The European Cross-border grant programme hopes to foster multidisciplinary collaboration and excellence, and encourage participating journalists to take a more scientific and methodical approach to their investigations. Besides cross-border collaboration, management training will also be provided to twenty selected small and medium-sized media companies.
This grant programme is part of the Expert-Reviewed Journalism project, which is co-funded by the European Commission (Creative Europe) and launched by Journalismfund Europe and Stockholm School of Economics in Riga (SSE Riga). It starts on the 1st of January 2026 for 24 months. Six calls for proposals will be published between January 2026 and mid-2027.
What's new?
The European Cross-border Grants programme now offers structured expert support to help teams strengthen their investigations and improve overall project quality. This new support comes in the form of Project Advisors and Experts, who work closely with grantees throughout their project.
Watch our Introductory Webinar
Project Advisor: your guide throughout the project
Teams can now request a Project Advisor if they want help connecting with relevant experts or navigating the development of their investigation.
The Project Advisor:
- Acts as a mediator between journalists and experts
- Supports the team throughout the entire project development
- Comes from a diverse professional background, often with media expertise
- Is assigned by SSE Riga, in consultation with the team
- Is paid by SSE Riga, not by the grantee
Project Advisors are experienced project managers and communicators who ensure that collaborations with experts run smoothly and effectively.
Experts: specialised knowledge for stronger investigations
With the guidance of the Project Advisor, teams can also work with subject-matter experts who bring additional depth and expertise to the investigation.
Key points about Experts:
- Experts are selected based on the topic of the investigation
- The final choice is made by the journalistic team, with support from the Project Advisor
- Experts are only involved when a Project Advisor is assigned
- All projects with experts must therefore also include a Project Advisor
- Experts are paid by Journalismfund Europe
Why this matters
This new setup ensures that cross-border teams receive targeted, professional support, helping them:
- Access the right expertise
- Improve investigative depth and accuracy
- Increase the overall quality and impact of their journalism
In short, the programme now goes beyond funding alone — offering hands-on guidance and expert knowledge to support ambitious cross-border investigations.
For whom
The grant programme targets independent journalists and/or news outlets from EU member countries. However, non-EU countries are also eligible but must collaborate with EU-member countries and only eligible to receive 20% of the submitted budget.
Budget
The total budget of this two-year project is €1.12 million with 80% supported by the EU under the Creative Europe Programme (CREA). Philanthropic organisations will cover the remainder of the budget. The grant will be distributed over 6 application rounds for an amount of €280,000 per call
Timeline
Join us at the upcoming introductory webinar on Tuesday 20 January 2026 14:00 CET (Brussels) to learn more about the project. Save your questions and we'll be happy to answer them!
The first public open call deadline is on Thursday 19 March 2026 13:00 CET (Brussels). The following deadline will be 21 May 2026.
Find further grant information and the application portal here.
The project is co-funded by the European Commission (Creative Europe). It starts on the 1st of January 2026 for 24 months. Six calls for proposals will be published between January 2026 and mid-2027.
