CFPs: Enhancing Media Resilience and Quality News Journalism Program

Objectives

• The objective of this call is: To support independent media entities in Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, and Slovenia in implementing initiatives aimed at: increasing their financial resilience; addressing emerging technological challenges that affect their work; fostering the development of quality journalism; counteracting the influence of populism and propaganda; and enhancing outreach to groups in society vulnerable to disinformation.

Funding Information

• Total amount for grants under this Call: Up to EUR 1,560,000
• Maximum grant per Initiative: Up to EUR 60,000
• Initiatives can last for a period of up to 12 months and must be completed by May 31, 2026, at the latest

Eligible Costs

• Direct costs:
  • The budget should cover direct cost activities incurred during the implementation period of the initiative under the following categories:
    • Personnel costs
    • Costs for employees: Proportionate share of the costs of wages, social and health insurance and other costs for the staff involved in the implementation of activities, corresponding to the time planned for the activities concerned (months/days/hours), including the management of activities. The unit cost (monthly, daily or hourly rate) shall be in accordance with the terms of the employment contract and the employer’s usual practice.
    • Costs for natural persons working under a direct contract assigned to the action, under conditions similar to those of an employee (not be significantly different from those for personnel performing similar tasks under an employment contract).
    • Purchases of other goods, works and services, including equipment needed to carry out specific activities.
    • Travel, accommodation and subsistence for travel of team members and event participants.

Ineligible Costs

• When preparing the budget, the following types of expenses should not be included in the budget:
  • Costs covered by other funding sources;
  • Costs for periods outside the planned implementation period: before the start of the implementation, including the preparation of the proposal, and after the completion of the implementation of the initiative;
  • Voluntary labour and other types of non-financial contributions provided;
  • Provision of aid to third parties;
  • Provisions for losses and potential future liabilities;
  • Exchange differences and bank charges;
  • Profit generation.

Expected Outcomes

• Expected outcomes:
  • Outcome 1: increased resilience, pluralism and editorial independence of news media entities such as local, regional and community media, investigative media or media specialised in public interest topics.
  • Outcome 2: Improved uptake of new technologies across the targeted independent news media entities in as much as this contributes to media pluralism and a diverse media landscape.
  • Outcome 3: Enhanced outreach of independent news media entities to groups in society most vulnerable to disinformation.

Eligibility Criteria

• Eligible applicants are independent news media entities working in Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, or Slovenia, regardless of their legal form of registration, including companies as civil society organisations that operate as media outlets. This includes television, radio, print media and online media.
• The following criteria will apply:
  • Legal registration: Applicants must be registered as legal entities and have a legal seat in one of the follow countries: Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, or Slovenia.
  • Editorial independence: Applicants must be news media outlets that have internal mechanisms to ensure editorial independence from external interference by governments, political parties, corporations other power-holders, as well as from the outlet’s administrative, financial, and commer management. The existence of these mechanisms must be demonstrated by an editorial char code of conduct, or another relevant document.
  • At the proposal stage, applicants are required to submit a declaration confirming that they meet the eligibility criteria.
  • The extent to which applicants meet the criteria for editorial independence will also be sub to a quality assessment.
  • Applicants recommended for funding, as a pre-condition for signing a grant agreement, wil required to provide a copy of a document (such as an editorial charter, code of conduct another relevant document) that outlines their commitment to editorial independence.
  • One organization can submit only one proposal under this call.

For more information, visit Open Society Institute – Sofia.