General Funding Line
Why we fund
In light of increasing social polarization, the existential crisis facing journalism and the ongoing expansion of so-called news deserts, we are committed to supporting independent journalism outlets that have viable business models, publish outstanding, trustworthy content and can sustainably finance themselves over the long term.
Strong democracies depend on everyone having access to reliable and credible information so they can actively participate in the public debate.
For this reason, we support media organizations that are focused on the common good and are seeking to expand their financial sustainability with a specific project. In doing so, they are closing a gap in reporting and are ideally relying on approaches that differ from existing practices in the DACH region (Germany, Austria and Switzerland) and/or in their own market. We have a particular focus on media organizations reporting for target audiences that have thus far been underserved by the news media.
Call for applications
The next call for applications starts in August 2025.
Who we fund
A media organization or its project is eligible to receive funding if all of the following requirements are met:
- The organization’s registered headquarters are in Germany, Austria or Switzerland.
- The organization must serve the common good. This means that the revenues produced by its work are predominantly generated with the intention of strengthening journalism in its social mission of promoting public education and strengthening democracy.
- The organization’s work is carried out on the basis of recognized journalistic/editorial standards, and it is committed to the principles of the press code in its country of registration.
- The organization already has a working business model aimed at serving the common good. Consequently, it can demonstrate proof-of-concept for its journalistic offering in addition to a product/market fit, confirmed by initial revenues generated from several sources primarily from the DACH region.
- The growth of revenue streams focused on the common good are at the heart of the project, rather than merely striving to continue business-as-usual.
The Media Forward Fund currently cannot award grants to:
- Schools, universities or public research institutes
- Publicly funded media outlets
- Interest groups
- Sole proprietorship or individuals who are not part of an organization
- Service and technology providers
- Platforms that primarily curate third-party journalistic content
- PR or news agencies
- Production companies
- Organizations or projects that are still in the concept or startup phase
Info events
With each call for applications, we organize three digital information sessions (one in German, one in English and one in French) with a duration of approx. 60 to 90 minutes each. The purpose of the information sessions is to present the Media Forward Fund and its selection process in more detail. Questions can be submitted in advance when registering or asked live during the event.
February 26, 2025: 12:30-2:00 p.m. (German)
March 10, 2025: 12:30-2:00 p.m. (English)
March 13, 2025: 12:30-2:00 p.m. (French)
How we fund
With our funding, we support the growth of media organizations that are seeking to implement a concrete project as a next step toward increased financial stability and are relying on approaches that are distinct from existing offerings, formats, distribution channels or revenue models in the DACH region and/or in their own market.
The funded project is part of a long-term strategy and contributes to the further development of the organization receiving the funding, to its journalistic work and, in particular, to the growth of a business model oriented towards the common good.
Our general funding line focuses on regional/local and national/supra-regional media outlets:
Organizational funding
for small, non-profit media organizations
For small, non-profit media organizations, the Fund generally provides organizational funding (incl. non-project-related costs) of up to 400,000 euros over a two-year period.
Small media outlets have up to 30 full-time equivalent employees (FTEs) in the entire organization.
Project funding or project financing
for small, for-profit and large media organizations
For small for-profit media organizations focused on the common good, the Fund generally provides up to 400,000 euros over a two-year period. *
Large media organizations – whether non-profit or for-profit – are eligible if they co-finance projects on a 50:50 basis. As a rule, 200,000 euros are made available over a two-year period. *
Large media outlets have more than 30 full-time equivalent employees (FTEs) in the entire organization.
* In the case of for-profit organizations, gross figures are considered.
In addition to our financial assistance, we also provide our funding partners additional forms of support, such as “capacity building” as part of our “Upskilling” program, for example.
Actual needs will be identified jointly through regular exchange.
The Media Forward Fund is unable to provide funding for:
- The founding of organizations
- Conferences and networking events
- Studies, accompanying research or individual research projects
- Scholarships
- (Piloting of) technical solutions or services for media professionals or media companies (infrastructure)
- Supplementary funding for an ongoing project
Funding overview for General Funding Line
| Non-Profit | For-Profit* | ||
| Small organizations | Organizational funding | €400,000 | Project financing |
| Large organizations | Project funding | €200,000 50:50 co-financing | Project financing |
| Max. funding duration | 24 months | ||
| Funding rounds | ca. every 6 months | ||
* In the case of for-profit organizations, gross figures are considered.
Overview eligible costs
| Organizational funding | Project financing | |
|---|---|---|
Personnel costs Wages that are neither paid out directly nor regularly, such as special payments, benefits in kind, bonuses, and other services as well as severance payments, are not eligible for funding. | Employees (full and part-time) | Employees (full and part-time) |
| Office and administrative costs |
| / |
Travel and accommodation costs Travel expenses are based on the Federal Travel Expenses Act and the overview of accommodation allowances 2023/2024 abroad of the Federal Ministry of Finance |
| max. 10% of the requested funding amount
|
Costs for services Fees for freelancers, consulting, contractual work |
|
|
| Costs related to own events or meetings (with the exception of service providers, see above) |
|
|
| Training and further education |
|
|
| Costs for the purchase of technical equipment and machinery, particularly capitalizable investments in tangible fixed assets |
| / |
| Contingency category “unforeseen costs” | max. 2 % of the requested funding amount | / |
Please also note that we are unable to finance costs at non-profit media organizations that are attributable to commercial business operations. Such costs include, for example, expenses for the operation or development of an online shop for the marketing of products or the sale of food or drinks as part of the organization’s own events.
In cooperations with for-profit media organizations, we are unable to provide support for activities that boost the commercial sales activities of that for-profit company (e.g. a newsletter that is only sent to paying customers or published content that is behind a paywall). In addition, no assets can be financed by the Media Forward Fund that become the property of the for-profit organization free of charge (e.g. the programming of an app that boosts the sales value of the app and thus of the company, or the development of an online platform).
General funding call timeline 2025 (HJ 1)
| Selection process | Provisional timeframe (changes possible) |
|---|---|
| Brief introduction | March 10 to March 23, 2025 |
| Assessment of eligibility and decision on invitation to initial interview | |
| Info-Events (digital) | February 26, 2025: 12:30 – 2:00 p.m. (German) March 10, 2025: 12:30 – 2:00 p.m. (English) March 13, 2025: 12:30 – 2:00 p.m. (French) |
| Initial interviews | Ongoing until April 2, 2025 |
| Assessment of eligibility and decision on admission for application drafting | |
| Consultations on application design | March 26 to April 11, 2025 |
| Application drafting (within max. 3 weeks) | Ongoing until May 11, 2025 |
| Due diligence & pitch deck design | June 3, 2025 to June 20, 2025 |
| Jury pitch | July 8, 2025 |
| Funding decisions announced | Week starting on July 14, 2025 |
Frequently asked questions
You can find questions and answers about this funding line on our dedicated FAQ page.
How we choose
The selection process focuses on three areas: your journalistic work, your organization and your idea for using the grant. The following five overarching criteria are key to the assessment:
Transformation
- We fund media organizations and projects that serve the common good and can both sustainably strengthen media’s role in society and create transformative benefits for the media sector. In doing so, they rely on approaches that differ from existing methods in the DACH region and/or in their own market.
- We believe that the sustainability of journalism is also dependent on more efficient newsroom workflows, interaction with users, the integration of new approaches and the courage to adopt new business models.
This is why one of the criteria we examine is the potential of the grant to have a transformative effect internally on the relevant organization through the realization of the next step in its development, and externally through the application of new approaches. In this context, we are interested in whether there is the prospect of a viable and sustainable business model, whether there is potential for scaling, whether the ratio of costs to expected impact in the funding application is plausible and whether the project is part of a long-term strategy.
User focus
- We fund media organizations and projects that report for (local) communities, enable participation in (political) decision-making and advocate for pluralistic societies and liberal democracies.
- Media that aim to meet the information needs of the general public or specific audiences must be trustworthy.
This is why we take a close look at the degree to which an organization focuses on its users and whether it has assessed the needs of its target audience.
Diversity
- We are particularly interested in funding media organizations and projects that report for underserved communities to ensure that journalism better serves all groups of society in the future – especially those communities that have thus far been underserved.
This is why we look at whether structural gaps or gaps in regional/local or national/supra-regional reporting are addressed. We assess the accessibility of reporting, especially for underserved communities, and the degree to which these target groups are represented on the staffs of the organizations applying.
Independence
- We fund media organizations and projects to ensure that they are able to report critically and independently even in times of crises – and also independently of our funding. We never interfere in the reporting of the media organizations and projects we fund. Freedom of the press, as one of the cornerstones of liberal democracy, is crucial for our work.
This is why we examine the (verifiably intended) structural and personnel division between the editorial and business management, the clear division between editorial and ad sales, and crisis resistance through strategic organizational development and long-term, sustainable financial planning.
Quality
- We fund media organizations and projects that base their work on recognized journalistic standards. At the heart of quality journalism are principles such as truthfulness, accuracy, objectivity, transparency and independence.
This is why we look at the organization’s commitment to the principles of the press codex in its country of registration, the existence of established editorial standards and institutionalized mechanisms to monitor compliance with those standards; professional and journalistic competence within the organization’s team; and the disclosure of finances.
Additional note:
Funding eligibility is also subject to the following additional criteria:
- Average share of daily content published by overall organization made up by proprietary content (excluding copy from news agencies and mainly AI-generated content) must be over 70 percent.
- Share of total digital revenue of the overall organization made up by regularly recurring payments from users (excluding e-paper in case of print publishers) must be over 30 percent. (Applies only to large media organizations.)
Selection process
1. Brief introduction
By completing the online form, you confirm that you meet our basic eligibility criteria and you provide a brief overview of your organization and how you intend to use the funding.
Please note that, for technical reasons, the link to the brief introduction can only be used once and your answers to the questions cannot be cached. No automated proof of receipt will be sent.
2. Initial interview
Should you be eligible for funding and should your intention fit with our funding objectives, we would like to get to know you better by way of a telephone/video call of approx. 30 minutes. No additional preparation is required for the interview.
Preview of key questions for the initial interview
3. Funding application (following voluntary consultations on application design)
Once you have successfully demonstrated in the initial interview that you meet our five overarching selection criteria, you will be invited to draft your funding application. Before you begin drafting your application, however, you may wish to take advantage of a voluntary consultation session. The aim of such a consultation is the clarification of content-related questions and formal questions. It also serves to exchange ideas for the design of a suitable project and for the development of a convincing narrative for your application.
You have a total of three weeks to complete your funding application and the relevant supplements.
The following documents must be attached along with your application:
- Project timeline based on milestones
- Financing overview and planning (incl. current year operating budget)
- Traffic and audience marketing plan for the current year
- Annual financial statement or preliminary financial statement of preceding fiscal year
- Extract from the association or commercial register (incl. shareholder list)
- Completed and signed form regarding non-profit status (only for non-profit organizations based in Austria or Switzerland)
- Latest annual report relevant to the grant project (optional)
- Editorial code of conduct (optional)
- Strategic or business plan (optional)
- Evaluation report(s) (optional)
Financing overview & planning preview
Traffic & audience marketing preview
4. Due diligence & pitch deck
After a comprehensive review of all applications, we will continue the due diligence process with the most promising candidates. We also provide support in the form of feedback on pitch deck design and on possible improvements that could be made to your application, while we in the Media Forward team deepen the due diligence process for your organization.
5. Pitch to the jury
The last step will be the presentation of your project, on the basis of the pitch deck, to our jury in the form of an in-person pitch in Berlin lasting 30 to 40 minutes. We will cover the travel costs for up to two people from each organization.
Afterwards, you will be notified of the jury's decision.
Should you not be chosen for funding, you will have the opportunity to receive detailed feedback.
Application guidelines
In our application guidelines, you will find a checklist of eligibility requirements as well as the most important information pertaining to the brief introduction, the application, the due diligence check and the pitch to the jury.
Contact and feedback
We are a relatively new organization and are eager to learn from our applicants and grantees. Should you have any feedback pertaining to our website, our application and selection process or the collaboration process, you are welcome to leave an anonymous message here or write to us at funding@mediaforwardfund.org.