OPEN CALL FOR PROPOSALS: Independent media grants for democratic dialogue

The grants are intended to support the production of fact-based, inclusive and engaging media content that contributes to Ukraine’s democratic dialogue.

The open call responds to the growing need for independent national, local and hyper-local media that support public access to credible information and enhance civic understanding, inclusion and democratic participation.

Applications must be submitted by 23:59, 1 September 2025. See the forms below.
Please send the application and budget to mediafund@mediasupport.org.

Download

Application form
Detailed budget template

Objective

The objective of this call is to support independent media initiatives that contribute to:

• Public access to timely, fact-based and balanced information.
• Strengthening democratic dialogue and civic engagement.
• Inclusive storytelling that reflects the diversity of Ukraine’s population and encourages participation from underrepresented and marginalised communities.

Project timeline

• Recommended implementation period: 1 October 2025 – 30 September 2026.

Eligibility criteria

To be eligible, applicants must:

• Be officially registered with the National Council of Television and Radio Broadcasting of Ukraine.
• Have been operating for at least one year by the time of application.
• Produce original content and demonstrate a genuine interest in understanding its audience (including efforts to identify and address information gaps relevant to the community. To achieve this goal, IMS, in partnership with LMF, is committed to providing applicants with audience segmentation research conducted in 2025).
• Commit to integrating diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) principles in project design and implementation.
• Inclusion in the IMI White List and Map of recommended media in Ukraine will be considered a plus, though not being listed will not disqualify an applicant.

Priority will be given to media organisations from Kherson, Mykolaiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, Kharkiv and Sumy regions (regardless of their current physical location). This does not mean that applications from media outlets from other regions of Ukraine will be rejected.

Content formats

There is no predefined preference for format. Applicants must justify the proposed format based on audience needs and project goals. Proposals should clearly demonstrate how the selected format will effectively engage the target audience and contribute to the stated objectives.

Target audiences

Special consideration will be given to projects that:

• Target youth, women and marginalised communities.
• Focus on communities with historically limited access to independent information or reduced trust in democratic processes.

Budget and funding

Budgets must be:

• Justified, cost-effective and clearly aligned with the proposed activities.
• The number of selected projects (up to five) will be determined based on the quality of applications and available funding.

Selection procedure

During the due diligence process, applicants’ programmatic, financial and administrative capacity will be reviewed. IMS reserves the right to exclude any applicant who does not meet the minimum capacity requirements.

This call for proposals is made possible with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark. The content of this call is the sole responsibility of IMS (International Media Support).