On February 2024, we announced the launch of the multi-pronged programme, together with our consortium partner Transitions. PluPro (Pluralism Prodemos) was developed to enable cross-border collaboration and strengthen local and regional media ecosystems by providing journalists and news organisations with the resources, partnerships and support needed to address financial, political and technological pressures, while enhancing democratic accountability, media pluralism and informed public debate across Europe.
Two years later, we present the results achieved over the course of the programme.
European Cross-border Grants in 2024 and 2025
In order to increase both the volume and quality of cross-border investigative journalism at the European level, Journalismfund Europe implemented two grant programmes:
-The European Cross-border grant programme, which has been running since 2009, aimed to address the shortage of independent journalism by providing grants to investigative journalism projects in Europe and encouraging cross-border collaboration.
-The European Local Cross-border Grants invited reporting teams to focus on subjects with a localised focus, affecting sub-national geographical territories as well as smaller communities or marginalised groups of people.
Between 2024-2025, each grant programme organised six application rounds, attracting a total of 389 applications from 1,151 applicants.
The programme juries granted a total of € 2,125,224 to 127 investigative teams involving 77 media outlets and 337 individual journalists across 44 countries.
During the reporting period, the funded projects produced a wide range of work. A total of 894 publications in different media formats were produced attracting an estimated 19,227,344 page views.
The results of the investigations were published in 444 different online media outlets in 54 countries and in 33 languages.
Mentorship was a core component of the programmes, with 44 projects receiving tailored editorial and methodological support, contributing to higher quality and greater rigour in the reporting.
A report showcasing the investigations supported through Journalismfund Europe’s cross-border grants is available here.
Microgrants for Small Newsrooms
The PluPro programme provided capacity-building support to 48 small, independent media outlets through a combination of training, mentoring and microgrants. The objective was to foster new product and services, develop revenue streams and strengthen audience engagement strategies, particularly for media operating in challenging environments.
In November, nearly 80 journalists from 39 supported newsrooms across 25 countries gathered in Prague for the Media Innovation Summit to explore how independent journalism can remain resilient, relevant and sustainable. Participants exchanged experiences, lessons learned and practical insights into how design-thinking and innovation can transform media production.
Watch highlights from the Media Innovation Summit here.
The supported projects under Microgrants programme and their learnings can be visited via this link.
A Training Programme for Professional Journalists
Alongside this, a comprehensive online training programme was developed by Transitions to strengthen the skills and knowledge of professional journalists across Europe in cross-border investigative journalism. The programme combined live, interactive workshops, self-paced learning modules and individual expert mentoring, offering multiple and flexible pathways for professional development.
In total, 625 journalists from 29 European countries participated in 11 live online workshops on a variety of topics.
A dedicated learning platform was developed on Moodle to ensure that training materials remain accessible as a durable educational resource beyond the project’s lifetime.
Impact
Between 2024 and 2025, the PluPro programme demonstrated the tangible value of sustained support for independent journalism by strengthening Europe’s media ecosystem in the face of increasing political, economic and market challenges.
Many investigations led to concrete societal impact, including political and corporate accountability, policy changes, legal action and increased public engagement, underscoring the ripple effects of cross-border reporting beyond Europe.
Rising application numbers and grantee feedback highlight the continued reliance of journalists and media organisations on grant funding, with 96% of supported journalists intending to continue cross-border collaboration.
Alongside investigations, PluPro invested in professional development and media innovation through trainings, resources and microgrants, engaging more than 2,000 journalists and supporting dozens of newsrooms to develop new services, skills and sustainable practices, fostering a stronger, more connected and resilient European journalism community.
Acknowledgements
The PluPro Project, managed by Journalismfund Europe and Transitions (Czech Republic) was co-funded by the European Commission (Creative Europe) , Limelight Foundation and Veronica Foundation.
