The Ministry of Justice is providing extraordinary COVID-19 funding which is being made available locally through Police and Crime Commissioners across England and Wales.

The funding is intended to meet the additional costs that charities and other not-for-profit organisations have faced as a result of adapting their services during the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic, and to cope with the associated increases in demand. The funding can be used to address costs associated with COVID-19 from 24 March 2020, the first day of lockdown to 31 October 2020.

For example, funding may be used to:

• Address short term income disruption.
• Meet essential costs of sustaining current activities, such the purchasing of assets to support the move to remote and digital working, and additional staff to cover those unable to work for reasons related to the pandemic.
• Address increased demand.

The £25 million will be distributed via PCCs will be allocated as follows:

• Domestic abuse services that are already commissioned by local PCCs (£10 million).
• Sexual violence services that are already commissioned by the PCC, and those that are not currently funded by the PCC (£5 million).
• Domestic abuse services that are not currently commissioned by the PCC (£5 million).

Further details, including the level of grant, will be provided by each Police and Crime Commissioner.

Groups should contact their local PCC for details.

Eligible organisations are urged not to delay applying for the funding, as there is a short window of opportunity for bids to be received.

The applications for funds made via PCCs have to be submitted by 1 June, though some PCCs have set an earlier deadline of 29 May 2020.