Media Grants Programme

Media Grants Programme is sponsored by European Parliament. Supports media organizations in producing impartial information about the European Parliament.

Shaping Europe’s digital future 4. Media and digital culture 5. Supporting media and digital culture The European Commission aims to support projects that promote a free, diverse and pluralistic media environment and/or address structural challenges of media sectors.

This page presents EU grants for the news media sector under three main categories: “media freedom and pluralism”, “collaboration and innovation”, and “citizen engagement and public sphere”. Where relevant, the Commission includes an independence clause in the grants signed so that beneficiaries operate with full editorial independence.

In addition to currently open calls for proposals, this page includes current beneficiaries of closed calls for proposals. Once the funding period is over projects are removed from this page. These calls of proposals are also available in the CulturEU Funding Guide.

For information about the European Commission support to the news media sector beyond grants, please visit the ‘News Initiative’ page. 1. Media freedom and pluralism 2.

Collaboration and innovation 3. Citizen engagement and public sphere ## 1. Media freedom and pluralism Media freedom and pluralism are essential principles enshrined by the European Charter of Fundamental Rights.

Funding instruments include pilot projects and preparatory actions, and as of 2021 through the Creative Europe programme. * **Open calls for proposals** * **Calls under evaluation** * More (%d)Open calls for proposals Calls under evaluation Ongoing projects **The media freedom hub** This call for proposals will support one project with € 3 million, to provide core funding to media in exile in the EU from Ukraine, Russia and Belarus.

Deadline 28 May 2026 **Call for Proposals: Journalism Partnerships - Pluralism (2026)** With this yearly call, the EU supports organisations/intermediaries that support news media in areas of special relevance to democracy. EU funding: € 6.

9 million Expected duration of projects: 24 months **Third Preparatory Action call for the European Narratives Observatory** This is a call for proposals for EU action grants in the field of pilot projects and preparatory actions. This call will fund two projects: * The first, with a budget of €1. 5 million, will focus on the monitoring of narratives and the detection of malicious campaigns in the EU’s information space.

* The second, with a budget of €1. 65 million, will focus on analysing the impact of online disinformation on citizens and developing concrete responses to reduce societal polarisation.

Expected duration: 18 months **Second Preparatory Action call on the Network of European Fact-Checkers to fight disinformation** This Preparatory Action call will fund projects increasing the reach and impact of professional content produced by independent fact-checking organisations in the EU.

Expected duration: between 12 and 18 months **Media Ownership Monitoring System** Building on the database created in the first and second pilot projects, the objective is to update and expand a country-based database containing information on media ownership and a systematic assessment of both relevant legal frameworks and risks to media ownership transparency in the twenty-seven EU Member States.

The selected project is managed by a consortium led by the Paris-Lodron Universität Salzburg (PLUS). EU support: up to €500 000 **Defending media freedom and pluralism – Rapid response mechanism** This action encompasses fact-finding, advocacy, monitoring, and awareness raising. It will bring violations of press and media freedom to the forefront, and provide practical help to journalists under threat.

The selected project is led by the European Centre for Press and Media. Freedom, EU support: up to €3 000 000 **Monitoring media pluralism in the digital age** The Media Pluralism Monitoris a scientific tool designed to identify potential risks to media pluralism. The project is led by the Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom.

EU support: up to €1,1 million **The European Union – The Media Freedom Hub** The Free Media Hub EAST (FMHE) prioritises direct financial support to independent media and will award over €2m (70% of the EU’s contribution) directly to some 20 key Russian and Belarusian outlets in exile. The project builds on the successful first iteration that has proven to be a reliable, adaptable, and increasingly vital media support instrument.

**European Festival of Journalism and Media Information Literacy** This project builds on the success of the aideMedia pilot, expanding the Voices to empower journalists, media professionals, civil society, and citizens.

The central objectives are: * to create an inclusive spaces for dialogue on journalism, media freedom, and democratic resilience; * to support awareness and implementation of the European Media Freedom Act among key stakeholders; * to provide a knowledge hub for media professionals, policymakers, and civil society to exchange expertise and improve media and digital policy; * to bridge the European and local perspectives in promoting media freedom, journalism, and information integrity.

The selected project is managed by a consortium led by the European University Institute – EUI. **Journalism Partnerships – Pluralism (2024)** This call for proposals supports organisations/intermediaries to set up dedicated funding schemes in news media areas of especial relevance to democracy (such as local/regional media, independent and investigative journalism, and public interest news). Three projects have been selected.

Expected duration of projects: 24 months **Journalism Partnerships - Pluralism (2025)** This call for proposals supports organisations/intermediaries to set up dedicated funding schemes in news media areas of especial relevance to democracy (such as local and regional media, community media, investigative journalism or media specialised in public interest news). Two projects have been selected.

Expected duration of projects: 24 months ## 2. Collaboration and innovation The Commission aims to support the transformation and competitiveness of the news media sector. This support comes from grants under Creative Europe and research programmes (Horizon Europe, Digital Europe) and pilot projects and preparatory actions.

* **Open calls for proposals** * **Calls under evaluation** * More (%d)Open calls for proposals Calls under evaluation Ongoing projects Horizon Europe call for proposals on “sustainable paths to media viability” (deadline 23 September 2026) Horizon Europe call for proposals on “identifying user-focused solutions to support news media freedom” (deadline 23 September 2027) More information available during the Horizon Europe Cluster 2 infoday of 26 March 2026.

**Journalism Partnerships - Collaborations (2026)** The 6th yearly call is open for cross-border, collaborative proposals between news media organisations focusing on innovative business models and/or journalistic projects across Europe.

Expected duration of projects: 24 months **Data space for media (deployment)** Following a call for proposals in 2022, one pan-European consortium sets up and deploys a secure and trusted data space to allow for an enhanced data-based collaboration among EU media organisations at large.

It will also create new data-driven business opportunities to support the EU media sector in tackling existing and new challenges of the digital economy.

Duration: from 1 October 2023 to 30 September 2026 **Journalism Partnerships – Collaborations (2024)** Through this call for proposals the EU will fund cross-border, collaborative proposals between news media organisations focusing on innovative business models and/or journalistic projects across Europe. Six projects have been selected. Duration: approx.

2 years per project Expected duration of projects: 24 months **Journalism Partnerships - Collaborations (2025)** Through this call for proposals, the EU funds cross-border, collaborative proposals between news media organisations focusing on innovative business models and/or journalistic projects across Europe. Four projects have been selected. Expected duration: 24 months ## 3.

Citizen engagement, public sphere and media literacy The Commission wants to stimulate a lively and diverse public sphere, in which citizens have access to reliable news sources, including information about the EU. Support for independent production and dissemination of news content on EU affairs is available through the Multimedia Actions.

In addition, the Commission supports the development of innovative and attractive projects to engage with citizens, as well as media literacy.

* Under established programmes (e.g. Creative Europe, Horizon Europe) the procedures are centralised in the Funding & Tender opportunities portal as a unique place where the calls for proposals are published, where applicants must upload their applications, and where the list of beneficiaries and project descriptions are published.

* **Open calls for proposals** * **Calls under evaluation** * More (%d)Open calls for proposals Calls under evaluation Ongoing projects This call for proposals targets projects focused on increasing independent reporting on European issues through audio formats and expanding its dissemination via broadcasting and/or digital platforms.

Expected duration: 24 months **Pan European reporting (2026)** This call for proposals is to support independent pan European reporting on EU affairs by EU media outlets. The call is split into three different topics focusing on audiovisual and on online/digital reporting.

Topic 1: between 12 and 15 months Topic 2: between 12 and 15 months Topic 3: between 18 and 24 months Expected duration: 24 months **Media Literacy (2026)** This call for proposals aims to boost societal resilience against disinformation and information manipulation through innovative cross-border media literacy projects.

Expected duration: 24 months **Information Measures for the EU Cohesion policy** This callinvites media outlets, universities, communication agencies, and both private and public entities to submit their proposals for producing editorially independent content on the subject.

Expected duration: 12 months **A European public sphere: a new online media offer for young Europeans (2024)** Four projectswere selected to support the production of daily, thought-provoking and trustworthy content on current affairs from across Europe for and by young Europeans.

Expected duration: 14 months **Pan European reporting (2025)** This call for proposals is to support independent pan European reporting on EU affairs by EU media outlets. The call is split into three different topics focusing on audiovisual and on online/digital reporting. Four projects have been selected.

* **Topic 1**: between 12 and 14 months * **Topic 2**: between 12 and 14 months * **Topic 3**: between 18 and 24 months **EU digital reporting (2024)** Thiscall for proposals will support the production and distribution of reliable information, in particular on EU affairs, through digital formats in as many languages and Member States as possible.

It aims to provide citizens with a wide choice of online news content, leveraging Europe’s diversity as an asset for democracy and pluralism. The two selected projects showcase a high use of innovative editorial formats and dissemination strategies, as well as professional journalistic standards and full editorial independence.

Expected duration: 24 months Thiscall for proposals supports the production of innovative audio formats and their distribution across Europe.

It aims to increase independent reporting on European issues mainly through audio formats and to increase the reach of such content via broadcasting and/or digital platforms across the EU to as many EU citizens as possible and especially in countries where there is limited information on EU affairs. Euranet Plus has been selected for funding.

Expected duration: 24 months Three pan-European projects have been selected to produce and distribute news and factual programming on European affairs through the set-up or expansion of media hubs).

EU support for 2026-2027: €7 400 000 Duration: 2 years per project **Citizens facing European TV and Video News Portal (2024)** MOSAIC has the objective to develop a prototypical European AI-enhanced platform, serving as a central, scalable hub for broadcasters and news creators, distributors and consumers.

Expected duration: 18 months **Establishment of national EDMO hubs** Eight national fact-checking hubs have been selected to increase the capacity of detecting, analysing and exposing disinformation campaigns at national/regional level under the European Digital Media Observatory (EDMO). EU support: approx. €11 million See the beneficiaries of the2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 calls for proposals at the bottom of each page.

EU support: from €2 000 000 to €2 570 000 per year Duration: projects last up to 2 years ## Recent calls to support the news media sector * 08 June 2026 - 07 September 2026 Call for proposals: EU audio reporting This call for proposals will support the production of innovative audio formats and their distribution across Europe with a budget of EUR 4. 5 million.

* 16 April 2026 - 02 June 2026 Pan-European reporting 2026 This call for proposals, with a budget of EUR 16. 6 million, aims to support independent pan European reporting on EU affairs by EU media outlets.

* 23 October 2025 - 04 February 2026 Call for Proposals: Journalism Partnerships - Collaborations (2026) The 6th yearly call is open for cross-border, collaborative proposals between news media organisations focusing on innovative business models and/or journalistic projects across Europe.

* 23 October 2025 - 04 February 2026 Call for Proposals: Journalism Partnerships - Pluralism (2026) With this yearly call, the EU supports organisations/intermediaries that support news media in areas of special relevance to democracy.

All calls dedicated to supporting the news media sector Browse Support for the news media sector Supporting media and digital culture The Commission is promoting a coherent approach on media policies, covering legislation on media services and the preservation of European cultural heritage.

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