2021-02-16

BRUSSELS - Today Journalismfund.eu reopens its European Cross-border grant programme to support independent cross-border investigative journalism. With this programme Journalismfund.eu aims to further contribute to the development of a vital European public sphere by enabling investigations into issues of common interest to European citizens.

The awarded programme, running since 2009, supports professional journalists who have good ideas for cross-border investigations with a focus on European topics. Cross-border teams can apply for a grant to cover working time and expenses for their joint investigation. 

Next to a grant, teams can also apply for a mentor to provide assistance with either the focus of the investigation or the need for competences in a specific skill.

For whom?

Teams of professional journalists from at least two European countries who have good ideas for a cross-border investigation with a focus on European topics. The programme supports journalists living in geographical Europe or a Council of Europe country. When relevant to the story, team members from elsewhere can be accepted, too. 

Why this programme?

In the 21st century, the most pressing political, economic, and social issues, such as migration flows, security, finance or environmental damage, transcend national borders. As a result, journalists increasingly need to collaborate across Europe and worldwide to produce relevant and impactful investigative reporting. 
 
In the past few years, the number of transnational investigations has risen sharply, leading to substantive political, legislative and other changes in Europe. Today independent cross-border investigative journalism is needed more than ever to find solutions to increasingly complex problems like climate change, inequality, pandemics, and so on.

With the support of 5 philanthropic organisations

The fast-growing number of applications shows the increasing demand of independent cross-border investigative journalism, and the growing need for funding this type of resource intensive reporting. Journalismfund.eu is the only organisation that is funding so many (and for such a long period) cross-border investigative journalistic projects in Europe.

For the reopening of its awarded European Cross-Border Grants programme Journalismfund.eu will continue its collaboration with the Adessium Foundation and the Open Society Foundations (OSF). Both have structurally supported the programme since 2009. The programme is now even stronger thanks to our three new partners: Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) (Greece), King Baudouin Foundation (Belgium), and Fritt Ord - that had already seed-funded this programme in 2009 (Norway). 

Journalismfund.eu continues to look for additional resources to further strengthen this programme in the coming years.
 
Journalismfund.eu acts both as an intermediary and as a firewall between donors and journalists. All formal agreements between Journalismfund.eu and its donors stipulate independence and no editorial interference. (Representatives from) donors can never be part of the juries that award the grants. Journalismfund.eu adheres to an Ethical Funding Policy to ensure it can properly manage its projects and priorities with appropriate independence from its funders.

Complementary to this general European Cross-border Grants programme, Journalismfund.eu has run and is still operating more specifically targeted programmes, about e.g. tax avoidance and illicit financial flows, science journalism, modern slavery, and cross-border local journalism

First grant application deadline: 11 March

The first deadline for project applications is Thursday 11 March 2021, 12 pm CET
In 2021 there is a total amount of €200,000 available to allocate to the most interesting project proposals, over four application rounds. 

Interested?

To apply or to learn more about the eligibility and assessment criteria, timing, jury and grant conditions, visit our brand-new application website!

Learn more and apply

Pre-application sessions for potential applicants - grants journalists

Questions? In-house assistance to better prepare your application

2024-03-07

BRUSSELS - Let us walk you through your application to increase your chances of getting funded.