
Crown Law Office	Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage	Serious Fraud Office (SFO)
Ministry of Defence	Ministry of Social Development (MSD)
Ministry of Education	Te Kawa Mataaho Public Service 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 (GCSB)	Te Kāhui Whakamana Rua Tekau mā Iwa — Pike River Recovery Agency
Ministry of Health	Ministry for Women
Ministry of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)	Social Wellbeing Agency
Inland Revenue	Te Arawhiti — Māori Crown Relations
Te Tari Taiwhenua Department of Internal Affairs	New Zealand Defence Force
Ministry of Justice	New Zealand Police
Land Information New Zealand (LINZ)	Parliamentary Counsel Office
Te Puni Kōkiri - Ministry of Māori Development	Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives
New Zealand Customs Service	Parliamentary Service
New Zealand Security Intelligence Service (NZSIS)

How to apply to the Fund

Eligible agencies can apply to the Fund by using the Proceeds of Crime Fund initial proposal template and submitting it to pocf@justice.govt.nz by the closing date.

Proceeds of Crime Fund initial proposal template [DOCX, 29 KB]

If a proposal is shortlisted, the agency will be given the opportunity to submit a detailed funding proposal.

Detailed funding proposal template [DOCX, 271 KB]

How funding proposals are assessed

A Panel considers the initial proposals for shortlisting. The Panel is made up of senior representatives from the Ministry of Justice, Ara Poutama Aotearoa (Department of Corrections), Te Puni Kōkiri, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, New Zealand Police, The Treasury, Oranga Tamariki and the Chief Science Advisor.

The Panel considers the following factors when assessing proposals:

Whether the initiative aligns with at least one of the four Fund criteria
Prioritising at least one third of the funds for fighting organised criminal groups dealing in methamphetamine and other drugs
How well the initiative is designed and planned
The likelihood the organisation or agency can successfully deliver the initiative
Whether the proposal is likely to deliver the proposed outcomes and benefits
The amount of funding available in any round

Terms of Reference for the Proceeds of Crime Fund [PDF, 154 KB]

How funding decisions are made

If an agency is successful in getting its proposal shortlisted, it will be invited to submit a more detailed funding proposal for the Panel to consider.

The Panel will then provide recommendations to the Prime Minister, Minister of Finance and Minister of Justice, who determine which proposals should be approved and funded.

Reporting requirements

If an initiative is approved for funding, the relevant agency must provide six-monthly performance reporting to the Secretariat for transparency and accountability. This information may be incorporated into a report for the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Justice.

Background to the Fund

The Fund was established in 2009 and has been administered by the Proceeds of Crime Fund Secretariat within the Ministry of Justice since April 2019.

The Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act 2009 allows Police to seize cash and assets that have been obtained directly or indirectly from the proceeds of crime. Once all legal matters are addressed, the recovered money is placed in the contestable Proceeds of Crime Fund.

Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act 2009(external link)

Read copies of the Cabinet paper and related Cabinet minute under which the Fund operates

Previous funding recipients

Many initiatives have been successfully delivered across Aotearoa New Zealand since the Fund was established. Three such examples are:

Reintegration services for women

This initiative supports the reintegration needs of women aged 18 years and over who have spent time in prison and are considered medium to high risk of reoffending on release. It provides safe and secure transitional accommodation and intensive wraparound support to help them successfully return to their communities and reduce the incidence of reoffending.

Aggravated robbery

This initiative was developed in response to an increasing number of aggravated robberies in 2017. Fog cannons can be installed in small businesses across Aotearoa. The fog cannon emits a cloud of sight-obscuring vapour, together with a high-pitched sound. Staff can activate the fog cannon during a robbery, which allows them to escape to safety and potentially prevent the robbery from taking place.

Rotorua whānau harm and drug harm reduction programme

This programme takes a whānau-centred approach to repeated cases of harm within a family/whānau. It addresses the underlying factors contributing to the behaviour, including alcohol and drug addiction and mental health issues.

Read the full list of initiatives funded by the Proceeds of Crime Fund

Key dates

There are two funding rounds each year.

The closing date for initial proposals for the next funding round is 15 March 2021.

The table below outlines the key dates for the current funding round.

Key Dates	Details
23 September 2020	Initial proposals submitted by one of the eligible agencies.
October 2020	The Panel shortlist proposals and invite successful applicants to develop detailed proposals.
25 November 2020	Detailed funding proposals submitted.
Early 2021	Applicants will be notified of the decisions.

The table below outlines the key dates for the next funding round.

Key Dates	Details
15 March 2021	Initial proposals submitted by one of the eligible agencies.
April 2021	The Panel shortlists proposals and invite successful applicants to submit more detailed proposals.
18 June 2021	Detailed funding proposals submitted.
Early September 2021	Applicants are notified of the Panel’s decision.

List of initiatives funded by Proceeds of Crime Fund

Round 1

Initiative name	Eligible agency	Amount funded
Reintegration Services for Women	Ara Poutama Aotearoa (Department of Corrections)	$4.943m
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) and neurodevelopmental issues response prototype service	Ministry of Health	$7.600m
New Zealand Police initiative	New Zealand Police	$1.400m
Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Services Eastern Police District	New Zealand Police	$3.150m

Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment Court – agreed by Cabinet

Initiative name	Amount funded
Waikato Alcohol and Drug Treatment Court– Project Team Set-Up	$3.605m
Waikato Alcohol and Drug Treatment Court – Tagged Operating Contingency	$5.156m
Auckland and Waitākere Alcohol and Other Drugs Treatment Courts	$9.75m

Round 2

Initiative name	Eligible agency	Amount funded
He Kete Oranga o te Mana Wahine	Ara Poutama Aotearoa (Department of Corrections)	$2.720m
Recovery House	Ara Poutama Aotearoa (Department of Corrections)	$1.640m
Intergenerational Change for Child and Community Wellbeing Through Parenting Programmes: Storytime Foundation & Brainwave	Ara Poutama Aotearoa (Department of Corrections)	$2.123m
Te Ira Tangata Under the Framework of Te Ira Oranga	Ara Poutama Aotearoa (Department of Corrections)	$2.037m
Manaaki Wāhine: Trauma Informed Intervention for Women Experiencing Homelessness	Ministry of Health	$1.784m
New Zealand People P-Pull	Ministry of Health	$0.666m
Enhance Border Detection Capability to Detect Novel Masked Illicit Drugs	New Zealand Customs Service	$0.150m
Aggravated Robbery	New Zealand Police	$1.908m
Cross-Sector Coordination to Combat Organised Crime	New Zealand Police	$1.529m
Drug, Alcohol and Mental Health Support Whānau Support Workers (Ōtepoti/Dunedin)	New Zealand Police	$1.433m
Rotorua Whānau Harm and Drug Harm Reduction Programme	New Zealand Police	$2.729m
Anti-Corruption Work Programme (Phase 2)	Serious Fraud Office	$1.334m