Funded by the European Union, the Innovation. Media. Minds: Support to Public Service Journalism in the Western Balkans Program, is managed by the Goethe-Institut on behalf of the European Commission and in collaboration with its implementing partner DW Akademie.
About the project
Focusing on public service broadcasters, the Innovation. Media. Minds (IMM) Program aims to enhance content and engage audiences. Implemented from September 2023 to August 2026, the program has three objectives:
to elevate public service media content production
to foster an environment of creativity, innovation and regional cooperation
to ensure that public service media remain at the forefront of quality journalism
The three pillars of the IMM Program, support to public service media, support to journalists and financial support, are closely interconnected. These include:
– support to public service media through cooperative needs analysis, capacity building, study visits and in-house support
– support to journalists through innovation labs, hackathons, multimedia workshops, training of trainers
– financial support for innovation projects, seed funding, independent investigative media, regional cooperation and international mobility grants
Grants
Financial support plays a pivotal role by providing opportunities for co-financing newly developed project ideas, addressing specific needs and challenges faced by public service media (PSM) and media professionals in the Western Balkans.
Within the Program, the following types of grants are provided:
– Innovation Projects: PSM committed to the Program can apply for grants to support innovation projects, which may include initiatives such as mobile journalism sets for reporting, production, trainings, equipment and regional staff exchanges. Amount: Up to 50.000 EUR.
– Grants for Regional Co-production: PSM in the Western Balkans can apply for grants to produce stories of regional importance with contributions from journalists in other regional PSM. This fosters collaboration and a shared regional perspective. Amount: Up to 20.000 EUR.
– International Mobility Grants: Job shadowing opportunities focused on enhancing professional skills and knowledge related to the modern EU standards and practices in journalism. Amount: Up to 4.000 EUR.
– Seed Grants: These grants are intended to provide financial support exclusively in conjunction with individually tailored consulting, training, and/or mentoring programs. They aim to kickstart innovative ideas generated during various program activities. Amount: Up to 5.000 EUR.
– Grants for Independent Investigative Media: These grants support independent research and production groups to create content that will be broadcasted by a partner PSM. The aim of these grants is to promote independence and diversification on crucial cultural and social topics. Amount: Up to 30.000 EUR.
Estimated results
improved management skills, internal structures and workflows of PSB, and improved programming and public interest content,
improved skills and innovation techniques of media Professionals, with a focus on young journalists, multipliers and trainers, concerning quality journalism audience involvement and
engagement and expanded Cooperation and networking capacity of PSM.
Regional Events and Advocacy Manager EU-funded Program "Innovation. Media. Minds: Support to Public Service Journalism in the Western Balkans"
Goethe-Institut Belgrad
