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Small Grants for Investigative Reporting Projects

Open to: Applicants from the countries of the South Caucasus, Moldova, Ukraine 

Closing Date: July 25, 2022 (Monday)

Grant Amount: No less than EUR 1,500 and not exceeding EUR 4,500 

Project Name: Amplify, Verify, Engage (AVE) 

About IWPR

Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR) is an independent, international non-governmental organization with head offices in London and Washington DC. IWPR empowers local voices to drive change in countries in conflict, crisis and transition. Where hate speech and propaganda proliferate, and journalists and civic activists are under attack, IWPR promotes reliable information and public debate that makes a difference.

About the Call

The call is part of IWPR’s larger regional project Amplify, Verify, Engage: Information for Democratization and Good Governance in Eurasia (AVE), which promotes democratic growth, participatory governance, and cross-border cooperation, by strengthening civil society and independent media across Central Asia, Eastern Europe, and the Caucasus. The project is funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway.

The theme for the grants is disinformation and other forms of malign interference through information deception. We will accept investigative reporting proposals related to the countries of the South Caucasus, Moldova, and Ukraine. 

The aim of the call is to explore the threats posed by disinformation and propaganda in Eastern Partnership countries, especially in light of the war in Ukraine. This would include mapping disinformation actors, investigating the financing schemes behind targeted disinformation campaigns, and exploring the impact of disinformation as the primary driver of instability in the region.

Some potential areas for investigation could be disinformation and propaganda around the perspectives of EU integration of the EaP countries in the context of the war in Ukraine, potential threats of Russian invasion in other areas/countries, as well as the myths and realities around emerging security threats in the region. 

We encourage applicants to use open-source intelligence techniques (OSINT) and network analysis skills wherever possible in their reporting (including initial work using such skills to form the basis of the proposal). Where relevant, we encourage reporting that demonstrates to readers some of the processes used in disinformation investigations, in order to encourage greater literacy in this area, and encourage readers to adopt simple processes to better verify information in their day-to-day lives.

Requirements

Applications are open to media outlets and investigative groups from countries of the South Caucasus, Moldova, and Ukraine, who produce media content and have a platform (print, online, radio, or TV) for its distribution. Priority will be given to applications that explore topics relevant to the region and involve the cooperation of journalists across the border. 

The interested applicants should take note of the following minimum requirements:

• Organisations should be legally registered in countries of the South Caucasus, Moldova, and Ukraine; 
• Organisations should have experience in producing media content;
• Organisations should have a platform (print, online, radio or TV) for distribution of the produced investigative report;
• Organisations should be committed to best practices of international journalism standards and the principles of ethical journalism;
• Organisations should be able to demonstrate adequate staff capacity for content production and grant management.

Applications can be received from a single organisation or two organisations from different countries. Joint applications from two organisations from eligible countries for a cross-border investigation are encouraged. 

Funding Amount and Duration 

Funding amount is no less than EUR 1,500 and does not exceed EUR 4,500. The duration should be no less than three months. IWPR retains the right to award one or more proposals. Proposals that seek co-funding within the call’s thematic framework are also eligible to apply. 

Grants are intended for covering the fees for journalists and salaries of the relevant staff, travel, and other costs directly related to the delivery of the investigative project output. The grant does not cover costs for the purchase of equipment and overheads. 

Deliverables

The applicant should deliver one investigative report in any format (print, multimedia, audio, video) and distribute it on all of its platforms, adequately featuring IWPR support. 

Evaluation Criteria

Applications will be evaluated by IWPR based on the set criteria as described in the below table. The organisations which will collect at least 70 points will be considered for funding. In the next stage, IWPR will invite the selected organisations to the interview to discuss the project in further detail and may request additional documentation to prove organisational capacity. 

Investigative Reporting Projects Previously Supported by IWPR

IWPR has previously supported a wide range of investigative reporting projects in the South Caucasus, Moldova and Ukraine. Examples of previously successful grants include:

• Decentralization Reform in Georgia 
• COVID-19 Effect on Children’s Education in Georgia and Moldova
• Navigating Telegram Channels in the Donetsk and Luhansk Self-proclaimed Republics
• Russian Propaganda in Social Media in Moldova

Application Process

Interested applicants should submit the filled-in application and budget form (download here), and CVs of all key personnel engaged in the project to the email salome@iwpr.net, on or before July 25, 2022 (Monday) before close of business. 

Questions can be directed to salome@iwpr.net. Replies to questions will be provided by IWPR staff until July 1, 2022 (Monday).