Commissioning

The Commissioner can award funding, via grants or contracts, to organisations which contribute to the reduction of crime and disorder in Gwent, or to organisations which help victims or witnesses cope and recover from harm they have experienced.

The Commissioner can work in partnership or provide funding to a wide range of organisations (including statutory bodies, third sector organisations, small community groups and social enterprises) that are best able to support delivery of priorities outlined in the Police and Crime Plan. The term 'commissioning' is simply the cycle of assessing the needs of the people in an area, designing and securing the appropriate service, and then monitoring and evaluating their performance.

The Commissioner receives a ‘core’ grant from the Home Office and receives funding directly from council taxpayers across Gwent through the policing precept. The Commissioner is also entitled to receive certain types of income for policing services and may also attract external funding from agencies such as the Home Office, the Ministry of Justice or the Welsh Government, over and above core grant and precept, to address specific areas of concern or contribute towards initiatives.

The Commissioner works with key community safety and criminal justice partners to influence how all parties prioritise and bring together their resources to tackle local problems and priorities. Each year the Commissioner will publish their ‘Commissioning Intentions’ which details the commissioning budget available and the services they will commission to support delivery of the Police and Crime Plan.

A Commissioning Framework exists alongside the Police and Crime Plan providing:

• A mechanism for oversight of commissioning direction and activity;
• Commissioning principles;
• Commissioning cycle and deliverables at each stage; and
• Roles and responsibilities of Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) staff in relation to commissioning.

There are two annual competitive grant funds which are open to receive bids. Each has its own criteria and eligibility requirements, and both are intended to support delivery of the Police and Crime Plan priorities. More details of these funds can be found on the following pages:

Positive Impact Fund
Police Community Fund

The Commissioner also contributes annually to the High Sheriff’s Grant Fund to support projects that contribute to the Police and Crime Plan priorities. The award and management of these grants are made by the High Sheriff and the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner is not involved in decision making.
The Commissioner may establish further grant funds as and when additional income is received and where a competitive grant fund has been selected as the most appropriate funding mechanism. All open, competitive grant funds are published on the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner website and promoted across the sector.

In addition to the grant funds, the Commissioner strategically commissions a range of services to meet statutory responsibilities and the priorities of the Police and Crime Plan. More details about strategically commissioned services can be found on the following page: Strategic Commissioning