Call for Proposals: Journalism Partnerships - Collaborations (2025)

The European news media sectors are facing multiple challenges. Partly as result of the digital shift, the financial sustainability of professional journalism is under pressure. This opening aims to help European news media become more sustainable and resilient specifically by supporting cross-border media collaborations.

Through this call for proposals, transnational consortia of media organisations are called to join efforts to foster media transformation, trustworthy reporting and skills for news media professionals, for instance by developing media production standards, new business models, new types of newsrooms and journalistic formats, sharing of best practices, etc.

The available budget totals EUR 5.2 million. Each project will be granted maximum EUR 2 million. The maximum co-financing rate is 80% of the total eligible costs. This means that applicants need to co-finance their projects.

This opening is one of the two topics launched this year under the Journalism Partnerships call for proposals. The other topic calls for entities setting up journalism funds.

The conditions outlined below are based on the call. In case of discrepancy, the text in the call prevails.

What is the timeframe of this grant?

Applicants can send proposals until Thursday 27 February 2025. Proposals will be evaluated in spring, and results communicated in summer 2025. Projects are expected to start towards the end of 2025 for 24 months.

Who can apply to this grant?

Consortia may include non-profit, public and private media outlets (including written/online press, radio/podcasts, TV, etc) as well as other organisations focusing on news media (including media associations, NGOs, journalistic funds and training organisations focusing on media professionals, etc).

Natural persons are not eligible (with the exception of self-employed persons, i.e. sole traders, where the company does not have legal personality separate from that of the natural person.

How many partners should compose the consortia?

Consortia must gather at least 3 partners from at least 3 different countries participating in the Creative Europe Programme. Since the opening intends to achieve sector-wide impacts, proposals are invited to involve as many news media as possible in their activities.

What is the scope of this grant?

Applicants are called to set up cross-border media collaborations. Proposals can aim to develop, inter alia, better revenue and monetisation models, new approaches to audience development, community-building and marketing, development of common professional/technical standards, new types of newsrooms, syndication networks or other models to exchange content/data between news media across the EU or provide assistance to small media organisations.

Content-wise, they can aim to increase efficiency and the quality of reporting through innovative journalistic collaborations. Projects can test innovative production methods and formats or contribute to high-quality media production standards in other collaborative ways. Projects can aim to increase exchanges of best practices among journalists and optimise workflows for those journalism genres requiring more time and resources.

Consortia may choose to focus on a news media (sub)sector (for example tv, radio, printed press, etc.) and/or journalistic genre (for example, data journalism, specialised journalism, etc.) 

What kind of activities can you propose?

Proposals should include activities that best contribute to the consortium’s goals. These could include events, online trainings and workshops for media professionals, exchange programmes, mentoring schemes, mapping of best practices, sector-wide development of technical standards, development of guidelines and editorial standards, production of practical guidebooks, development and testing of platforms and technical solutions to exchange ideas and best practices, promotional activities, or other activities that aim to uphold the viability of a given sector/s. Sharing of best practices between operators is encouraged and support to media sectors lacking the means to adapt to the digital environment are encouraged.

Financial support to third parties is allowed for grants and prizes under the conditions set in the call.

Where can I find more information?

• You may find all the official documents about the call published in the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. The page includes a section dedicated to partner search.
• This call for proposals is part of the Creative Europe programme. The programme has "desks" in every country that can provide help to applicants, providing information, helping get in touch with similar applicants to make sure the proposal becomes transnational and sector-wide and assisting you in the preparation of proposals. You are thus recommended to contact the Creative Europe desk in your country.
• An info session will be organised on Thursday 14 November 14h-15h30 CET to present the call and reply to your questions (no registration needed, recordings will be available on the same page).
• Find inspiration in funded projects under the 2021, 2022 and 2023 calls for proposals. Grantees of the 2024 call for proposals will be listed in the EU Funding & Tenders Portal once they sign their grants.

How to submit an application?

• All proposals must be submitted directly online via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal Electronic Submission System. Paper applications are not accepted.
• Online Manual
• Portal FAQ
• For technical questions, please contact the IT Helpdesk.

See also

• Discover the overview of the EU support to the news media sector.
• Subscribe to news updates on DG CNECT’s website.