Applications are currently ongoing for the JournalismFund European Cross-Border Grant Programme 2024. The grant and mentoring program has the goal of addressing the shortage of independent journalism in Europe by awarding grants to investigative journalism projects and encouraging collaboration across borders.
JournalismFund European Cross-Border Grant Programme
Since 2009, this programme has provided support for cross-border teams of professional journalists and/or news outlets with strong ideas for investigations on European topics. The stories must be relevant to European audiences.
The programme seeks to fund projects that are both newsworthy and in-depth, while also being original, innovative, and time-consuming, and would not be possible without financial support. Projects may involve cross-border research, networking among colleagues, and the use of established and cutting-edge investigative methods.
Benefits
- The aim for 2024 is to allocate a grant budget of €900,000, which will be distributed across four separate application rounds. Each call will have a budget of €225,000.
JournalismFund Europe provides financial support for journalistic research expenses across all media platforms. This may cover costs such as travel, translation services, access to paid databases, or simply the time needed for research. However, they do not provide support for fixed costs like office expenses, investments in equipment such as cameras or computers, or production costs.
Eligibility criteria
- Investigation proposals can be submitted by cross-border teams consisting of at least two journalists. These projects should possess significant news value and depth, as well as being original, innovative, and time-consuming. They should also require financial assistance to be realized.
- The grant program is open to journalists residing in continental Europe who are domiciled in at least two different countries. In some cases, team members from outside of Europe may also be considered if their involvement is relevant to the story.
- Applicants must be professional journalists working in written or audiovisual press. Personal references and/or previous work samples play an essential role in determining eligibility. Students are not eligible to apply.
- Grant applications will only be accepted from individuals, not organizations or entities.
- The project must be published by a minimum of two professional news outlets in at least two different countries. Letters of intent from these outlets are required as part of the application.
- Investigative journalism in any format, including print, online, broadcast, and cross-media, is eligible for a grant. This includes newspaper and magazine articles, radio and television documentaries and series, photo-reportages and books, podcasts, and journalistic non-fiction books.
- Journalists who have previously received a grant from Journalismfund Europe are eligible to reapply.
- All topics of relevance are eligible for consideration in this grant program.
Selection Criteria
- The evaluation panel will consider the following factors when assessing the applications:
- The extent to which the application provides unique and valuable perspectives compared to mainstream coverage.
- The level of newsworthiness of the proposed investigation.
- The quality and originality of the research methods, as well as the presentation or storytelling approach.
- The feasibility of the investigation within the specified timeline and budget.
- The structure of the research team and the experience of the applicants.
- The level of work effort required for the project.
- The cross-border aspect of the research.
- A document that explains the significance of your research to society.
- The potential for pooling research, capacity, and knowledge.
- The ability of the research to serve as a watchdog over EU institutions, policies, and funding.
Lastly, the evaluation panel will also consider the diversity within the global selection of awarded projects. This includes:
- Regional diversity encompasses both the stories and the team members’ backgrounds.
- Diversity of topics, ensuring a broad range of subjects are covered.
- Variation in research methods and approaches employed by the projects.
- Diverse publication forms, including different mediums or formats used to present the findings.
- The composition of the teams aims for a mix of individuals with varied expertise and experiences.
How to Apply
- Once you have registered with your email address, you will be able to access the online application form. Within the form, you can freely navigate and review the required information for your application, which includes:
- Personal details of all team members involved.
- Information regarding the proposed investigation.
- Details about how you plan to disseminate your story.
- A comprehensive budget outlining your financial needs.
As part of your application process, you will need to provide the following documents:
- A copy of your passport.
- Curriculum vitae (CV).
- Letter(s) of intent from professional news outlets.
- A detailed budget (we provide a budget template for your convenience).
If you would like additional information about the program or have any inquiries, you are encouraged to visit the official website or consult the provided FAQ section for answers to your questions.
Application Deadline
The first Application deadline will be Thursday, February 29, 2024, at 1 pm CET.
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