Pascal Decroos Fund (Belgium)

Deadline: 9 November 2023

The Journalismfund.eu is accepting applications for the Pascal Decroos Fund.

The Pascal Decroos Fund for Investigative Journalism is Journalismfund’s first and oldest grant programme to promote investigative journalism in the Dutch-language media in Belgium since 1999. These are projects that have great news value and depth, and at the same time are original, innovative and time-consuming, and would not be realised without financial support.

Grant Types

The Pascal Decroos Fund has three types of grants:
- Investigative Journalism: A working grant for investigative journalism allows the applicant to concentrate on one particular topic for a longer period of time.
- In-Depth Journalism: The projects must go beyond regular reporting, daily journalism or correspondence. The subject or theme must be special, or else the approach or angle.
- Preliminary Research: When it is not clear whether the inquiries will yield the expected results, it is possible to apply for a grant to cover the expenses of the preliminary research.

Funding Information

In 2023, there is €265,000 to distribute over four application rounds, which means approx. €66,000 per round. The programme is subsidised by the Flemish government.

Which costs?

A grant can cover two types of costs:
- Expenses (both for freelance journalists as for employed staff journalists).
- These can include travel, visa, accommodation, translation, fixers, access to pay-databases, FOI requests, legal screening, etc.
- Research time (only for freelance journalists).
- Following expenses are NOT eligible for a grant: investments goods (such as IT equipment, cameras, …), office costs, production costs, food and beverage, per diems.
- By collaborating with journalists on the ground you can reduce your carbon footprint. Why travel when you can collaborate with a journalist from another country who has the know-how and knowledge?

Eligibility Criteria

Both beginning (starters) and experienced journalist (seniors) can submit a project that cannot be realised through the normal channels of journalism, that has major news value and depth and that is also original, innovative and time-consuming.
The applicant must be a journalist (written or audio-visual press), or be able to prove that he/she is aspiring to a career in journalism. Personal references and/or references to earlier work are essential in that respect.
Only natural persons can apply for a grant.
Projects with regard to investigative and special journalism must deal with topics that are relevant for Flanders.
The project must be published in a Dutch-language medium in Belgium. A letter of intent for publication from at least one professional news outlet is required for journalists with more than 2 years of experience. For starters this is considered a plus.
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.

Criteria