MDIF Ventures Opens Call for Applications for Young Independent Media

• Eligibility:
  • Applicants must have a commitment to the provision of unique, credible, independent news, reducing information poverty, addressing accountability, or strengthening debate in the public interest.
  • Applicants must have a commitment to the fostering of democratic practices and institutions, political pluralism, transparency, human rights, and dignity and equal rights for all, regardless of race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, religion and other subjects of discrimination.
  • The applicant’s ownership must be independent from the government or any other political or economic interests. This condition may be waived with respect to an applicant where the level and nature of such ownership do not put the applicant’s editorial independence in question.
  • The project must be located or serve the audience in countries where access to free and independent news and information is under threat. MDIF Ventures is not able to consider entries from Russia.

• Funding amount: Up to $1 million
• Type of funding: Programmatic
• Target countries: Global
• Application languages: English

Media Development Investment Fund (MDIF) launched MDIF Ventures to invest $1 million in young and growing media companies with a positive social impact and the potential to scale. MDIF Venture will invest in projects located or serving audiences in countries where access to free and independent news and information is under threat. It will make equity investments in approximately 12 companies in 2021.

MDIF, a mission-driven not-for-profit investment fund for independent media with a 25-year track record, announced that the first round of applications is open until 21 June, 2021.

MDIF Ventures builds on MDIF’s Digital News Ventures fund, which from 2012 to 2015 invested $3.8 million in early-stage digital media companies, many of which have graduated to other forms of MDIF financing. It also draws on the more recent successful work of the South Africa Media Innovation Program (SAMIP) and the Southeast Asia Technical Assistance Initiative (SEATAI), where MDIF supported organisations through a mixture of investments, grants and technical assistance.

Learn more and apply here