Investigation Grants for Environmental Journalism – Europe

The resulting stories must be published in at least two outlets in two different countries, at least one must be a European media. This is part of a larger programme: The Earth Investigations Programme supported by Arcadia.

While news media and newsrooms still predominantly operate nationally, most power structures and societal and environmental problems transcend national boundaries. This grant programme is therefore aimed at cross-border teams of investigative journalists and newsrooms to investigate and document illegal, unreported and unregulated abuse of nature that involves European affairs in and outside Europe.

Next to investigations of environmental issues that transcend borders, this programme can also support and stimulate investigations that compare local environmental issues and policies between two or more regions or cities.

The grants can also offer support to preliminary work in the development of new investigative projects. The grant can cover working time and expenses such as logistics, travel, insurance, access to legal support, translations, access to technology and data sets, etc.

Next to financial support, teams can also apply for an experienced mentor to provide assistance with either the focus of the investigation or the need for competences in a specific skill.

Funding Information

• The total available amount per call to be distributed among all supported investigations will be around €400,000. The total budget for 2024 is €1,600,000.

For Who?

• Cross-border teams of at least two professional journalists and/or news outlets can submit a proposal for a journalistic investigation about an issue that concerns the environment and relates to the European continent (islands included).

Eligibility Criteria

• Cross-border teams of at least two journalists and/or news outlets can submit a proposal for a journalistic investigation about an issue that concerns the environment. Only applicants who are legally residing in at least two different countries are permitted to receive funding.
• The applicants must be professional freelance journalists or news outlets. Personal references and/or references to earlier work are essential in that respect.
• News outlets must be legal entities officially incorporated at least one year before the application deadline of the grant call.
• The investigation proposal must concern cross-border environmental investigative journalism on European affairs, in or outside Europe. This means that the investigation has (also) to be of relevance for Europe.
• Next to investigations into environmental issues that transcend borders, this grant can also support e.g. comparative investigations into local environmental issues and policies between two or more countries, regions, cities, etc.
• The result of the investigation must be published by at least two professional news outlets in at least two different countries, one of which must be in Europe. Letters of intent for publication from at least two professional news outlets are required.
• Investigative journalism published by professional media in any form is eligible, no matter whether print, online, broadcast or cross-media. All journalistic end products qualify for a grant: newspaper and magazine articles, radio and television documentaries and series, photo-reportages and books, podcasts and journalistic non-fiction books.

For more information, visit Journalismfund Europe.