Request for Applications: EPIC Project to produce Cross-Border Reporting Content

Expanding Production of Independent Content (EPIC) is a regional project, active in seven countries: Armenia, Georgia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, and Ukraine. The project aims to produce and disseminate high quality, credible content that covers locally identified issues of importance that are shared across borders in the project countries and have the potential to counter disinformation. The project supports local and cross-border content production, consulting, and networking events for media partners in seven countries.

Selected applicants will be reimbursed for costs incurred as part of content creation: production costs, such as travel and accommodation costs, fees of contractors (for example web developers) needed for certain aspects of production, office rent and salaries of staff involved in producing the content both based on level of effort, running costs based on the level of effort, equipment not yet available but needed to produce the content (under USD 5,000) and other reasonable expenses expressly related to the production of a specific media project/series. Capital expenditures, servicing of loans, and construction activities will not be considered for awards.

Themes, Subjects and Topics

• Stories should address key current issues relevant in at least two EPIC countries (potentially, up to all seven) in an engaging and informative manner with the potential to counter disinformation. Projects that cover themes with partnerships involving more than one other EPIC country are encouraged.
• Applicants are expected to identify the topics and subjects that make the overarching themes relevant to their audiences. Shared themes across project countries include, but are not limited to (i.e. applicants may propose projects on other topics they identify as shared between countries) the following:
  • everyday life, the shared human experience, how various wider issues are reflected in individual stories (housing, work, prices, everyday economics, political and economic uncertainties, etc.),
  • education,
  • the effects of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine on neighboring countries and the wider region, including (shifting) attitudes toward refugees, international support for Ukraine,
  • the spread of and countering of Russian propaganda, related to the war or otherwise,
  • the spread of propaganda and misinformation narratives,
  • other conflicts and/or frozen conflicts,
  • issues affecting socially vulnerable groups, such as women and ethnic and other minorities,
  • public health,
  • food and food security,
  • climate change and environmental issues,
  • topics of interest to young people, and
  • stories on Ukraine (with or without Ukraine World assistance).

Project Categories

• Solo projects
  • Projects in this category will be produced by a single applicant covering an issue in at least one other EPIC country. The project consists of a series of stories (at least two) on a single topic or common theme. Coverage should be in-depth and involve extensive on-site reporting either by the applicant’s own staff via travel to the target country or countries or by local journalists and content producers hired by the applicant for this purpose.
• Collaborative projects
  • Collaborative projects are produced by partnerships of applicants, one from at least two EPIC countries. Collaborative projects consists of a series of stories (at least two) on a single topic or common theme. Content can be produced in a collaborative effort by a team of journalists from all partners, or they can agree to split production, each partner producing different stories or pieces in the series.
• UkraineWorld projects 
  • Projects in this category will be produced by a single applicant from an EPIC country other than Ukraine, covering an issue in Ukraine, with the support of UkraineWorld resources. UkraineWorld will not be producing the project but will offer support including consulting and assistance in connecting with speakers, fixers, and sources of information, logistics, assistance in sourcing videos and photos, a database of testimonies, fact-checking and context information, as well as materials for adaptation or publication.

What they are looking for?

• Applicants in EPIC countries may propose a) solo projects, as part of which  they produce content in one or more other EPIC countries on their own, b) collaborative projects, as part of which applicants from at least two EPIC countries produce content within a joint project, and/or c) stories from or about Ukraine produced using UkraineWorld resources. Applicants can propose up to three projects, which can be under any or all of the three categories. Applicants will have six to eight months to produce and publish their projects.

Funding Information

• Solo projects: Applicants from Georgia can receive grants ranging from USD 5000 to USD 8000.
• Collaborative projects: Each partner in each country may receive grants of up to USD 8000 to cover their content production costs.
• UkraineWorld projects: Applicants from Georgia can receive grants ranging from USD 6000 to 8000.

Target Audiences                                                                                     

• Projects should primarily target a wide range of audiences within the focus of the proposed content project.
• In Georgia, EPIC welcomes projects that address the information needs of communities with ties across borders or of groups that are particularly vulnerable to misinformation narratives, such as:
  • Young people
  • Ethnic minorities (residing outside of the capital and major metropolitan areas and/or border communities, including refugees)
  • Small towns and village communities.

Geographic Scope

• The EPIC project is looking to support cross-border reporting where stories are produced by applicants in Armenia, Georgia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, and Ukraine. Stories must cover issues in at least one listed country other than the applicant’s home country. Stories covering countries that are not part of the EPIC project are not eligible. Solo projects covering an issue only in an applicant’s home country will also not be supported.

Who can apply?

• In Georgia, the EPIC project will welcome applications from:
  • national media outlets,
  • local and regional media outlets, and
  • Individual journalists and content producers.

Eligibility Criteria

• To be eligible for grants in the EPIC project, applicants must:
  • Adhere to journalistic and ethical standards, fact-checking content and maintaining accuracy, objectivity, transparency, and professionalism.
  • Self-Identify as independent, but also demonstrate and maintain editorial independence from external sources (such as advertisers, sponsors, or other stakeholders).
  • media outlets should not be owned (either directly or indirectly, fully or partially) or managed by public authorities, local or national governments, political parties, or individuals holding public office or office in political organizations (or their close relatives), while independent journalists and content producers should not have affiliations with any of the above nor conflicts of interest.
  • Have actively been producing content in Georgia for at least one year.

For more information, visit Internews.