Deadline: 9 October 2023
The Earth Journalism Network (EJN) is seeking applications for the Media Grants to award interested media houses in East Africa to expose, using financial tools, money laundering, fraud, bribery, corruption and illicit payments related to nature crimes from trafficking of wildlife and wildlife products such as ivory and rhino horn, hazardous waste disposal, illegal logging and overfishing of protected species, among others.
Grant amount and Logistics
- The grant amount of up to $15,000 will depend on the scope of the proposed activities. Generally speaking, applications with smaller budgets will be more competitive, but they will consider larger grant amounts for projects using innovative approaches that may be more resource-intensive and time-consuming.
- All applicants are required to provide a detailed budget with justification for the amount requested. They ask that the budgets be reasonable and account for costs necessary for project implementation. Applicants may use a small portion of the grant to purchase equipment but should clearly state how the equipment will contribute to the expected outcomes.
- Applicants are permitted and encouraged to raise co-financing for the proposed activities, but it is not required. If you have received any co-financing, please indicate the amount and the source in your application.
- They expect to notify successful applicants in October 2023. Projects should be completed by the end of April 2024. Applicants should consider this timeline when drafting their workplan.
Geography Focus
- East Africa (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and South Sudan).
Project Deliverables
- The selected East African media houses will be expected to conceptualize, propose and lead the project in collaboration with a media outlet in Asia. The former will explore the supply side of the environmental crimes, while the latter will dig into the demand side, or the market for the illegal products.
- Both media houses will be expected to produce six, well-researched transboundary investigative stories by April 2024. They will select their best investigative journalists for this work, who will in turn benefit from EJN’s close mentorship and guidance.
Judging Criteria
- Grants will be awarded competitively through a judging process. The panel of judges will consist of Internews staff and experts in environmental reporting. Following a first-round review, potential grantees will be shortlisted. The jury may interview shortlisted applicants to seek further information on the proposed activities. The jury will then reconvene again after the interviews to make a final selection of the grantees.
- The jury will evaluate all eligible applications and makes funding decisions based on the availability of funds, the program objectives, and the following assessment criteria:
- overall quality and investigative potential of the proposed project;
- financial viability and cost-effectiveness of the proposed project;
- the ability of the applicant to carry it out;
- geographical spread of the grantees.
- Preferred applicants will:
- demonstrate a concrete connection with an outlet in Asia and a clear plan for collaboration;
- make use of innovative tools to support their investigations;
- outline a detailed strategy to disseminate their work to a wide audience.
For more information, visit EJN.
