European Commission Grants for Media Freedom in Pakistan

• Eligibility Criteria: Eligible applicants include non-profit civil society organisations or associations of CSOs established in Pakistan, EU Member States, or the European Economic Area, provided they meet the operational and regulatory requirements outlined in the call.
• Type of Funding: Grant
• Target Region: Asia
• Application Language: English

The European Commission (EC) has announced a call for proposals to support civil society initiatives that promote and protect freedom of expression and media freedom in Pakistan. The priorities of this call focus on supporting media professionalism and integrity, strengthening media freedom and pluralism, and enhancing independent media capacities.

Funding for this call is provided through the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument – Global Europe (NDICI). The total indicative funding available under the call is €1,959,782, with individual grants ranging from a minimum of €400,000 to a maximum of €650,000.

Thematics 

Through this call, the European Union aims to complement its ongoing cooperation with government institutions, judicial actors, and national human rights bodies by supporting civil society-led projects that address these challenges and strengthen protections for freedom of expression and media independence in Pakistan. The priorities of this call are:

• Ensuring the safety and protection of journalists through mechanisms such as legal aid and psychosocial support.
• Countering the use of artificial intelligence in media manipulation while leveraging its potential to strengthen freedom of expression and information integrity.
• Promoting freedom of expression both online and offline.
• Supporting victims of cybercrimes or false accusations related to freedom of opinion particularly human rights defenders and vulnerable groups.
• Combating hate speech, polarisation and disinformation through awareness-raising and digital and public media literacy initiatives.
• These initiatives include outreach in remote areas, supporting regulatory frameworks that balance data privacy with access to information, regulating digital services in line with individuals’ rights, promoting equal and uninterrupted access to communication services;
• And enhancing accountability of private actors and social media platforms in addressing disinformation and hate speech online.

How to apply

Interested organisation can submit their proposals on this page. The last date to make submissions is April 21, 2026.

For more information, please visit this page.