IJ4EU fund opens new calls for cross-border investigative journalism

Grants of up to €50,000 available for cross-border projects in the European Union and EU candidate countries.

• Newsrooms and freelancers eligible for funding and support
• Deadline for applications: 13 October 2022
• Sign up to the IJ4EU newsletter to stay informed

The Investigative Journalism for Europe (IJ4EU) fund today, 1 September, opened two new calls for cross-border investigative journalism projects in the European Union and EU candidate countries.

• IJ4EU’s Investigation Support Scheme will provide grants of between €5,000 and €50,000 to allow cross-border teams of any type to carry out investigations in the public interest.
  The deadline for applications is 13 October at 23:59 CEST. A second call under this scheme will open in January 2023. See full information and frequently asked questions.
• Meanwhile, IJ4EU’s Freelancer Support Scheme will provide grants of up to €20,000 to cross-border investigative teams made up predominantly of freelance journalists. It will also provide an extra layer of support through training, mentoring and networking opportunities. The deadline for applications for the Freelancer Support Scheme will also be  13 October at 23:59 CEST. The scheme will have a second call in January 2023. See full information and FAQs.

In total, the IJ4EU fund will provide €1.23 million in direct grants to support investigative journalism on transnational subjects during the 2022/23 funding round.

Approximately €900,000 will be distributed through the Investigation Support Scheme and €330,000 through the Freelancer Support Scheme.

Read more about the IJ4EU fund and why we’re dedicated to supporting investigative journalism.

To date, IJ4EU has disbursed more than €2.5 million in grants to cross-border projects, allowing hundreds of journalists to conduct ambitious investigations on topics of interest to audiences across Europe and beyond.

See previously funded investigations in our projects section.

Geographical eligibility

The geographical eligibility criteria are the same for both schemes. Applications must be submitted by teams with members based in at least two EU member states or at least one EU member state and one EU candidate country.

EU candidate countries are Albania, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine.

Projects must focus on topics of cross-border relevance. Investigations on all topics will be considered.

The Freelancer Support Scheme is designed for teams whose members operate predominantly outside of newsroom structures. In addition to money, it offers a cushion of tailored assistance through mentoring and training.

The Investigation Support Scheme is open to journalistic teams of any kind that mainly need financing to carry out their investigations.

Both schemes come with editorial assistance, legal support and the chance to participate in specialist conferences.

Teams working in all media types — including print, broadcast, online media, documentary filmmaking and multi-platform story-telling — will be considered. Projects must aim to be published by media outlets in at least two countries.

IJ4EU grants may be used to cover nearly any type of cost necessary for the production of journalistic content. This includes salary and human resource costs for both employed journalists and freelance journalists, research costs, travel costs, translation costs, and administrative costs.

Grants under both schemes are awarded by independent juries made up of distinguished senior editors, investigative journalists and journalism experts. Read more about the selection process and criteria.

Full details about both funding schemes and how to apply, as well as information about past funded projects, can be found on the IJ4EU website. Read our FAQs about applying.

As threats to press freedom and pluralism multiply, the IJ4EU fund is committed to providing support to investigative reporting as a public good in the European Union and beyond.

About IJ4EU

IJ4EU (Investigative Journalism for Europe) is a fund to support cross-border investigative journalism. We provide grants to teams of journalists in Europe investigating topics of public interest.

The IJ4EU fund is managed by a consortium of three organisations: the International Press Institute (IPI), the European Journalism Centre (EJC), and the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF).

IPI leads the consortium and manages the Investigative Support Scheme. EJC manages the Freelancer Support Scheme. ECPMF runs a prize for cross-border investigative journalism and IJ4EU’s annual UNCOVERED conference. ECPMF also runs a legal contingency fund for grantees.

The IJ4EU programme is co-funded as a Preparatory Action by the European Commission (DG Connect). It receives additional funding from Open Society Foundations, Fritt Ord, Fondation Nicolas Puech and the City of Leipzig. The programme maintains complete independence from donors in the selection of projects and strictly guarantees the editorial independence of all grantees.

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Questions?

We encourage interested applicants to visit the IJ4EU website and our FAQ page on applying. If you still have questions, feel free to get in touch with us.

Contacts

General questions or questions related to the Investigation Support Scheme: Milica Miletic, IJ4EU project coordinator at IPI (grants[at]ipi.media).

Questions related to the Freelancer Support Scheme: Zlatina Siderova, EJC programme lead (siderova[at]ejc.net).