Deadline: 20-Jul-23
The Journalismfund Europe is awarding grants to local investigative journalistic projects in Belgium and the Netherlands to address the shortage of local independent journalism.
This Local Cross-Border Investigative Journalism Project is an initiative of Journalismfund Europe supported by the Flemish Government.
In this version, teams of investigative journalists from Belgium and The Netherlands who have good ideas for a cross-border local investigation in the region are involved. If relevant to the story, team members from elsewhere may also be accepted. The project is media neutral and open to print, online, audio, video, etc.
Aim
- With this project, Journalismfund aims at addressing the shortage of local independent journalism by awarding grants to local investigative journalistic projects in Belgium and the Netherlands and by stimulating the cross-border collaboration. In this way, cities in Belgium and the Netherlands could mutually strengthen each other (e.g. by forming each other’s benchmark) and as such increase the impact of the supported publications.
- This project aims at strengthening local cross-border, independent and investigative journalism in order to increase the availability of qualitative local news, and at making citizens more aware of local – and often interrelated and global – issues and possible solutions. As such it aims to contribute to citizens’ critical thinking, well-informed debates/decisions and to foster civic engagement.
Grant Type
- Investigative Journalism: A working grant for investigative journalism allows the applicant to concentrate on one particular topic for a longer period of time.
Funding Information
- For this round there’s €50.000 available. The funds come from the Flemish Government (Department of Culture, Youth and Media).
What the grant money can be used for?
- Grants can cover working time and out-of-pocket expenses such as travel, visa, accommodation, translation, fixers, access to pay-databases, FOI requests, legal screening, etc.
- Only freelance journalists can apply for a grant to cover their working time. Employed staff journalists can only apply for a working grant if they can provide a reason and prove that they are not receiving any wages for their working time on this project.
- Following expenses cannot be covered by the grants: investments goods (such as IT equipment, mobile phones, software), production costs, food and beverage, per diems, etc.
Eligibility Criteria
- Teams of investigative journalists (starters and seniors) from at least The Netherlands AND Belgium who have good ideas for a local cross-border investigation in that region. When relevant for the story, team members from elsewhere can be accepted, too.
- Only natural persons are eligible for a grant. Depending on the Grant Programme restrictions can be made based on the residency of the applicant(s).
- The applicant(s) must be working as professional journalists. Furthermore, references from individuals (editors, publishers, journalists, professors) and/or references to earlier work are essential. Journalismfund Europe reserves the right to contact references (while respecting the confidentiality of the proposal).
- Students are not eligible in all Grant Programmes.
- Journalists who were previously allocated a Journalismfund grant can reapply, but the jury can include the result of previous grants in their evaluation of the new application.
- The applicant(s) must demonstrate convincingly that the project would be unrealisable without a grant. In other words, the reason why the applicant is appealing to Journalismfund should be explained.
- The applicant(s) should be able to demonstrate the feasibility of the project.
For more information, visit Journalismfund Europe.