Police Audio Visual Multi-Media (AVMM) Redaction Funding

To note:  The ‘total amount of grant’ (listed as £3,000,000) reflects a maximum for the overall programme. This figure may include additional activity supporting policing beyond this specific funding opportunity. The total amount available to Applicants may therefore be lower.

Applicants should only apply for funding relevant to the scope of this competition. Funding for any other additional activities referenced above is not available through this application process.

We are allowing a wide range of minimum and maximum funding amounts, to give Applicants flexibility and to accommodate different needs.  However, all Applications must represent value for money and this will be considered in determining whether the Home Office offers full or partial funding.

This funding opportunity is open to the Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) in England and Wales, including mayoral authorities exercising PCC functions, on behalf of territorial police forces (in practice, Applications can be submitted directly by territorial forces themselves). They may only submit one (1) application.

Applicants may apply for funding under one or both of the following workstreams:

• Workstream A – Embedding, Scaling and SustainmentFunding to implement, embed, scale and sustain the benefits of proven AVMM redaction technologies and operating models. This workstream is not intended for pilots, testing or proof‑of‑concept activity.

• Workstream B – Innovation, Testing and EvaluationFunding to pilot, test and evaluate new or unproven AVMM redaction technologies, workflows or operating models that have not previously been trialled in policing and that have credible national transformational potential.

Private Sector organisations, individuals, other Public Sector organisations (for example, Local Authorities) and non-profits are not eligible to apply and any applications from these organisations will not be considered.

Consortiums or partnerships

Applicants may submit an application as a consortium or partnership. There is no limit on the number of forces that may be involved.  To ensure value for money and realise any economies of scale, we would encourage Applicants to consider whether there are any opportunities to collaborate with other forces, for example via the College of Policing’s Peer Redaction Network.

Applications submitted on this basis will be eligible provided that:

• all organisations involved are PCCs, including mayoral authorities exercising PCC functions, on behalf of territorial police forces (in practice, Applications can be submitted directly by territorial forces themselves); and

• they meet the criteria of the Workstream(s) they are applying for; and

• the application clearly identifies the lead Applicant, all partner forces, and the roles and responsibilities of each.

Any funding awarded will be paid directly to the lead organisation, which will be responsible for entering into the Grant Agreement and for managing the delivery and administration of the funded activity.

The Audio Visual Multi‑Media (AVMM) Redaction grant scheme aims to:

• reduce the operational burden associated with AVMM redaction

• improve productivity and efficiency across policing

• support legally compliant, consistent and high‑quality redaction practices

• maximise the return on previous investment in AVMM redaction capability while supporting additional forces who want to implement this capability

• generate learning and evidence that supports national alignment and scalability and can inform guidance and knowledge-sharing for all forces

In addition, the scheme has specific objectives for each Workstream.

Workstream A – Embedding, Scaling and Sustainment

Workstream A is intended to support police forces to:

• embed and sustain proven AVMM redaction technologies and operating models

• scale successful approaches across teams, functions or the wider organisation

• deliver immediate measurable productivity and efficiency gains

• maximise the benefits of previous AVMM redaction investment or activity in their force, in other forces, and/or in the programme.

• establish sustainable operating models that can be maintained beyond the grant period

This Workstream is focused on implementation and adoption at scale, not piloting or proof‑of‑concept activity.

Workstream B – Innovation, Testing and Evaluation

Workstream B is intended to support police forces to:

• pilot, test and evaluate new or unproven AVMM redaction technologies, workflows or operating models

• generate robust, transferable evidence on the effectiveness of innovative approaches

• assess transformational potential, scalability and national relevance

• contribute learning that can inform future national policy, funding or adoption decisions

This workstream is focused on innovation and evidence generation, not immediate roll‑out or full implementation.

Indicative timelines are:

Applications Open - 18th May 2026

Clarification Calls - 20th May 2026 10:00-11:30PM

Clarification Calls - 21st May 2026 10:00-11:30PM

Clarification Calls - 2nd June 2026 10:00-11:30PM

Programme Benefits Call - 2nd June 02:00-03:00PM

Clarification Call - 4th June 2026 10:00-11:30AM

Clarification Deadline - 5th June 2026 05:00PM

Final Clarification Responses Issued - 9th June 2026

Application Deadline - 15th June 2026 12:00PM (midday)

Application Assessment and Moderation - June/July 2026

Notifications of outcome issued to Applicants - Mid-July 2026

Finalised Grant Agreements Issued - July/August 2026

Date all costs must be incurred by - 31st March 2027

Applications must be submitted via the Find a Grant portal (accessed through this advert), using the ‘Start new application’ button above.

Before submitting an application, Applicants must ensure they have read the entirety of this advert and all supporting documents, as these set out the instructions and conditions of participation that apply to this funding opportunity.

Applicants may only submit one (1) application. Once an Application is submitted, it cannot be amended.

All applications will be assessed as per the assessment criteria and scoring process set out in the Application, Assessment, and Scoring Guide.

Applicants are strongly urged to download a copy of this advert, including all supporting documents as these will no longer be publicly available after the Application Deadline.

Clarification questions

Applicants may seek clarification from the Home Office about any technical aspects of the competition process, associated documentation, or grant requirements by submitting questions. The Home Office will not answer questions directly relating to associated policy or political matters.

Any question or request for clarification will result in both the query and the response being communicated (in a suitably anonymous form) to all registered Applicants. Responses to questions will not identify the originator and may be answered in batches, rather than one at a time.

If an Applicant wishes to ask a question without the Home Office revealing the question and its answer to other Applicants (for example, for reasons of commercial sensitivity), then they should notify the Home Office accordingly, giving justification:

• If the Home Office agrees with the request, the communication and response will remain private between the two parties, or

• Where the Home Office considers that there is insufficient justification for not sharing a question and the corresponding answer, it will invite the Applicant to decide whether the question and answer should be shared, amended, or whether they wish to withdraw the question.

All clarification questions relating to this funding opportunity must be submitted via the AVMM Mailbox (AVMM@homeoffice.gov.uk). Applicants should not contact Home Office officials regarding this competition outside the formal clarification process.

All clarification questions must be received by 05/06/2026 - 05:00PM.

Information sessions

The Home Office AVMM redaction programme team will run online information sessions open to all 43 forces during the clarification window. These sessions will:

• provide an overview of the funding opportunity and workstreams

• explain the application process and assessment criteria

• allow Applicants to submit clarification questions

These will take place on:

• 20th May 2026 10:00-11:30PM

• 21st May 2026 10:00-11:30PM

• 2nd June 2026 10:00-11:30PM

• 4th June 2026 10:00-11:30AM

There will also be an information session, open to all forces, focusing specifically on programme benefits, based on force projects completed in 2025-26, which will take place on:

• 2nd June 02:00-03:00PM

Please email AVMM@homeoffice.gov.uk to a) register as a potential applicant and ensure you receive all relevant information such as clarification questions and responses (see above) and b) request details of how to join these sessions.

Depending on demand, we may also offer an additional sessions in June, before the Application Deadline.

To ensure fairness and transparency, presentations and recordings will be shared with all registered Applicants following each event. Any clarification questions and answers raised during these events will also be shared with all registered Applicants, following the Clarification process described above. Applicants are therefore requested to submit any clarification questions which they do not wish to be shared in-writing only, setting out the justification as to why they should not be shared, as set out above. 

Attendance at an information session is strongly encouraged.

Application documents

The following supporting documents are available via Find a Grant:

• Application, Assessment, and Scoring Guide

• Sample Grant Agreement - to show how funding will be administered for Applicants whose Applications are awarded funding

• [Force Name] - Workstream [A or B] Project Plan - to be uploaded in response to questions 4.2 and/or 5.2

• [Force Name] - Workstream [A or B] Funding Breakdown - to be uploaded in response to questions 4.6(A) and/or 5.6(A)

• Find a Grant – Guide for Applicants

• Find A Grant Walkthrough

If you are having trouble accessing these documents, please email the AVMM Mailbox.

Conditions of Participation:

All applications for funding under this advert shall be subject to the following Conditions of Participation. By participating in this application process, you agree to abide by these Conditions.

The application process and competition leading to the award of the grant(s) will be administered solely using Find and Apply for a Grant. This is an online competition.

Late, non-compliant or incomplete application submissions

Full and final applications must be submitted by the Application Deadline. It is the Applicant’s responsibility to ensure that their application is submitted in a timely manner: the Home Office does not undertake to consider applications submitted after that time. For avoidance of doubt, it is the time of receipt that will be taken.

Applicants must note that the Home Office will reject applications that are:

• incomplete (without proper explanation), and/or

• non-compliant with the guidance provided, and/or

• contain viruses and/or incorrectly formatted

Any error or misrepresentations discovered after award of a Grant Agreement may result in termination of the Grant Agreement.

Acceptance of Grant Agreement terms

Funding will be enabled by means of a grant award whose payment shall be governed by the terms of a Grant Agreement. A sample Grant Agreement is included in the suite of supporting documents; any and all queries regarding terms and conditions, content, intention, interpretation, etc must be raised during the Clarification process. In all instances the Home Office’s response shall be final. A condition of submitting an application is the acceptance of the terms set out in the Grant Agreement – there will be no negotiations on terms following the Clarification deadline.

Partial Funding Awards

The Home Office reserves the right to offer partial funding awards to any Applicant. Such awards may be lower than the amount requested in the Application.

Where a partial award is offered, it will be subject to the following conditions:

• Applicants must confirm that delivery of their Application remains viable at the level of funding offered. Where the Home Office award is less than the amount requested, Applicants may choose to supplement the funding using their own resources (including match funding), where they consider this appropriate. The Home Office will not negotiate or permit changes to Applications, including scope, deliverables, or milestones, following submission.

• Applicants will be required to confirm the value and source of any additional match-funding contributing to delivery. The Grant Agreement will be revised to reflect the confirmed funding profile and will specify any ineligible expenditure that will not be supported by Home Office funding.

The Home Office reserves the right to withdraw a partial funding offer where an Applicant is unable to demonstrate, to the satisfaction of the Home Office, that delivery of the Application remains viable at the level of funding offered. This includes circumstances where any proposed match funding contribution is considered insufficient or not credible.

Language

Applications and responses must be submitted in English. Where supporting material is provided in another language, an English translation of the relevant sections must be supplied at the Applicant’s expense. For the purposes of assessment and interpretation, the English version will prevail.

Confidentiality

All information and documents provided as part of this application process is considered confidential, except where it is already in the public domain.

Applicants must not disclose any confidential information supplied as part of this competitive process to any third party, member of staff or advisor, unless such person needs to receive the relevant information for the purposes of enabling a response to any document.

With the exception of Freedom of Information requests, all information provided by Applicants (except where required in law) will not be disclosed to a third party without written permission, unless such third parties have been specifically appointed by the Home Office as independent external evaluators to provide additional support during assessment of the application responses.

Freedom of Information

The Home Office is committed to open government and to meeting its legal responsibilities under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the "Act"). Accordingly, all information submitted to the Home Office, including as part of this process, may be subject to disclosure to a third party in response to a FOIA request.

The Home Office may also decide to include certain information in the publication scheme which it maintains under the Act. If an Applicant considers that any of the information to be included in their application is commercially sensitive, this should be clearly indicated. An explanation (in broad terms) as to what harm may result from disclosure if a request is received should also be provided, along with the time period applicable to that sensitivity.

Applicants should be aware that, even where they indicate that information is commercially sensitive, the Home Office may nonetheless be required to disclose it under the Act, if a request is received.

Please also note that the receipt of any material marked 'confidential' or equivalent by the Home Office should not be taken to mean that the Home Office accepts any duty of confidence by virtue of that marking.

In submitting an application, the Applicant accepts and acknowledges that the decision to disclose information and the application of any exemptions under the Act will be at the Home Office's sole discretion. The Home Office will, however, act reasonably and proportionately in exercising its obligations.

Publicity

Applicants are reminded that they are not permitted to undertake any publicity activities with any part of the media in relation to this process without the express permission in writing of the Home Office, including agreement on the format and content of any publicity.

The Home Office reserves the right to publish details of the successful Applicant(s), the value of any award and the Grant Agreement, with messaging developed and agreed in collaboration with successful Applicants.

UK General Data Protection Regulations and the Data Protection Act

The Home Office will retain and use the information Applicants provide during the application assessment and during the life of the grant funding (if awarded) to administer and analyse grants, and for the Home Office’s own learning purposes. The Home Office may give copies of all or some of this information to the Panel when assessing applications, or other Home Office functions to administer the process, monitor grants and evaluate funding processes and impacts.

Applicants contact details (organisational contact, telephone number, website, email address, etc) may be shared with delivery partners and/or the Home Office but will not be shared with other third parties. The Home Office may also use the information to contact Applicants by letter, telephone or email.

The Home Office has a duty to protect public funds and for that reason the information may also be shared (in line with the Freedom of Information Act) with government departments, organisations providing matched funding or for the prevention and detection of crime.

VAT treatment

As the Home Office is not itself receiving a service, there is no ‘supply of service for consideration’ to be taxed (i.e. VAT). All financial amounts contained in an application are therefore to be expressed in (£) GBP and will be exclusive of VAT and taxes.

Copyright

All documents issued by the Home Office in connection with this funding opportunity remain the property and copyright of the Home Office.

Applicants shall not reproduce any part(s) in any material form (including photocopying or storing it in any medium by electronic means) without the written permission of the Home Office, other than for use strictly for the purpose of preparing their applications.

Costs of participation

Applicants will be responsible for obtaining all information necessary for the preparation of their applications. In addition, they will bear all costs, expenses and liabilities incurred in connection with the preparation of such applications and all further participation in the competitive process, regardless of whether such costs arise as a consequence, direct or indirect, of any amendments made by the Home Office at any time.

Non‑canvassing and conduct of the competition

Applicants must not seek to influence the outcome of the competition by canvassing Home Office officials or advisers outside the agreed clarification process. Any attempt to do so may result in disqualification from the competition.

Any Applicant who, in connection with the grant scheme and the associated competitive process:

• Offers any inducement, fee or reward to any member or officer of or any person acting as an adviser for the Home Office or in connection with the arrangements;

• Canvasses any of the persons referred to above in connection with the arrangements;

• Does anything which would constitute a breach of the Prevention of Corruption Acts 1889 to 1916;

• Contacts any officer or adviser of the Home Office about any aspect of the arrangements, except as authorised by this process including (but without limitation) for the purposes of discussing the possible transfer to the employment of the Applicant of such officer for the purpose of the Grant Agreement or for soliciting information in connection with the Grant Agreements,

will be disqualified from any further involvement in the competition. This is without prejudice to any other remedies available to the Home Office and without prejudice to any criminal liability which such conduct by an Applicant may attract.

Right to amend or clarify

The Home Office reserves the right to amend or clarify this funding opportunity prior to the application deadline. Any material changes will be communicated via Find a Grant and shared with Applicants via the AVMM Mailbox.

Feedback

The Home Office will be as open as possible with Applicants throughout this process. It is committed to utilising feedback from applicants as part of its Lessons Learnt processes to provide continuous improvement in future competitive awards.