Deadline: 30-Jun-23
The U.S. Embassy in Budapest, Hungary of the U.S. Department of State announces an open competition for organizations to submit applications to carry out a program to provide support to Hungarian independent media outlets and civil society organizations actively advancing media freedom in Hungary.
Program Objectives
- Activities under this cooperative agreement will support the independent media landscape in Hungary by enabling independent media and/or civil society organizations to promote high-quality journalism and the long-term viability of independent media outlets and journalists.
- The implementing partner will manage funds that will be disbursed to sub-recipients for either pre-planned expenditures or “rapid response funds” for unforeseen expenditures that generally fall within the following funding categories:
- Travel for journalists, researchers, technicians, editorial staff, or other essential personnel for the purposes of reporting, conducting interviews, conducting research, or other activities that contribute to independent journalistic activities.
- Transportation, lodging, and meals/incidental expenses for rural journalists to travel to Budapest for media training, conferences, professional development, consultations, and reporting activities.
- Short-term professional development courses for journalists (non-degree programs) and associated travel costs.
- Programmatic and administrative costs associated with internships, fellowships, or other training and development programs for emerging journalists or technical staff.
- Fees to access to research databases, archives, or other online resources that advance independent journalistic reporting.
- Legal or administrative fees related to access to information, legal proceedings, or other administrative processes essential to operations.
- Logistical expenditures related to journalistic reporting and research (translations, transcriptions, audio/video production, equipment rental, venue rental, etc.).
- Event production costs for journalist trainings, media literacy programming, public information campaigns, public exhibitions, etc.
- Publication of educational materials (including translation of materials into Hungarian)
- Costs for licensing, subscription, marketing, financial management, or consulting services, software, or databases.
- Support for digital infrastructure, to include web design, online hosting, web optimization, development of mobile applications, community managers, etc.
- Conduct of market analysis, public opinion polling, or other research related to the Hungarian media landscape, media consumption trends.
- Other similar activities approved by the U.S. Embassy in Budapest.
Funding Information
- Length of performance period: 12 months with the possibility for extension
- Number of awards anticipated: 1-3 awards
- Award amounts: Awards may range from a minimum of $75,000 to a maximum of $500,000
- Anticipated program start date: September 1, 2023
Participants and Audiences
- The implementing partner must:
- Be based in Hungary (preferred) or the Central Europe region, or have a substantial local presence which allows for hands-on program management and monitoring/evaluation activities.
- Have the capacity to expeditiously disburse funds to sub-recipients (beneficiaries) in compliance with U.S., Hungarian, and EU regulations.
- Regularly consult with the U.S. Embassy in Budapest on funding decisions, program activities, monitoring and evaluation, and other grant activities.
- Sub-recipients must fall into one of the following categories:
- Independent media outlets with operations in Hungary.
- Independent civil society organizations/non-governmental organizations conducting activities that advance media freedom in Hungary.
- Independent educational institutions or entities providing academic and/or professional development courses or other developmental resources to students, journalists, or others in the media field.
Region: Hungary
Eligibility Criteria
The following organizations are eligible to apply:
- Hungarian, U.S., or other foreign entities, including:
- Not-for-profit organizations, including think tanks and civil society/nongovernmental organizations
- Public and private educational institutions
- Public international organizations and governmental institutions
For more information, visit U.S. Embassy in Hungary.