Grants for Independent Media: EPIC Project in Georgia

• Eligibility Criteria
  – For media outlets: the publishing organisation must be legally registered in Georgia; for independent journalists and content creators: the applicant must have a registered entity in Georgia, e.g. as a private entrepreneur;
  – The applicant has been active in the Georgian media market as a content producer for more than one year;
  – The applicant regularly publishes media content that specifically targets a national, local, or regional audience with public affairs coverage;
  – The applicant follows an independent editorial policy and has a proven dedication to professional journalistic standards and ethics;
  – The applicant has a demonstrated record of producing clear, unbiased, pluralistic content about issues of public interest;
  – The applicant publicly self-identifies as an independent organisation or journalist;
  – The organisation publishing this media outlet is not owned or managed by public authorities, local or national governments, political parties, individuals holding public office or positions in political organisations, or their close relatives;
  – For former media partners: the applicant is in good standing in performance and reporting under previous sub grants by the Funder, if applicable.
• Type of Funding: Programmatic
• Target Region: Georgia
• Application Language: English

The Internews Network is seeking applications for grants under the Expansion of Production of Independent Content (EPIC) project to support a strong and independent media sector in Eastern Europe and the Caucasus region.

Content Formats

• Applicants should pitch series of stories where individual pieces are linked by a common theme or interrelated themes. Projects that have the potential to be continued beyond the grant’s implementation period are welcome.
• The pieces should have strong video and/or multimedia storytelling to reach a wide range of audience groups and make the content accessible to people with various information needs.
• Multimedia content can include, but is not limited to: video, photography, animation, a wide range of infographics, graphics, drawings, audio segments, interactivity, or even gamification. A mix of formats within a series of stories is acceptable if it enhances reader engagement and the potential reach of stories.
• The individual pieces within a series can be video stories or text- or visual-based multimedia
• Content should utilize the publishers’ own platforms (traditional channels and/or websites) for original publication, except in the case of platform-native content creators. Shorter versions, which also include multimedia element(s), will be shared via social media platforms.

Themes

Possible topics and themes include, but are not limited to:

• Wars, conflicts, and regional affairs;
• Territorial integrity and security;
• European and Euro-Atlantic Integration;
• Elections;
• Youth affairs;
• Human rights, including the rights of minority groups;
• Education and employment;
• Health, living standards, and social welfare;
• Countering disinformation and fakes; and
• The economy.

Target Audience

• The Funder is looking for series of stories that cover nationwide and local issues in Georgia. Local stories will be considered if the theme, topic, or subject is also relevant to audiences outside of the specific region.
• Media stories should speak to a wide range of audiences or address issues of interest to communities and audience groups that are underserved or especially affected by or vulnerable to misinformation.
• Stories for and/or about specific audience groups (such as youth or ethnic minorities) should prominently feature or speak with the voice of that specific audience.

Funding Information

• Selected applicants will receive financial support in the form of cost-reimbursable sub grants to produce relevant content. The Funder anticipates awarding five (5) grants, each up to USD $8,000 per applicant. Under no circumstances will the Funder consider an application for an award exceeding $8,000.
• The disbursement of the grant will be made in two installments: 80% upon signing of the grant agreement and 20% upon successful completion of the project and submission of the final narrative and financial reports.
• Additional funding will be available for enhancing the reach and impact of content produced in the project.
• Based on the needs of the selected applicants, the Funder will also hire experts to provide technical expertise related to the content and expert consultancy and/or training to help establish or strengthen capabilities of applicants to produce, disseminate, and promote their content. Types of support may include consultations on audience expansion and multimedia products as well as editorial support. Applicants are encouraged to indicate the areas or specific aspects of production or promotion for which they would need or welcome consultancy, assistance, mentoring, or training on the application form.
• EPIC will also support content producers in regional cross-border networking and content sharing through a story database and online and in-person events.

See here to learn more and apply.

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