Grants for frontline media from Internews International

A competition organized as part of the Internews International project “Frontline and Investigative Reporting Media in Ukraine (FAIR Media Ukraine),” funded by the European Union. It aims to support regional and local media operating in frontline conditions, with the goal of providing the public with high-quality, reliable, and vital information, as well as strengthening the resilience of the media. 

Eligibility criteria

• Applicants must be registered in Ukraine.
• Media organizations should serve audiences in frontline communities (including Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv, Sumy, Chernihiv, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Mykolaiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa, and Kyiv regions).

Participation requirements

• Applicants are expected to:

  • meet the information needs of war-affected communities;

  • engage with audiences and provide space for public expression;

  • demonstrate editorial independence and commitment to professional standards.

• A presence in the target regions (staff, contributors, or editorial office) is required.
• Media outlets that have already received a grant from FAIR Media Ukraine are not eligible.

Additional requirements

• Applicants should explain:

  • challenges faced in frontline areas;

  • how these challenges affect service to local audiences;

  • how the grant will stabilize or strengthen the media outlet after project completion.

The average grant amount is approximately EUR 15,000 per project.

Budgets may include costs for:

• content production and distribution;
• core staff and authors;
• tools, equipment and/or expertise;
• activities that enhance the sustainability of media resources.

Regular production and distribution of content:

• local news or socially relevant materials;
• focus on communities affected by conflict;
• clear definition of formats, publication frequency, and target audience.

Activities that strengthen media sustainability:

• financial, organizational, and operational resilience;
• income diversification and audience engagement strategies;
• sales, fundraising, efficiency improvements;
• staff development and retention.
• Growth in commercial revenue is expected by the end of the project.

Process stages

• Application submission.
• Expert evaluation of applications.
• Selection of candidates.
• Project implementation.

Deadlines and submission details

• Applications can be submitted until 11 May, 18:00 (Kyiv time).
• Submission is done via the application form and budget template.

Applications must be submitted by 11 May, 18:00 (Kyiv time).

Applicants are required to use:

• the application form;
• the budget template.

Project proposals:

• can be submitted in Ukrainian or English;
• must include the subject line “FAIR Media Ukraine grant competition”.

Applications should be sent to:

• nbiedina@internews.org
• ryana@internews.eu

Applications are evaluated by an independent jury of media experts based on the following criteria:

• ability to demonstrate concrete results and measurable impact;
• relevance to the needs of local audiences, particularly in frontline areas;
• quality and appropriateness of the proposed journalistic content;
• effectiveness and feasibility of sustainability measures;
• organizational capacity in wartime conditions;
• cost-effectiveness of the budget.

Additional note: the FAIR team will contact only those candidates who pass the first selection stage.

• Project proposal.
• Budget.

• Applicants must be independent media adhering to professional standards;
• entities from occupied territories are not eligible.