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.

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:

Media freedom and pluralism
Collaboration and innovation
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.

Media Freedom Hub (2025)

This call for proposals aims to support and preserve a diverse media environment and focuses on supporting existing independent Russian and Belarusian media established and working in the EU.

Budget: €2 940 000

Expected duration: between 22 and 24 months

European Festival of Journalism and Media Freedom

This call for proposals will fund a European Festival of Journalism and Media Freedom to facilitate exchanges between media professionals from across Europe.

Budget: €3 million

Expected duration: between 24 and 27 months

Media Freedom Rapid Response Mechanism

This call for proposals aims to create a rapid response system that will systematically and comprehensively monitor violations of press and media freedom across the EU, as well as across countries participating in the Creative Europe programme and candidate countries.

Budget: €3 million

Expected duration: 24 months

Journalism Partnerships - Pluralism (2025)

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 and regional media, community media, investigative journalism or media specialised in public interest news).

Budget: €5.2 million

Expected duration: 24 months

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

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 Monitoris 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

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

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). Three projects have been selected.

Budget: €5 million

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.

There are currently no open calls for proposals.

Citizen facing European TV and Video News Portal

The call for proposals sought relevant ideas for AI-based services leveraging the richness of data in the media sector to revolutionise how content is created and consumed, will the goal of creating new revenue streams for the sector. It also sought support for the circulation of European content and integration of AI technologies that revolutionise content creation, organisation, and presentation within the European media landscape. The selected project will leverage 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

Indicative project duration: 15 to 18 months

Journalism Partnerships - Collaborations (2025)

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: €5.2 million

Expected duration: 24 months

Journalism partnerships (2022 and 2023)

The 2022 and 2023 calls for proposals for Journalism Partnerships have resulted respectively in twelve projects and four projects. They 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: €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

European media platforms (2023)

Following a call for proposals in July 2023, three projects have been selected to improve citizens' access to trusted information, by enhancing and expanding technical media systems. These projects started in June-July 2024 and are foreseen to last 12-15 months. They follow professional journalistic standards and retain full editorial independence, guaranteed by an editorial charter.

EU funding: €6 million

Duration: between 12 and 15 months

Journalism Partnerships – Collaborations (2024)

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. Six projects have been selected.

EU funding: €6 million

Duration: approx. 2 years per project

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.

A European public sphere: a new online media offer for young Europeans (2024)

For the fifth time, a call for proposals 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

Expected duration: 12-14 months

Cross-border Media Literacy projects

Through this call for proposals, the EU will fund innovative solutions to enhance the media literacy skills of all European citizens, support effective cross-border cooperation, and limit the detrimental impact of disinformation.

Budget: €2 570 000

Expected duration: 24 months

EU digital reporting

This call for proposals will support the production and distribution of reliable information, in particular on EU affairs, through digital formats in as many languages and Member States as possible. It aims to provide citizens with a wide choice of online news content, leveraging Europe’s diversity as an asset for democracy and pluralism.

Budget: EUR 5 million

EU audio reporting

This call for proposals will support the production of innovative audio formats and their distribution across Europe. It aims to increase independent reporting on European issues mainly through audio formats and to increase the reach of such content via broadcasting and/or digital platforms across the EU to as many EU citizens as possible and especially in countries where there is limited information on EU affairs.

Budget: EUR 4.5 million

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

Information Measures for 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: €3.5 million

Expected duration: 12 months

Pan-EU audiovisual reporting (2024)

Two projects have been selected to produce and distribute audiovisual news and factual programming on European affairs and to set up international audiovisual services in countries where such an offer is scarce.

EU support: €11 000 000

Duration: 12 months

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

Four projects were selected to support the production of daily, thought-provoking and trustworthy content on current affairs from across Europe for and by young Europeans.

Budget: €9 million

Duration: 14 months

European media hubs (2023)

Three pan-European projects have been selected to produce and distribute news and factual programming on European affairs through the set-up or expansion of media hubs).

EU support: €8 000 000

Duration: approx. 2 years per project

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.

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 (2023)

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

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

EU funding opportunities for the news media sector

1. Media freedom and pluralism

2. Collaboration and innovation

3. Citizen engagement and public sphere

Recent calls to support the news media sector

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