The aim of the call for grant proposals, entitled Sustaining Public Interest Media in Uncertain Times, is to respond to the acute financial crisis facing media outlets in the region, and to sustain the capacity of public interest newsrooms to deliver high quality news content to audiences in Ukraine, Moldova, and Armenia. 

The call will focus on media organizations that play a significant role in the information  ecosystems in their countries: Eligible media organizations are those which are at risk due to financial constraints, and are delivering quality, fact-based journalism to large audiences, or to specific audience groups with little or no access to independent and credible information sources. 

A total of at least $1.3 million in grant funding will be awarded for this next round of grants by the International Fund, to media outlets operating in Ukraine, Moldova and Armenia through the Open Call (the amount might increase depending on internal availability of funds). 

Individual 18-month grants will be awarded to national, local and multiregional media organizations with each grant valued at approximately  USD 75,000 to USD 300,000, depending on organizational size, capacity and demonstrated need.  At the close of the initial grant, an opportunity will be available for renewal of grant support for an additional 12 months. 

As a factor for eligibility, the International Fund’s grant funding can represent no more than 30% of an organization’s average annual turnover. Media organizations are encouraged to develop proposals and a funding request which takes this proportion into consideration, and is consistent with the organization’s financial trajectory and current size and capacity.

* Note: Current IFPIM grantees are not eligible for this call

Selection Process

Independent media interested in submitting a funding proposal are encouraged to confirm   their   organization’s   eligibility   by   submitting   the   secure Eligibility Verification Form: https://airtable.com/app2aud6RtvYfYPTV/pagsG85nSyx0JWcUX/form 

Organizations that meet the eligibility criteria will be invited to proceed to the next step of the application process.

The selection process will take 9–10 weeks and will involve the following steps: 

1. Eligibility Form: Applicants submit responses to an eligibility checklist. 
2. Full Application Submission: Organizations that meet the eligibility criteria will receive an email with a link to access and submit their full funding proposal. 
3. International Fund Review: The International Fund will conduct an initial review of all proposals to confirm alignment with eligibility criteria, and to verify that all required documents were completed and submitted.
4. Juror Review and Recommendation: Following the initial review, an external panel of independent media experts will assess the proposals and recommend a set of applying media organizations for grant support by the International Fund. The   independent   panel’s   review will be guided by a defined assessment criteria and supported by the information provided in each proposal.

The selection criteria assessed by jurors will cover following three areas:

• The media outlet plays a central role in the information ecosystem and can demonstrate strong audience engagement at a large scale, or reach in audience groups with limited alternatives to access information. (In case of more limited reach, particular focus will be put on media working in areas most susceptible to disinformation and foreign influence.) 
• The media outlet is facing major financial challenges, and pressure to cut staffing and reporting capacity.
• The media outlet presents a solid plan to adjust to new market conditions and current funding landscape, to maintain and strengthen their financial resilience in the face of external shocks, and to sustain capacity to produce and distribute content for their audience.

International Fund Board Approval: The final list of recommended awardees will be submitted to the International Fund’s Board for approval. Final Board approval is a standard process for all grants awarded by the International Fund.

Key dates and deadlines

August 17: The deadline to complete the eligibility form.
August 24: The deadline to submit documents on organizational profile through the International Fund portal. 
August 31: The deadline to submit full applications through the International Fund portal. 
November 7: Date by which all evaluation steps will be completed and grant awards communicated to media organizations.

Partnership with the Journalism Trust Initiative

In addition to the core grant described above, successful applicants will also have the option to receive additional funding to prepare for and complete the Journalism Trust Initiative (JTI) certification process. JTI is an international standard initiated by Reporters without Borders (RSF) that helps news outlets demonstrate their transparency and their commitment to ethical journalistic practice to their audiences, funders and fellow media organizations. You can learn more about the JTI here: https://journalismtrustinitiative.org/about-jti/.

Under a joint project with RSF, IFPIM will provide grantees who are interested in getting certified with the opportunity to cover the cost of consulting and certification fees associated with obtaining the JTI standard. The project will include funding, as well as the contacts for qualified consultants and certification assessment firms.

Contacts

In case of any questions related to technical assistance for the portal, please contact the IFPIM team at: [email protected]

For any other questions related to the process please contact IFPIMProgram Associate Kateryna Chystoforova: [email protected]

The International Fund for Public Interest Media is pleased to launch this Regional Open Call for funding and encourage all eligible media organizations to apply. We wish the submitting media organizations all the best throughout the application process.