Validation Booster – Media Innovation Europe

• Eligibility Criteria
  – Application Form is filled as per instructions provided in this Call and in the Application Form;
  – All mandatory documents must be submitted;
  – The requested budget amount should be within the given threshold;
  – Duration of the proposed project is six months (indicated cycle I or cycle II);
• Type of Funding: Programmatic
• Target Region: Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Ukraine.
• Application Language: English

The Validation Booster is a tailor-made acceleration programme for media outlets, networks, initiatives, and individual content creators who want to learn how to validate business ideas that imply new digital products/services, diving into the process of rethinking a media’s potential and feasibility in the digital environment.

Successful applicants, in addition to the financial support through awarded grants, will benefit from mentorship and capacity building in the domain of business development during the six-month-long acceleration process (per cycle).

The Validation Booster programme targets individuals that can act as “intrapreneurs” – people who work for media outlets or CSOs with publishing activities and launching new digital products/services inside the existing entities, by testing and validating new digital products as part of a developing audience and business strategy. The ideal participant is a person or team with capacity, capability and high interest in spearheading innovative initiatives and demonstrated commitment to participate in the programme.

Besides traditional media and journalists, they encourage unconventional media representatives to apply, individuals working for media organisations and/or those performing as individual content producers and creators, media CSO, media outlets, youth media outlets, women-led media, niche media/platform with specific/unusual topics coverage to apply.

Funding Information

Grant Budget Ranges:

• Grants for individuals – ceiling of up to EUR 3,000
• Grants for informal initiatives – ceiling of up to EUR 3,000
• Grants for media outlets / organisations – ceiling of up to EUR 5,000

No co-financing from the applicant’s side is expected or is obligatory within this Call for Applications.

The applicant must submit the Application Form until 24 September 2024 by 23:59 CET (for the I cycle) and until 1 April 2025 by 23:59 CET (for the II cycle).

See here to learn more and apply.

Access the Fundraising Guide for expert advice on how to improve your fundraising applications and to identify prospective donors.