The funding programme aims to support cross-border investigative journalism and innovative investigative formats. It contributes to establishing and expanding cross-border cooperation between media workers, investigative journalists, and data professionals from Ukraine and their German cooperation partners. The programme provides short-term funding for media projects. Media from Ukraine, independent data researchers, freelance journalists and media start-ups are eligible to apply. Cooperation projects with German media, NGOs and other stakeholders are very welcome to submit their applications. The prospect of publication with German media or on German media platforms would strengthen the application. Media projects that already receive project funding may apply for additional funds (co-funding) within the programme.

Submitted proposals can cover a wide range of topics: global or local issues, including investigations of the war crimes, corruption, money laundering, as well as projects on climate crisis, social issues, local stories etc. Use of innovative methods, i.a. data (such as scraping, mapping, visualisation), AI, OSINT, archive, interactive (multimedia) storytelling (such as snow-fall) etc., would be an asset.

Projects have to be implemented by January 2024/the end of December, publications and final reports are required to be submitted by 1 February, 2024.

Application deadline: 25 September, 2023.