Deadline: 31-May-21
The United States Embassy in Kosovo announces an open competition for organizations to submit applications to carry out a program to increase the sustainability and reach of Kosovo Serbian language independent media through partnerships with local technology firms/startups.
Program Objectives
The objectives of this program are:
- To develop sustainable practices and partnerships between independent Serbian language Kosovo media partners in order to provide alternative sources of information to Serbian language speakers in Kosovo and throughout the region.
- To develop partnerships with local technology start-ups to help increase the reach of independent Serbian language Kosovo media partners and identify innovative ways to interact with youth audiences.
- To increase media literacy of independent media partners to help them avoid amplifying misinformation/disinformation from malign actors.
Funding Information
- Award amounts: awards may range from a minimum of $300,000 to a maximum of $350,000
- Total available funding: $350,000
- Length of performance period: 12 to 24 months
- Number of awards anticipated: 1award (dependent on amounts)
- Type of Funding: Assistance to Europe, Eurasia, and Central Asia – AEECA Funds
- Anticipated program start date: August 1, 2021
Participants and Audiences
- Independent Serbian language media partners and at least one technology partner are the participants. Journalists from media partners are the participants/audience for exchange and training activities. Intended audience for engaging with youth in Kosovo aged 15-22.
Priority Region: Kosovo
Eligibility Criteria
- Eligibility for grantees and sub-grantees are limited to not-for-profit organizations (Nongovernmental Organizations (NGO’s), independent media outlets, IT and Software organizations officially registered in the Republic of Kosovo.
- Successful proposals must have and include:
- Partnerships with at least four (4) established Serbian language independent media partners in Kosovo or the region.
- Partnership with at least one (1) Kosovo-based startup, technology NGO, or technology firm focused on developing innovative technology solutions with Serbian language independent media partners.
- Exchange program elements where partners work for periods in each other’s newsrooms and joint investigative efforts.
- Joint training programs to increase knowledge about attribution standards, fact-checking, ethics, media literacy, sources of mis/disinformation, and other topics.
- Developing technological automated solutions to share and amplify partners’ content while ensuring standardized attribution language; technological solutions would also provide tracking mechanisms for partners to see when media content is shared which partners shared it.
- A combination of innovative technological solutions paired with journalist SMEs, identify, measure, and track disinformation in Serbian language media to help media partners understand the original source of content before amplifying.
- Innovative ways to use technology to interact with youth Serbian language audiences while providing alternative sources of news.
- Proposals should include appropriate funds for the monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of program successes and challenges, and a detailed description of how M&E will be carried out and program success will be determined, including a logic frame and a list of outputs and outcomes expected.
- Proposals should detail a robust media plan, and winning applicants should plan to share their online activities/posts with the Embassy’s Public Affairs Section (PAS).
For more information, visit U.S. Mission to Kosovo.
For more information, visit https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=332625