Funding Landscape in Europe

Setting up a new media project can be expensive. Grants can help you cover the costs. Here you will find a list of European grants.

Launching a new media project or journalistic start-up brings with it many challenges – especially the question of financing and support. Fortunately, there are a variety of funding opportunities, networks, and resources available at the European level that can help you take the first step.

Here we provide an overview of realistic financing options for different phases of your project and show you where to find support and who to turn to.

1. First points of contact for information and support 👋

Before applying for specific funding, you should research your options. The following platforms and organisations offer valuable resources:

• Creative Europe Media → The central EU funding program for the media and creative sector, with various calls for proposals for innovative media projects.

• European Journalism Centre (EJC) → Supports journalists with grants, funding programs, and training.

• Journalismfund.eu → Awards investigative grants for cross-border research.

• European Innovation Council (EIC) → Supports innovative startups and SMEs with disruptive ideas, including in the media sector.

• Funding databases → EU funding opportunities can be found specifically via EU Fundings or the national funding portals of the respective member states.

• Networks & professional organizations → Examples include the Network for Media Innovation WAN-IFRA or the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ).

2. Funding opportunities by project phase 💰

Depending on the stage of development of your media project, different financing models may be available. Here are some realistic options:

a) Early stage: Idea development & initial setup 🌱

• Media Futures: An EU funding program that supports startups and journalists with financing and mentoring.

• Stars4Media: A cross-border funding program for media companies and journalists to advance innovation projects.

• Google News Initiative (GNI) Fund: Awards grants and scholarships for digital media projects.

• Investigative Journalism for Europe (IJ4EU): Supports cross-border investigative projects.

• Scholarships & Fellowships: Many European media companies and institutions offer funding for journalistic experiments (e.g., the Reuters Institute Fellowship).

b) Growth phase: Initial content & community building 📈

• European Media and Information Fund (EMIF): Supports projects that combat disinformation and strengthen media literacy.

• Journalismfund.eu Cross-Border Grants: Funding for research that crosses national borders.

• Focus on democracy & media freedom: Programs such as Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) support journalists who are under pressure.

• Education & media literacy: EU programs such as Erasmus+ promote media education and innovative educational formats.

• Crowdfunding & community financing: Platforms such as Patreon or Steady enable initial income to be generated through memberships or one-time donations.

Conclusion

A sustainable financing strategy is crucial for the long-term success of a media project. For a long time, funding at the European level was primarily available for the idea and development phase. However, there are now also individual programs that are explicitly aimed at already established media projects to develop long-term financing strategies. It is important that you do not have any illusions when applying to the European Commission, for example, and that you plan with enough time and resources.