Journalism Partnerships – Collaborations (2026)

• Eligibility Criteria: Include at least 3 partners from 3 different countries participating in the Creative Europe Programme. Be composed of non-profit, public, or private media outlets (written/online press, radio, podcasts, TV, etc.) and/or organizations working in news media (media associations, NGOs, journalistic funds, training bodies). Ensure that natural persons are not eligible, except for self-employed individuals whose business has no separate legal personality. Demonstrate the capacity to implement cross-border, collaborative, and innovative media projects. Propose activities fostering media sustainability, newsroom innovation, audience development, or improved professional standards. Include as many media actors as possible to support sector-wide transformation. Only complete applications submitted via the EU Funding & Tenders Portal will be considered.
• Type of Funding: Cross-border collaboration grants supporting innovative journalism partnerships, newsroom transformation, skills development, and new business or production models.
• Target Region: Countries participating in the Creative Europe Programme (pan-European collaborations).
• Application Language: Not specified (applications through the EU Funding & Tenders Portal are typically in English).

Objectives

• Strengthen the sustainability, resilience, and financial viability of the European news media sector.
• Support media collaborations that foster innovation, including new business models, production methods, or editorial standards.
• Improve trustworthy reporting, quality journalism, and professional skills across borders.
• Promote media transformation through the development of new types of newsrooms, syndication or content-sharing models, and cooperative workflows.
• Encourage best-practice exchange and support media sectors struggling with digital adaptation.

Project Themes

• Innovative revenue and monetisation models.
• Audience development, community-building, and marketing strategies.
• Development of professional or technical production standards.
• Creation of collaborative newsrooms, cross-border reporting structures, or syndication networks.
• Assistance to smaller or underserved media organisations.
• Testing innovative formats, workflows, or journalistic genres (e.g., data journalism, specialised reporting).
• Sharing best practices, developing guidelines, editorial standards, or sector mapping.
• Developing tools, platforms, or solutions that enhance collaboration and idea-sharing across the EU media landscape.

Financial Support: Total available budget: €6.9 million.
Maximum funding per project: €2 million.

Application Deadline: 4 February 2026

See here to learn more and apply

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