Content Production Fund – BIRN Hub | Call for Applications for Cross-Border Journalism Grants (Western Balkans & Türkiye)

 

The Content Production Fund, launched underneath the undertaking Strengthening Quality News and Independent Journalism in Western Balkans and Türkiye II, is now open for purposes. This vital funding alternative applied by BIRN Hub, goals to enhance the standard, professionalism, and long-term sustainability of journalism within the area. With a powerful deal with investigative, cross-border, and multimedia reporting, the Fund gives monetary help to eligible media retailers dedicated to producing high-quality journalistic tales.

This initiative helps mid-career and younger journalists, strengthens journalism study packages, enhances entry to investigative assets, and promotes impactful cross-regional tales. The Content Production Fund instantly contributes to those goals by enabling media retailers to provide in-depth, cross-border, multimedia content material that covers native, nationwide, or regional points affecting communities throughout a number of international locations within the Western Balkans.

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The Content Production Fund seeks to:

• Support the manufacturing of cross-border, multimedia journalistic content material.
• Provide monetary assist to media retailers to reinforce their investigative reporting capacities.
• Improve skilled expertise of journalists via on-the-job mentoring and coaching.
• Ensure the publication of cross-regional tales in each English and native languages.
• Encourage protection of underrepresented teams together with minorities, youth, girls, and marginalized communities.

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Under this name, BIRN Hub is providing monetary assist to eligible media retailers to provide impactful cross-border journalism utilizing their very own newsroom assets.

Grant Details

• Maximum Amount per Grant: €5,000
• Total Number of Grants: Up to 12
• Total Available Funding: €60,000

Funding is on the market solely for content material manufacturing actions. No co-financing is required or anticipated.

Project Implementation Timeline

• Projects should start on 01/01/2026.
• The implementation period is as much as 2.5 months from the date of contract signature.
• All actions should conclude no later than 15/03/2026.

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Applicants should meet all eligibility necessities to be thought-about. Media retailers making use of should:

1. Demonstrate a powerful dedication to high-quality, impartial journalism with a cross-regional and multimedia focus.
2. Propose a narrative with an investigative, in-depth, and cross-border angle.
3. Show clear intention and functionality to incorporate underrepresented communities, comparable to minorities, girls, youth, and different marginalized teams.
4. Be a legally registered entity within the nation of application on or earlier than 1 January 2023.
5. Provide all supporting documentation as outlined within the Application Form (Section 5.4.1).
6. Not maintain an energetic grant from another BIRN granting scheme through the proposed implementation interval.
7. Commit to participating in mentoring and following assigned mentor steering.

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Eligible Activities

Activities that could be funded embody:

• Production of cross-border, multimedia content material that includes views from multiple Western Balkan nation.
• Creation of investigative and impactful tales addressing group points and involving underrepresented teams.
• Content codecs could embody audio, textual content, video, or multimedia.
• Promotion of produced tales by way of social media channels.
• Additional investigative or engagement actions aligned with this system’s targets.

Ineligible Activities

Funding can’t be used for:

• Office tools purchases
• Construction prices
• Entertainment or extreme transportation
• Organizing or collaborating in trainings and occasions

Only prices important to content material manufacturing shall be thought-about.

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Eligible Costs Include:

• Human Resources: Salaries or charges for core workers, freelancers, or consultants instantly concerned in producing content material.
• Production, Research & Communication Costs: Expenses associated to analysis, stakeholder engagement, manufacturing, and promotion.
• Travel Costs: Travel wanted to provide tales, particularly cross-border stories.

Ineligible Costs Include:

• Office tools
• Construction
• Entertainment
• Training/occasion group

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Applicants should submit one application solely underneath this name. Multiple purposes from the identical media outlet will render all submissions ineligible.

Application Form Requirements (Section 5.4.1)

Applicants should:

• Download and fill the Application Form from here  (in English, utilizing their very own phrases).
• Provide particulars on:
  • General data
  • Audience knowledge
  • Proposed story idea

Supporting Documents (embedded in application kind):

1. Financial proposal (price range template offered)
2. 2023 and 2024 monetary statements (if relevant)
3. Certificate from related tax authority
4. Court Certificate verifying no authorized proceedings
5. Editorial coverage (if relevant)
6. Business Registry Certificate confirming authorized registration as of January 2023

Application Submission Email

Applications should be emailed to:
📩 purposes@birnnetwork.org

Subject line: Application for Content Production Grants_[name of media outlet]

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Activity	Date
Call for Applications Issued	17/11/2025
Deadline for Clarification Requests	05/12/2025
Application Submission Deadline	10/12/2025 (midnight CET)
Notification of Assessment Results	23/12/2025
Contract Signature	29/12/2025

Late purposes will not be thought-about.

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Step 1: Administrative and Eligibility Check

• Ensures all paperwork and procedures are appropriate.
• Missing or inaccurate data results in rejection with out analysis.

Step 2: Evaluation by Independent Jury

Applications are assessed primarily based on:

Criteria	Points
Relevance of Application	20
Capacity	10
Financial Proposal	10
Potential	10
Total Possible Score	50

Step 3: Notification

All candidates—profitable or not—shall be notified by way of e mail.

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Successful grantees will obtain:

• On-the-job mentoring
• Guidance in creating and implementing story manufacturing plans
• Ongoing assist whereas guaranteeing editorial independence

Mentoring is delivered on-line/offline by BIRN-assigned mentors.

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The Content Production Fund represents a major alternative for media retailers throughout the Western Balkans to strengthen their investigative capability, broaden cross-border collaboration, and produce impactful multimedia journalism. With monetary assist, skilled mentorship, and a transparent emphasis on inclusion and regional cooperation, this grant serves as a significant instrument for empowering impartial journalism throughout the area.

For full particulars, application paperwork, and timelines, go to the official name for purposes and submit your proposal earlier than the deadline.

 

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