Biodiversity Reporting Story Grants for West Africa

• Eligibility: Environmental journalists in West Africa
• Target Region: West Africa
• Application Language: French or English

The Earth Journalism Network (EJN), through its Biodiversity Media Initiative, is launching a call for proposals for five story grants to improve the quality and quantity of media coverage on biodiversity in West Africa. The call is directed at journalists in the region and aims to shed light on the serious threats to West Africa’s natural heritage — including habitat loss, deforestation, coastal degradation and species decline — as well as the solutions being developed to address them. Selected journalists receive both a grant and editorial mentorship from an experienced editor throughout the reporting process.

Eligibility

• Applications are accepted only from journalists based in West Africa — Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, the Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo — with a preference for journalists based in Francophone West Africa (Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Niger, Senegal, and Togo).
• Applicants from areas with high biodiversity richness or facing significant biodiversity loss are also encouraged.
• Collective applications are admitted; the application must be submitted in the name of one lead applicant who will be responsible for communications with EJN and, if selected, will receive funds on the team’s behalf.
• Applications are accepted in English or French only; applicants must have a working understanding of English or French, or have a translator available to assist with communications with Internews staff; stories may be published in English, French, or a local language.
• Open to journalists working in any medium (online, print, television, radio) and other media professionals with proven reporting experience.
• Early-career and experienced journalists are welcome; freelancers and staff from all types of media organisations — international, national, local and community-based — are encouraged to apply.
• Applicants are required to be transparent about the use of generative AI tools, if any, to revise their proposals; EJN reserves the right to disqualify applicants found to have submitted AI-generated content as their own work.

Requirements

• A detailed budget in Excel format with justification for the requested amounts, using the provided budget template.
• A signed letter of support from an editor confirming the media outlet’s commitment to publish the story by 31 December 2026.
• Two story samples or links to relevant previously published work.

How to Apply

Click the “Apply now” button at the top of the page to log in or create an account. Have the budget, editor’s letter of support, and two work samples ready before starting. Applications must be submitted before 21 August 2026 at 11:59 PM (Asmara time); late applications will not be considered. Apply here.

For more information, please visit this page.