CFPs: Independent Media Organizations Investing in Audience Strategies Grant

The International Fund is a bold new multilateral initiative designed to boost the economic resilience of independent media in low- and middle-income countries and foster a new paradigm of sustainability for journalism.

The selection process will prioritize organizations that play a vital role in producing and disseminating public interest journalism in the countries where they work and that are facing a difficult financial situation as result of local market conditions. The International Fund will also seek to ensure geographic balance across its current set of focus countries.

Funding Information

• A total of at least $5 million in grant funding will be available globally through this open call. Individual grants awarded to media organizations will provide approximately $250,000 USD in funding over a period of 24 months. Applicants should take the approximate grant size into consideration when developing their proposals.

Eligibility Criteria

• In order to be eligible to apply for and receive funding through this open call, media organizations must:
  • Be an established legal entity that is none of the following:
    • A publicly listed and/or traded company
    • A subsidiary of a larger organization or corporation with significant activities outside media
    • Majority-owned by an active political actor
  • Meet the International Fund’s definition of public interest media and focus on publishing original, public interest content.
  • Operate in one or more of the 40 eligible countries.
  • Have total annual costs of at least $300,000 USD in the most recent fiscal year
  • Have existed and continuously published for more than three years
  • Not have distributed dividends to shareholders in the last three years
  • Have net income below 5% of total income (average over 3 years) and a cash runway of less than 12 months
• Media organizations operating in each of the International Fund’s 40 focus countries will be eligible to apply for funding.
  • Africa and Middle East: Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Lebanon, Namibia, Niger, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, and Tunisia.
  • Asia and Pacific: Bhutan, Indonesia, Mongolia, Nepal, Pacific Islands (Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu), Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Timor Leste.
  • Eastern Europe: Armenia, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine.
  • Latin America & the Caribbean: Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Paraguay.

For more information, visit IFPIM.