Deadline: 1 July 2019
Velocidad is inviting For-profit or Non-Profit Projects to promote the sustainability and growth of local journalism projects that are either digital native media or have a growth strategy focused on digital media.
The main purpose of this accelerator program is to promote business models so that independent media outlets are able to generate new sources of income and achieve a level of sustainability that will allow them to continue producing journalism that makes an impact on society.
The selected media outlets will receive an initial investment to strengthen their sustainability. They will also receive strategic and tactical consulting services from more than 30 experts to help them develop action plans, gain access to new technologies, and help them develop more innovative and successful businesses.
Benefits
- Velocidad is not the end of media acceleration—it is just the beginning. Their main focus is to strengthen the emerging journalism community in Latin America. To contribute to a more dynamic and collaborative ecosystem, they will establish strategic networks between the accelerated digital media and other independent media outlets in the region.
- They hope to learn valuable lessons that they will then share with the community. Velocidad is also designed to capture the attention of organizations and investors, and redirect them to the region’s newest. Their goal is to inspire and promote news outlets/projects that produce quality, sustainable journalism.
Criteria
- Velocidad will work with emerging Latin American digital media outlets which have strong leadership potential and are highly motivated to develop the necessary commercial, technical, and editorial strategies to lay the foundations for an independent and sustainable organization.
- They are looking for candidates that have the potential to grow and benefit from the investment, and that are ready to take advantage of the consulting support that will be provided during the acceleration process.
Eligible Criteria
They invite media outlets to apply that meet the following criteria:
- Digital native media* or media that have a digital-centric growth strategy.
- Aspire to economic independence, regardless of their ideological position. Editorial policy and economic viability should not depend entirely on a single corporation, government or political party.
- Cover topics of public interest and foster the relationship between citizens and the press.
- Whose audiences are primarily based in Latin America.
- Produce/create original content in Spanish or Portuguese
- Have been publishing for more than 6 months prior to their application.
*”Digital native media” are projects that were primarily developed and designed for a an online digital audience. Digital native media applicants may include websites, podcasts, social media profiles, and blogs that produce original reporting.
Velocidad will accept applications from:
- For-profit or non-profit projects (must be formed as a legal organization with a bank account).
- Media outlets that have already received funds from the Latin American Alliance for Civic Technology (ALTEC), as long as they have finished their working period for that program, may apply.
How to apply
Intersted applicants can apply via given website.
For more information, please visit https://www.velocidad.fund/en/