OPEN CALL FOR PROPOSALS: Independent media grants for democratic dialogue

IMS (International Media Support) under REACH: Media partnerships for accountability and trust, invites Ukrainian public interest media outlets, whose foremost objective is to serve the community, safeguard the public interest, and promote Ukraine’s European integration, to apply for media grants.

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, November 16, 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: January 1, 2025 – December 31, 2026

Eligibility criteria

To be eligible, applicants must:

• Be officially registered with the National Council of Television and Radio Broadcasting of Ukraine. It must 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.

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 pre-defined 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.
• Include audit costs

Please note that the number of selected projects 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.

The content of this call is the sole responsibility of IMS (International Media Support).