The grants are intended to support well-defined innovative projects, actions and initiatives that go beyond regular operations – but not to finance regular operations.
The call aims to support projects focused on quality, engaging and innovative content production, local and regional collaboration, professional development, internships, networking, mobility, and validation of business ideas. Specifically, six priority areas fall into this call:
- Validation of a business idea
- Content production through learning, mobility or collaboration
- Strengthening public broadcasting service content and audience reach
- Audience development and engagement
- Networking support
- Promoting quality professional and ethical journalism
Project activities should be implemented in the Western Balkans: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia. Their duration could range from one (1) month up to a maximum of six (6) months.
This call is open until December 31, 2024, at 24.00. Applicants may submit application(s) throughout this period.
The Western Balkans Media for Change project is funded by the UK Government and implemented by the British Council in partnership with the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN), Thomson Foundation (TF), and The International NGO Training and Research Centre (INTRAC). It supports the work of media outlets and individual journalists from the Western Balkan countries.
The project aims to help them improve operational capacity, business sustainability and innovation potential, while aiming to equip media professionals to produce more quality diverse, factchecked and gender sensitive content that will reach and engage with wider audiences.
More information about the call and how to apply can be found here.