Cover photo: BIRN
The “Paper Trail for Better Governance” initiative, led by the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN) and funded by the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) with funds of the Austrian Development Cooperation, addresses pressing challenges in strengthening democratic governance, the rule of law and media freedom across the Western Balkans.
This initiative aims to combat corruption, enhance transparency, and promote accountability to fortify democratic institutions and foster a more resilient media landscape in the region.
By leveraging investigative journalism and engaging directly with local communities, the initiative seeks to drive lasting reforms and ensure the voices of underrepresented groups are heard. A key component of the project is the provision of grants to support local media outlets in adopting audience-engagement journalism practices in six Western Balkan countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia.
The Western Balkans continue to grapple with systemic issues such as corruption, inefficiencies in the judiciary, restricted media pluralism, and threats to fundamental freedoms, as underscored by recent European Commission progress reports. These challenges highlight the urgent need for enhanced accountability and increased citizen participation in governance processes.
Audience-engagement journalism emerges as a powerful tool to address these issues. By creating a two-way dialogue that places citizens at the center of the storytelling process, this approach empowers communities, shines a light on systemic challenges, and ensures that public discourse reflects the concerns of ordinary people. In a region often hindered by misinformation and opacity, audience-driven reporting can uncover critical issues, provide actionable solutions, and amplify marginalized voices.
Through innovative storytelling and investigative reporting, BIRN aims to equip citizens with the tools to hold decision-makers accountable, advocate for transparency, and demand meaningful reforms. This approach not only reinforces democratic values but also cultivates a well-informed and engaged citizenry, essential for creating a more transparent and accountable public sector in the Western Balkans.
1. SCOPE AND OBJECTIVES
The Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN) has been actively engaging communities in reporting and supporting media outlets and journalists through grants, training, and mentoring. To enhance their reporting and production skills, BIRN developed the Engaged Citizen Reporting (ECR) tool, a digital platform that enables journalists to gain insights from communities and involve audiences in the reporting process.
This innovative ECR tool allows journalists to report on specific issues recognized by citizens at the local level, utilizing well-structured crowdsourced information that can be easily analysed. The approach amplifies the voices of underrepresented communities, including women, young people, marginalized groups, and ethnic minorities, ensuring their stories are heard. By engaging their communities, media outlets increase trust and credibility, uncovering underreported stories that provoke meaningful impact. Ultimately, this fosters an inclusive media landscape that supports democracy and free speech both regionally and locally.
The audience-engaged grants aim to achieve the following outcomes for project-supported media outlets:
- Access to Digital Tools: Provision of the ECR tool to actively involve communities in story development.
- Training: Comprehensive instruction in engagement journalism and effective tool usage.
- On-the-Job Mentoring: Support for journalists in producing audience-engaged and investigative stories.
- Production of Local Stories: Creation of impactful stories grounded in crowdsourced, community-identified issues.
- Collaboration Support: Facilitation of cross-border cooperation, sharing knowledge and expertise among journalists.
- Sustainability: Encouragement of continued use of the ECR tool, fostering a culture of community engagement in media production.
Through this initiative, BIRN empowers local media outlets to use innovation and collaboration to build an engaged, informed public while championing the principles of transparency, accountability, and democratic governance.
2. TYPE, SIZE AND DURATION OF GRANTS
Local media outlets from six Western Balkan countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia can apply for grants up to €5,000.
Two following types of grants are available under this Call for Applications:
- Individual Grants for media outlets wishing to cover national / regional / local topics using their own newsroom resources.
- Cross-border Grants for media outlets interested in investigating cross-border topics in partnership with the other media outlet. The Audience-Engaged Journalism Grants foster a collaborative environment where media outlets can come together to share their proficiency and expertise. By working together media outlets not only enhance their reporting capabilities but also increase their reach and impact.
Partnership can be:
- Pre-established; in situations where a media outlet already has a media partner for a cross-border story, they may apply together for a grant of €10,000 to cover expenses for both parties (up to €5,000 per each).
- Teamed up with BIRN’s support; in a situation where a media outlet proposes a cross-border story and does not have a pre-established partnership, BIRN can assist in finding a possible match partner for collaboration.
- Individual story pairing; in cases where individual applicants are proposing the similar story or share an interest, BIRN might propose that outlets pair up to complement their expertise and knowledge.
Under this Call for Applications, 12 local media outlets will be selected (two per country) and will receive grants to implement their ideas for stories using the ECR tool.
Media outlets are expected to begin implementing their project’s activities on 1 May 2025 and can last up to a maximum of eight (8) months from the date of contract signature. All activities should conclude no later than 31 December 2025.
3. AVAILABLE FUNDING AND ALLOCATIONS
The overall indicative amount expected to be distributed under this Call for Applications is up to €60,000. The table summarises grants foreseen to be given.
| Type of Grants | Maximum Amount per Grant | Number ofGrants Foreseen | Estimated Amount |
| Individual Grants | €5,000 | 10 | €50,000 |
| Cross-border Grants (two media outlets) | €10,000 (up to €5,000 per each) | 1 | €10,000 |
BIRN reserves the right to fund any or none of the applications submitted, as well as to discuss with applicants allocating actions as needed within the aforementioned categories towards achieving the overall goal of the programme.
No co-financing from the applicant’s side is expected or is obligatory within this Call for Applications.
The Audience-Engaged Journalism grants process starts with this Call, which will be open until 02 March 2025. To provide more accurate information and directions for applicants, the BIRN team will organise two info sessions, on 31 January 2025 at 09:00 and 24 February 2025 at 14:00. Please see 5.4.3. Clarifications, Question & Answers.
4. APPLICATION
This section includes important information on the rules for application, including eligibility criteria, activities and costs eligibility, application and evaluation procedures, among others.
5.1. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
In order to apply, applicants must fulfil the following criteria:
- Demonstrate a commitment to producing high-quality, independent journalism that serves the public interest.
- Propose a story with an investigative and in-depth angle, impactful for the community. The story proposed can be a story only relevant to the local community in one city/region/country, but it can also be a cross-border story. If so, the story must address an issue relevant to audiences in two Western Balkan countries, and reflect collaborative effort.
- Express clear intention and means of including underrepresented communities in stories. These communities may include marginalised groups such as minorities, youth, women and other underreported communities.
- Be a legally registered entity within the country of application on or before 1 January, 2024.
- Be prepared to submit supporting documentation as outlined in Section 5.4.1 Application Form Content or provide a clear justification if unable to do so.
- Demonstrate a commitment to actively participate in on-the-job mentoring in engagement journalism and the professional use of Engaged Citizen Reporting (ECR) tools, following the guidance provided by mentors.
5.2. ACTIVITIES ELIGIBILITY
The types of activities eligible for support will include but are not necessarily be limited to:
- Producing the content based on information and data obtained via the Engaged Citizen Reporting (ECR) tool. Grantees will receive individual access to the ECR tool, along with appropriate training and mentoring. Content may comprise news, analysis, investigations, different news formats: audio, text, video or multimedia. Some examples from media outlets which BIRN supported before to use the ECR tool produced a range of audience-engaged stories, some examples of which you can read here:
- Image-based sexual abuse in Kosovo
- Mapping illegal landfills in the Balkans
- Secret hospital registers in Hungary
- Transgender and non-binary Serbs document job discrimination
- Promoting content through social media channels of the respective outlets.
- Promoting engagement journalism and the ECR tool by introducing dedicated sections on the website, additional information in the ‘about’ and ‘contact’ section, banners, and other relevant means.
- Encouraging citizens to use the ECR tool as a platform to suggest topics, indicate interest in future reporting and participate in various investigations. These activities may be facilitated through social media channels and innovations on the website described above.
- Collaborating with a mentor to prepare a story for Balkan Insight. The most successful engagement stories will be considered for publication on the Balkan Insight. The BIRN team and mentors will oversee the selection process to ensure the stories align with the project’s objectives and BI’s publishing standards.
Applicants may propose additional activities beyond those listed above, ensuring their alignment with the project’s vision and goal. These activities should complement the existing ones and may include any relevant investigative engagement stories.
4.3 COSTS ELIGIBILITY
While developing the budget for the proposal under this Call for Applications (budget form enclosed in 5.4.1 Application Form Content) the following eligible and ineligible costs should be:
| Eligible Costs | |
| Category | Explanation |
| Human Resources Costs | Costs of organisation’s staff and experts directly involved in implementing the proposed activities and proportionate to their level of involvement. |
| Production / Research / Communication Costs | Costs related to the production of the stories, including communication with stakeholders, research costs, as well as costs of promotion of the stories on social media. |
| Travel Costs | Any travel costs needed to produce the story, especially if it’s a cross-border story or story covering citizen’s experiences in some local or more remote areas in the country |
| Ineligible Costs | |
| Include costs of office equipment, construction costs, entertainment and excessive transport and event costs. | |
5.4 APPLICATION SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS
In order to ensure a fair and competitive application process, applicants should complete and submit only one application / proposal under this Call for Applications.
5.4.1. APPLICATION FORM CONTENT
In order to apply for the Audience-Engaged Journalism Grants, media outlets should:
- Fill out an online application form which should:
- Be completed in the English language. Please use your own words. ChatGPT applications will be downgraded or not considered.
- Outline general information, current audience data, and a story proposal.
- Submit the following supporting documents within the embedded application form:
- Financial Proposal. Download the budget template HERE.
- Financial Statements for the 2023 and 2024 fiscal years, if applicable.
- Certificate from relevant tax authority that the media outlet is a regular taxpayer.
- A Court Certificate that the media outlet does not have ongoing legal proceedings nor is awaiting the final judgment of cases against the organization.
- If obtaining a Court Certificate confirming no ongoing legal proceedings is challenging (e.g., due to SLAPP lawsuits), applicants may submit a detailed explanation of their legal status and the nature of such cases. This ensures equal opportunities for all while maintaining transparency and compliance with administrative requirements.
- Editorial policy, if applicable.
- Business Registry Certificate or any other document certifying that the applicant is registered as a legal entity in (country) as of January 2024.
5.4.2 APPLICATION DEADLINE
The applicant must submit the application by 2 March 2025, midnight.
Applications submitted after the deadline will not be considered for funding. The deadline applies to all parts of your application, including supporting documentation.
5.4.3. CLARIFICATIONS, QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Info sessions are an integral part of this Call for Application and will be conducted online in the English language. During the info sessions, the Call for Applications and Application Form will be explained and questions answered. The schedule of the planned info sessions is as follows:
- Information session 31 January 2025 at 09:00 join here HERE.
- Information session 24 February 2025 at 14:00, join here HERE.
Questions about the Call for Application and Application Form may be sent in English language to the Programme Manager at the email address: donjeta.berisha@birnnetwork.org until the deadline for clarifications has passed.
5.5 EVALUATION AND SELECTION PROCESS
All received proposals will go through the following three steps:
- Administrative and eligibility check by BIRN to ensure applicants followed the application procedure set in the Application Form, according to the eligibility criteria and submitted all required documents by the deadline.
- Evaluation by the international independent jury.
- Notification of the application outcome.
STEP 1: BIRN ADMINISTRATIVE AND ELIGIBILITY CHECK
BIRN will undertake administrative checks to ensure the applicants have followed application procedures and submitted all the required documents. If any requested information / document is missing or incorrect, the application may be rejected and will not be evaluated further. Any rejected application will be replaced by the next best-placed application on the reserve list that falls within the available budget for this Call for Applications.
An application that passes the administrative check will be assessed further as part of the evaluation by the independent international jury.
STEP 2: EVALUATION BY THE INTERNATIONAL INDEPENDENT JURY
After the call is closed, all applications that meet the administrative requirements and eligibility criteria will be subject to evaluation by an international jury. A jury consisting of media professionals, acting independently, will assess the proposals based on their Relevance of the Proposed Story, Capacity, Financial Proposal and Potential, including the Social impact.
Please refer to the criteria list for further information on quality assessment.
| CRITERIA | MAXIMUM SCORE |
| 1. RELEVANCE OF THE PROPOSED STORY● The proposed story tackles an issue relevant to national / regional / local communities in the case of individual grants.● The proposed story tackles an issue relevant to communities in Western Balkan countries in the case of collaborative grants.● The proposed story has investigative and in-depth potential.● The proposed story contains specific cross-cutting issues, such as the promotion of gender equality, respect of human rights, and marginalised groups. | 10 points |
| 2. CAPACITY ● Applicant demonstrates available capacity within the organisation to implement activities.● Applicant demonstrates significant reach in its community.● Applicant demonstrates previous experience in engaging communities.● Risks and challenges are clearly identified and are manageable. | 10 points |
| 3. FINANCIAL PROPOSAL● Budget demonstrates value for money – organisation clearly shows it will manage to implement activities according to the proposed amount. | 10 points |
| 4. POTENTIAL● Story reflects how the Engaged Citizen Reporting (ECR) tool will be used to encourage the audience to get involved.● Story proposal addresses problems in particular communities and demonstrates how the community will be engaged.● Media outlet is dedicated to producing meaningful and quality content.● The proposed story will engage new audiences strategically, focusing on underrepresented groups (such as women and girls, younger people, or ethnic, social, sexual, and other minorities). | 10 points |
| MAXIMUM TOTAL SCORE | 40 points |
STEP 3: NOTIFICATION OF THE APPLICATION OUTCOME
Applicants will be notified of the outcome, whether it was successful or not by e-mail. The applicants will be able to ask for clarifications.
BIRN will also notify applicants about suggestions for teaming up in the collaborative cross-border stories. Notification is conducted during two phases of the evaluation:
- Notification 1: Not passing the administrative and eligibility check
- Notification 2 (final): Selection or non-selection upon the qualitative assessment
Upon positive notification, successful applicants will sign the contract with BIRN and become a recipient of the grant. Successful applicants will receive notification on training dates and programmes.
5. TRAINING AND MENTORING
Following the signing of a contractual agreement by both parties, participants will undergo comprehensive training and be assigned a mentor.
Training
Four-day online training programme is mandatory for all project participants. Each media outlet will choose at least three participants to follow the training programme. The training curriculum, established by BIRN, will provide journalists and project participants with an in-depth understanding of the Engaged Citizen Reporting (ECR) tool and its various features, as well as teach them how to effectively engage their audience in reporting and create high-quality and valuable journalistic reports. Towards the end of the training programme, the participating journalists will be expected to plan and develop their proposed stories for implementation.
Mentoring
After the training, media outlets will continue to collaborate with mentors to create a provisional activity plan that will be further confirmed. Access to the Engaged Citizen Reporting (ECR) tool will be established. Throughout the project, BIRN mentors will be available to provide guidance and support to the participating media outlets, while respecting editorial independence.
6. TIMELINE OF CALL ACTIVITIES
The following is the indicative table of the application, evaluation, notification process and online training:
| ACTIVITY | DATE |
| Call for Applications issued | 27 January 2025 |
| Information Sessions | 31 January 2025 at 09:0024 February 2025 at 14:00 |
| Deadline for Requesting Clarifications | 24 February 2025 |
| Deadline for Submission of Applications | 2 March 2025 |
| Notification to Rejected Applicants on the Results of the Administrative Check | Last week of April 2025 |
| Notification to Applicants on the Results of the Qualitative Assessment | Last week of April 2025 |
| Contract Signature & Online Training | First week of May 2025 |