Deadline: 25 January 2024
The Pascal Decroos Fund for Investigative Journalism is Journalismfund Europe’s grant programme that strives to advance investigative journalism in Dutch-language media in Belgium.
The programme awards grants to distinctive journalistic projects. The grant gives experienced as well as young journalists the chance to execute their investigative ideas and by doing so, contribute to quality investigative journalism in Flanders.
The aim of the grant programmes of Journalismfund Europe is facilitating investigative, crossborder and independent journalism in order to promote democracy in Europe by connecting donors and journalists without endangering the journalists’ independence.
The project will be one that, in principle, could not be realised within the remit of regular journalism – a project of great newsworthiness and depth that is simultaneously original, innovative and time-consuming.
Funding Information
- In 2023, there was €265.000 to distribute over four application rounds, which means approx. €66.000 per round. The money comes from the Flemish government.
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
- Added value compared to mainstream coverage / a forgotten story
- Relevance in society
- Originality and innovative methods
- Daringness
- Feasibility
- Newsworthiness
- Experience of the applicants, references
- Saleability
- Time-consuming
For more information, visit Journalismfund Europe.
