14 August 2025
45 Pipitea Street, Wel ington 6011
Phone +64 4 495 7200
dia.govt.nz
Erika Whittome
fyi-request-31534-
[email address]
Tēnā koe Erika,
OIA request 25/26 0044 and 2526/0055 Request for information about a named trust
Thank you for your Official Information Act (Act) request received by the Department of Internal
Affairs (Department) on 17 July 2025 by way of full transfer pursuant to section 14(b)(i) of the
Act from the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC). This section provides that
the information, to which the request relates is believed by the person dealing with the request
to be more closely connected with the functions of another department.
We are also responding to your request received by the Department on the same day via the FYI
website and have renumbered your questions for ease of response.
You requested –
1. Would you kindly share the conflict of interest statement for Fact Aotearoa?
2. Would you share the financial reports of Fact Aotearoa?
3. Would you share the KPIs for Fact Aotearoa when reporting to your office in its outcomes
of its funding?
4. Would you share the RFP for this $50,000 or other amount on offer for funding that was
assigned to Fact Aotearoa.
5. What was the funding allocation stream of money called? What was the process for
allocating this $50,000 to Fact Aotearoa?
6.Would you kindly share the conflict of interest statement for funding Fact Aotearoa and for
funding the Royal Covid Inquiry Phase2?
In response to your request, I can provide you with the fol owing information.
Question one
I can advise no conflicts of interest were identified in the application process. Therefore, I must
refuse this portion of your request pursuant to section 18(e) of the Official Information Act (the
Act); the document al eged to contain the information requested does not exist.
Questions two
I can advise that annual returns containing financial information can be found on the Charities
Register -
https://register.charities.govt.nz/Charity/CC60098. Therefore, I must refuse this
portion of your request pursuant to section 18(d) of the Act; that the information requested is
or will soon be publicly available.
Additionally financial information specific to this grant is provided in Appendix A attached
alongside this response.
Question three
Please find Appendix A attached alongside this response containing a copy of the funding
evaluation report. This includes the key performance indicators.
These are released to you with some information withheld pursuant to section 9(2)(a) of the
Act, the withholding of the information is necessary to protect the privacy of natural persons,
including that of deceased natural persons.
Under section 9(1) of the Act, I have considered if the reasons for withholding the information
are outweighed by other considerations, which render it desirable, in the public interest, to
make that information available. I have not identified any public interest that outweighs the
need to withhold the information.
Some of the information has been omitted from the documents as it fal s outside the scope of
your request, any information of this nature has been marked as ‘out of scope’.
Question four
I can advise Request for Proposals can be found on the Department of the Prime Minister and
Cabinet (DPMC) websit
e: www.dpmc.govt.nz/our-programmes/national-security/counter-
terrorism/preventing-and-countering-violent-extremism-fund. Therefore, I must refuse this
portion of your request pursuant to section 18(d) of the Act; that the information requested is
or will soon be publicly available
Question five
The grant was awarded from the Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism Fund,
information on this fund, including priorities and eligibility criteria, can be found at the fol owing
website link:
https://www.communitymatters.govt.nz/ask-us/view/1877.
Requests are considered by a multi-agency Panel of specialists in the preventing and countering
violent extremism field. The Panel make recommendations on the project, based on their
knowledge of the efficacy of the organisation and the proposed project, alignment with fund
criteria, and community outcomes.
Question six
I can advise no conflicts of interest were identified in the grant application process or the Royal
Covid Inquiry Phase 2. Therefore, I must refuse this portion of your request pursuant to section
18(e) of the Official Information Act (the Act); the document al eged to contain the information
requested does not exist.
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You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this decision.
Information about how to make a complaint is available at www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or
freephone 0800 802 602.
Ngā mihi
Julia Taylor
Manager Operational Policy and Official Correspondence
Regulatory and Identity Services
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