Funding programme

Creative Europe is the EU’s funding programme for providing support to the culture and audiovisual sectors.

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Call overview

This topic will support organisations active in media in setting up supporting schemes for news media organisations and independent journalism

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Call details

The European news media sectors play a crucial and valuable role in Europe. Yet, they are facing multiple challenges. Partially as a result of the digital shift, with readers shifting to online sources and traditional news outlets losing advertising revenues, the economic sustainability of professional journalism has come under pressure. Media pluralism has also been weakened over the years: many media at the local level as well as those putting their public interest mission before profits, have had to close down, posing risks for the good functioning of democracy.

Topic 2. “Journalism Partnerships - Pluralism”. This topic will support organisations active in media insetting up supporting schemes for news media organisations and independent journalism, as well as other capacity-building measures. These actions, notably third-party support, will target media active in sectors of special relevance to democracy and civic participation, such as local and regional media, community media, independent and investigative journalism and other organisations delivering public interest news.

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Activities to be funded

Applicants must present, develop and implement a fund for independent media and organisations primarily active in one or more of these sectors. The funding schemes shall take the form of financial support to third parties. They will cover as many areas and news media organisations as possible. These funding schemes shall focus on activities that contribute to sustaining, improving or transforming the work of the targeted parties.

Activities can among others consist of:

− Innovations in editorial production (e.g. formats, content), coverage and revenue models

− The improvement of distribution and dissemination of news

- The development and engagement of audiences and community-building strategies

− The development of technical tools applying to the above topics

− Training on the above topics

In addition to funding schemes, accompanying activities to the fund can be proposed (e.g. development of deontological and governance standards, budgetary readiness, development of criteria and indicators framing their support, repositories of knowledge, legal advice or trainings).

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Eligibility

In order to be eligible, the applicants (beneficiaries and affiliated entities) must:

• be legal entities (public or private bodies)
• be established in one of the eligible countries, i.e. Creative Europe Participating Countries: EU Member States (including overseas countries and territories (OCTs)) and non-EU countries: listed EEA countries and countries associated to the Creative Europe Programme or countries which are in ongoing negotiations for an association agreement and where the agreement enters into force before grant signature

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Consortium composition

Proposals must be submitted either by single applicants or by a consortium of at least two applicants (beneficiaries; not affiliated entities).The call is open to organisations which are active in the news media sector (incl. media associations, NGOs, non-profit organisations, civil society organisations, public authorities, international organisations, universities, research centres, journalistic funds and training organisations focusing on media professionals, profitmaking entities, foundations, etc).

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Budget

EUR 3.000.000 per project

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Duration

Projects should not normally exceed 24 months (extensions are possible, if duly justified and through an amendment).

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