European Local Cross-border Grants
This grant, mentoring and scholarships programme aims at addressing the shortage of local independent journalism by administering grants to local investigative journalistic projects in Europe and stimulating cross-border collaboration.
This programme will:
- Stimulate local journalists and (small) news outlets to conduct investigative journalism and learn from colleagues in other countries, creating a European network of local (investigative) journalists in the long run.
- Stimulate local journalists and news outlets to compare with other regions and cities in other countries that face similar problems or challenges, which are eminently European issues.
- Increase the dissemination, reach and impact of local investigative journalism.
The grant programme will be open for teams of local investigative journalists and/or local media outlets from at least two different European countries who have good ideas for a local cross-border investigation. For example: journalists and/or news outlets from different comparable cities investigate how their cities cope with e.g. housing, waste, tourism, mobility, etc.
The project should be one that, in principle, could not be realised in this format within the remit of regular journalism – a project that can include cross-border research, networking between colleagues, established and innovative investigative methods and that is at the same time original, innovative and intensive.
Financial support
For the European Local Cross-Border grants (2024-2025), Journalismfund Europe received support from The European Union, Vereniging Veronica and Limelight Foundations.
Journalists and independent media outlets are eligible to apply. At least 80% of your requested budget should go to journalists/media based in the European Union.
An independent jury of four decides who gets a grant. Here's how the jury works.
Find stories subsidised by this grant programme here.
For who
Independent Journalists and/or Local News Outlets
Local Cross-border teams of at least two professional journalists and/or local news outlets from at least two different countries in Europe are eligible to apply. At least 80% of the requested budget must go to local journalists/media from EU countries.
When relevant for the story, team members from elsewhere can be accepted too.
How much
€365,000
In 2025 the total grant budget is €365,000 to distribute over two application rounds. For the next deadline we have €250,000 to distribute.
For the period 2024-2025, the programme is co-funded by:
- The European Union
- Limelight Foundation
- Vereniging Veronica
Next deadline
27 March 2025
For this grant programme, there is one more application round scheduled.
- The last deadline will be Thursday 27 March 2025 at 1 pm CET
How to apply?
-
Before you start, please consult the grant details where you can find the rules, eligibility and assessment criteria, timing, etc.
-
Use your email address for one-time registration and access our application form (under construction) online. Freely navigate through the online form to see which information you need to provide in your application. This includes:
- Team members’ details,
- Company details,
- Information about the intended investigation,
- Information about the intended publication channels, including letters of intent from news outlets,
- And a detailed budget, according to our budget template.
You will also be asked to upload additional administrative documents.
One team member can start a draft application. S/he can then invite multiple people to collaborate on the online draft. The online application-in-progress can be saved and further edited at any time.
Need help?
Take a look at the programme details and our FAQ page. Next, we're always more than happy to discuss your project ideas or to answer any questions you might have about your application. Therefore, please don't hesitate to contact us via phone or email us at plupro@journalismfund.eu. We're also happy to speak with you via a video call, so feel free to make an appointment! Check out our pre-application session schedules and make a reservation now.
Feel free to subscribe to our upcoming newsletter and follow us on our social media to keep updated.
