Grant Opportunity from EU on Media Collaborations and Pluralism

Program: NEWS - Journalism Partnerships – Pluralism and Collaborations

Deadline: 14 February 2024 – 17:00:00 CET (Brussels)

Budget: Topic 1: EUR 2.000.000 per project; for Topic 2: EUR 3.000.000 per project (Grants may NOT give a profit (i.e. surplus of revenues + EU grant over costs))

Co-funding: 80% for Topic 1 and at 90% for Topic 2

Duration: 24 months

 

Topic 1. “Journalism Partnerships - Collaborations” aims to help the wider European news media sector become more sustainable and resilient, specifically by supporting cross-border media collaborations. This support shall foster media transformation, trustworthy reporting and skills for news media professionals, for instance by developing media production standards and new business models. Projects must focus on ways to develop collaborative transformation, from a business, technological and/or content point of view.

 

Expected Impact:

• Increased media collaboration.
• Sector-wide networks for the exchange of best practices among news media professionals;
• Knowledge-hubs for sub-sectors around technical formats (written/online press, radio/podcasts, TV, etc.) and/or journalistic genres (data journalism, general topics, specialised journalism, etc.);
• Acquisition and improvement of professional skills by journalists as well as media business professionals.

 

Consortium: Proposals must be submitted by a consortium of at least three applicants (beneficiaries; not affiliated entities), which complies with the following conditions: at least three independent entities from a minimum of three different countries participating in the Creative Europe Programme.

 

Consortia may include non-profit, public and private media outlets (incl. written/online press, radio/podcasts, TV, etc) as well as other organisations focusing on news media (incl. media associations, NGOs, journalistic funds and training organisations focusing on media professionals, etc).

 

Topic 2. “Journalism Partnerships – Pluralism.” Besides a purely economic aspect, independent media play a crucial and valuable role in societies and contribute to upholding the essential principles of media freedom and pluralism. This support seeks to protect news media sectors of special relevance to democracy and civic participation, such as local and regional media, community media, investigative journalism and organisations delivering public interest news. Support will target organisations with experience in media to put in cascading grants (i.e. regranting / support to third parties). A majority of the budget must be spent in the European union and activities must take place in a minimum of four (4) European Union countries.

 

Financial support to third parties: Proposals must put in place funding schemes for news media entities and independent journalism. Accompanying activities may be proposed. Applicant organisations should be in a position to set up funding schemes (support to third parties) targeting news media outlets, organisations and, if needed, professionals, and in ways that enhance pluralistic media landscapes across the EU.

 

The proposed activities must focus on news media sectors of special relevance to democracy and civic participation, i.e. the role they play in enhancing democracy, shaping the public debate and bringing benefits to their audiences and communities, instead of focusing just on profit. For the purpose of this call, these sectors are in particular:

• Local and regional media
• Independent and investigative journalism
• Organisations delivering public interest news/public service journalism (such as community, legal and civic journalism and media, news increasing transparency about the media)

 

Consortium: Proposals must be submitted either by single applicants or by a consortium of at least two applicants (beneficiaries; not affiliated entities).

 

The call is open to organisations which are active in the news media sector (incl. media associations, NGOs, non-profit organisations, civil society organisations, public authorities, international organisations, universities, research centres, journalistic funds and training organisations focusing on media professionals, profitmaking entities, foundations, etc). Non-profit and civil society organisations are particularly encouraged to apply.