Call for Proposals: 2019 Media Professionalization Assistance Program

Deadline: 15 April 2019

The United States Embassy in Montenegro, acting through the Public Affairs Office, has announced an open competition for 2019 Media Professionalization Assistance Program.

The United States Embassy in Podgorica plans to support specific projects and initiatives that facilitate the development of media freedom and journalistic professional standards in Montenegro through grant awards ranging from $20,000 – $50,000. Grants will be awarded to media or civil society/non-governmental organizations registered in Montenegro that adhere to high professional standards in their reporting and have a record of trustworthiness and success. Proposals will be evaluated according to the ability of the applying organization to carry out a project with clearly formulated goals that benefits the intended beneficiaries and has the greatest positive impact.

Activities

Programs that raise the professional standards of journalism in Montenegro. Their goal is to support independent and fact-based journalism, including current journalists and students aspiring to a career in media.
Media literacy and critical thinking projects aimed at helping citizens, especially youth, recognize, analyze, and ultimately reject disinformation.
Investigative journalism projects that support reforms necessary for Montenegro’s continued Euro-Atlantic integration. Ares of focus include (but are not limited to) the following topics:
- The rule of law
- The strengthening of democratic institutions
- Human and minority rights
- Sustainable development
- Entrepreneurship

Evaluation Criteria

The U.S. Embassy will review proposals for the Media Professionalization Assistance Program. The Embassy reserves the right to consult with other donor institutions and countries that provide financial support for projects promoting media freedom and journalistic professional standards in Montenegro.
They will use the following general criteria to evaluate all submitted grant proposals:
- The project proposal demonstrates that the organization has sufficient expertise, skills and human resources to implement the project.
- The organization demonstrates that it has a clear understanding of the underlying issue. The organization has identified appropriate beneficiaries or target groups.
- The project has a clear focus and manageable scope.
- The project is innovative yet the proposed project activities are concrete and detailed and supported by a reasonable work plan.
- The project’s budget is well organized, detailed, and reasonable.
- The organization has clearly articulated how it will assess and measure project performance using both quantitative and qualitative assessment tools.
- The proposal describes the approach that will be used to ensure maximum sustainability of the project’s results after its completion.
- Note: Incomplete, lengthy, and unclear applications will not be considered.