The SAFE project is now accepting applications to its Emergency Support Fund. The fund is open to journalists, media workers and independent media outlets in the Eastern Partnership (EaP) region.
Across the region, journalists face risks ranging from active war to hostile regulatory environments. When journalists face threats directly linked to their work, the SAFE Emergency Support Fund helps them stay safe and keep working. The fund covers urgent, one-off needs that arise from a recent emergency. It does not cover long-term or structural costs.
SAFE is a project of the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) under the Hannah Arendt Initiative, supported by the German Federal Foreign Office. The project offers emergency grants for independent media and journalists, covers short-term residencies, equipment support, insurance for journalists on the front lines, provides special support for women journalists and other types of assistance.
Who can apply
The fund is open to individual journalists, media workers and independent media outlets based in or working for Ukraine, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Moldova.
To be eligible, applicants must:
- Work for, or be affiliated with, an editorially independent media outlet.
- Face a threat or emergency that is a direct result of their journalistic work or their affiliation with independent media.
- Apply for support related to an ongoing threat or an emergency that happened within the last four months.
What the fund covers
Each request is assessed individually, based on the scope of the need. Grants are capped at €3,500.
Support may include, but is not limited to:
- Medical assistance: treatment costs for injuries sustained while doing journalistic work.
- Equipment replacement: replacing professional equipment that was confiscated, damaged or destroyed in a work-related emergency, or that can no longer be used safely after a digital security incident.
- Safety measures: security advice, digital protection tools and personal protective equipment for journalists facing direct physical or digital threats.
Deadline and timeline
- Applications are open until 1 December 2026.
- Applications are reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis. The call may close earlier once the available funding has been allocated.
- All approved grants will be paid out by 31 December 2026.
We aim to respond to every request as quickly as possible, but response times may vary depending on the case.
Verification and confidentiality
Applicants must name at least one reliable source who can independently confirm the situation described in the application. Where necessary, we may also carry out background checks.
All information you share with us is treated as strictly confidential and stored in line with data protection standards.
How to apply
Applications must be submitted in English through our secure application form: Apply here.
