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Shaping Europe’s digital future

EU funding opportunities for the news media sector

The European Commission aims to support projects that promote a free, diverse and pluralistic media environment and/or address structural challenges of media sectors.

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This page presents EU grants for the news media sector under three main categories: “media freedom and pluralism”, “collaboration and innovation”, and “citizen engagement and public sphere”. Where relevant, the Commission includes an independence clause in the grants signed so that beneficiaries operate with full editorial independence.

In addition to currently open calls for proposals, this page includes current beneficiaries of closed calls for proposals. Once the funding period is over projects are removed from this page.

These calls of proposals are also available in the CulturEU Funding Guide. For information about the European Commission support to the news media sector beyond grants, please visit the ‘News Initiative’ page.

Funding opportunities come from different instruments, such as established programmes or pilot projects and preparatory actions. The application process differs from a funding instrument to another. This page offers you the link towards the page where the actual call is published, containing the instructions to apply.

The funding opportunities are split below into the following categories:

  1. Media freedom and pluralism
  2. Collaboration and innovation
  3. Citizen engagement and public sphere

 

1. Media freedom and pluralism

Media freedom and pluralism are essential principles enshrined by the European Charter of Fundamental Rights. Funding instruments include pilot projects and preparatory actions, and as of 2021 through the Creative Europe programme.

 

There are no open calls for proposals under this category.

Journalism Partnerships – pluralism (2024)

This call for proposals will support organisations/intermediaries to set up dedicated funding schemes in news media areas of especial relevance to democracy (such as local/regional media, independent and investigative journalism, and public interest news).

Budget: €5 million.

Journalism Partnerships – pluralism (2023)

For the first time in 2023, the annual Journalism Partnerships call for proposals includes a topic to support media pluralism. Four projects have been selected. NB. The call for proposals also maintains its usual topic for media collaborations.

EU support: €7 million.

Duration: approx. 2 years per project.

Media Ownership Monitoring System

Building on the database created in the first pilot project, the objective is to provide a country-based database containing information on media ownership and a systematic assessment of both relevant legal frameworks and risks to media ownership transparency in the twelve Member States not covered by the first pilot. The selected project is managed by a consortium led by the Paris-Lodron Universität Salzburg (PLUS).

EU support: up to €500,000.

Duration: from October 2022 until September 2023.

Supporting local and regional news media in face of emerging news deserts

The “Local Media for Democracy” project will increase understanding around the pan-European news deserts phenomenon, and reinforce the capacities of local and regional media, in light of their key contribution to local democracy, social cohesion and civic participation. The project is coordinated by the European Federation of Journalists.

EU support: up to €1,990,000.

Duration: from February 2023 until July 2024.

Defending media freedom and pluralism – Rapid response mechanism

This action encompasses fact-finding, advocacy, monitoring, and awareness raising. It will bring violations of press and media freedom to the forefront, and provide practical help to journalists under threat. The selected project is led by the European Centre for Press and Media.Freedom,

EU support: up to €3,100,000.

Monitoring media pluralism in the digital age

The Media Pluralism Monitor is a scientific tool designed to identify potential risks to media pluralism. The project is led by the Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom.

EU support: up to €1,1 million.

Press and media councils

This action aims to further strengthen the position of press and media councils in a converged media environment and help in further development of deontological standards. Its outcomes will include the development and maintenance of a database on media self-regulatory bodies; exchange of best practices; support to new media councils; training for journalists; cooperation with media regulators; assistance in developing journalistic standards. The selected project is led by Fundacion Blanquerna,

EU support: €1.000.000.

The European Union – the media freedom hub

This action aims to support existing and established independent Russian and Belarusian media working in the EU. The selected project Free Media Hub EAST project is led by the Prague Civil Society Centre. It will award over €2.2 million in grants, provide assistance and psychological support, invest in technological solutions and strengthen cooperation between local hubs where these exiled media are located in the EU (mainly Czechia, Germany, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania).

EU support: €3 million.

European Festival of Journalism and Media Information Literacy

The “European Festival of Journalism and Media Information Literacy” is aimed at reinforcing dialogue, cooperation and partnership in the EU among journalists, media outlets including public service media, civil society organisations and media literacy professionals, focusing on crucial questions for the profession. With a special attention on youth, including journalists’ students, people and social media. The selected project is managed by a consortium led by the European University Institute – EUI.

EU Support: €834.442.

Duration: from October 2023 until March 2025.

2. Collaboration and innovation

The Commission aims to support the transformation and competitiveness of the news media sector. This support comes from grants under Creative Europe and research programmes (Horizon Europe, Digital Europe) and pilot projects and preparatory actions.

 

Citizen facing European TV and Video News Portal

The call for proposals seeks relevant ideas for AI-based services that leverage the richness of data in the media sector to revolutionise how content is created and consumed, allowing to create new revenue streams for the sector. Support for the circulation of European content and integration of AI technologies that revolutionise content creation, organisation, and presentation within the European media landscape. This initiative aims at leveraging AI to present personalised on-demand content based on existing content, including in the area of news, documentaries, fiction and sports.

Budget: €2.5 million.

Deadline: 15 May 2024.

Journalism Partnerships – collaborations

Through this call for proposals the EU will fund cross-border, collaborative proposals between news media organisations focusing on innovative business models and/or journalistic projects across Europe.

EU funding: €6 million.

Duration: approx. 2 years per project.

European media platforms (2023)

Grants will support projects that aim to improve citizens’ access to trusted information, by enhancing and expanding technical media systems delivering news media content and/or programming.

EU funding: €6 million.

Duration: between 12 and 15 months.

Journalism partnerships (2021, 2022 and 2023)

The first two yearly call for proposals for Journalism Partnerships have resulted in seven projects in 2021, twelve projects in 2022 and four projects in 2023, to support sector-wide, cross-border collaboration among news media organisations across Europe. NB. For the first time in 2023, the call also contains a second topic to support media pluralism.

EU support: €8 million in 2021, €14 million in 2022, €5 million in 2023.

Duration: approx. 2 years per project.

European media platforms (2022)

Three projects receive support to improve citizens’ access to trusted information, by enhancing and expanding technical media systems delivering news media content and/or programming.

EU support: €6 million.

Duration varies depending on the project.

Innovation for Media, including eXtended Reality (IA) 

The four selected projects develop new modular tools, components and/or services addressing technical, organisational, commercial and legal aspects of data management and usage for new media applications.

EU support: €26 million.

Data space for media (deployment)

Following a call for proposals in 2022, one pan-European consortium sets up and deploys a secure and trusted data space to allow for an enhanced data-based collaboration among EU media organisations at large. It will also create new data-driven business opportunities to support the EU media sector in tackling existing and new challenges of the digital economy.

EU support: €8 million.

Duration: from 1 October 2023 to 30 September 2026.

3. Citizen engagement and public sphere

The Commission wants to stimulate a lively and diverse public sphere, in which citizens have access to reliable information about the EU. Support for independent production and dissemination of news content on EU affairs is available through the Multimedia Actions. In addition, the Commission supports the development of innovative and attractive projects to engage with citizens, as well as media literacy.

  • The procedure to apply to these funding opportunities changes depending on the funding source. 
  •  Under established programmes (e.g. Creative Europe, Horizon Europe) the procedures are centralised in the Funding & tender opportunities portal as a unique place where the calls for proposals are published, where applicants must upload their applications, and where the list of beneficiaries and project descriptions are published.

 

 

Media Literacy

This call for proposals will encourage knowledge-sharing and exchanges on media literacy policies and practices to enable the development of innovative cross-border media literacy initiatives and communities across countries, taking into account current user behaviour among various age groups.

Budget: €2 million.

Deadline: 7 March 2024.

European media hubs (2023)

The objective of this action is to produce and distribute news and factual programming on European affairs through the set-up or expansion of media hubs (e.g. physical/virtual newsrooms).

EU support: €8,000,000.

Information Measures for the EU Cohesion policy

This call for proposals aims to provide support for the production and dissemination of information and content linked to EU Cohesion policy.

Budget: €7 million.

A European public sphere: a new online media offer for young Europeans (2023)

Through this call, the EU will support the production of daily, thought-provoking and trustworthy content on current affairs from across Europe for and by young Europeans.

Budget: €9 million.

Establishment of national EDMO hubs

Eight national fact-checking hubs have been selected to increase the capacity of detecting, analysing and exposing disinformation campaigns at national/regional level under the European Digital Media Observatory (EDMO).

EU support: approx. €11 million.

European programmes by Euronews

The Commission signed a new 3-year Framework Partnership Agreement with the TV broadcaster Euronews in July 2021, supporting the production of content on EU affairs in multiple languages.

EU support: €14,584,000 in 2022.

Duration: annual grants until June 2024.

Coverage of EU affairs through radio

The Commission supports the coverage of EU affairs in radio programmes across Europe. The grant supports Euranet Plus in the production & distribution of content on EU affairs by at least 15 radio stations.

EU support: up to €4,4 million.

Duration: from January 2023 until December 2024.

Information measures relating to the EU Cohesion policy (2022)

DG REGIO supports the production and dissemination of information and content linked to EU Cohesion policy. To see the beneficiaries of this call go to the bottom of this page.

EU support: €7 million.

Duration varies depending on the project, approx. 12 months.

Coverage of EU affairs through multilingual platforms

A consortium of 18 news agencies coordinated by the German Press Agency will establish the ‘European Newsroom’, a space for news correspondents to work and train together, with a view to improving journalistic quality standards in Europe and produce and disseminate news on EU affairs.

EU support: €1,760,000.

Duration: from January 2022 until December 2023.

Data-driven coverage of EU affairs

Two media consortia receive support to enrich coverage around EU affairs from multiple perspectives: the European Data News Hub, gathering six leading European press agencies producing infographics, video, audio, podcasts and text stories in nine languages, and the European Data Journalism Network, a network of 12 core partners from across Europe, plus associated media, producing and promoting data-driven coverage of European topics.

EU support: up to €700,000 each.

Duration: 2 years, starting spring 2023.

A European public sphere: a new online media offer for young Europeans (2022)

Four media consortia receive support to produce and distribute innovative, thought-provoking content around current affairs for young Europeans.The concortia produce innovative content in several languages and spread it in diverse online channels to reach target audiences of up to 34 years old.

EU support: €9 million.

Duration: 17/18 months, starting in April 2023.

Media Literacy

See the beneficiaries of the 2022 and 2023 calls for proposals at the bottom of the pages.

EU support: €2,000,000 per year.

Duration: projects last 2 years.

Media representation and inclusion for refugees and migrants – phase 2

The objective of this project is to identify ways to promote inclusive social media in Europe, and to vulnerable groups like migrants and refugees creating their own narratives about the place and role of the refugees and migrants in European societies and communities. The winning “MIGRAVOICE” is coordinated by Fundación Maldita.es.

EU-support: €490,500.

Start: January 2024.

Duration: 18 months.

 

Recent calls to support the news media sector

CALL FOR PROPOSALS |
Journalism Partnerships - collaborations (2024)

The EU calls for cross-border, collaborative proposals between news media organisations focusing on innovative business models and/or journalistic projects across Europe.

CALL FOR PROPOSALS |
Journalism Partnerships - pluralism (2024)

The EU calls for organisations/intermediaries to set up dedicated funding schemes in news media areas of especial relevance to democracy (such as local/regional media, independent and investigative journalism, and public interest news).

CALL FOR PROPOSALS |
European Media Platforms - 2023

The Commission is launching in 2023 a new €6 million call for proposals to set up European media platforms projects, aiming to improve EU citizens’ access to trusted information across the European Union.

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