Join Media Innovation Europe 2.0 to enhance business sustainability and resilience against external threats
Is your media outlet seeking support in business sustainability development and in making journalists more resilient to external threats? If this sounds familiar, we invite you to apply for a Business Innovation Synergizer (BIS) call!
BIS is implemented as part of the Media Innovation Europe 2.0 project, a multidisciplinary, multi-project programme that has funded over 50 news organisations in the past two years and has opened its second edition. Led by the Vienna-based International Press Institute (IPI), the consortium brings together Thomson Media (TM), The Fix Foundation (TFF), and the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN). The programme will continue to be co-funded by the European Union.
MIE’s overall goal is to empower media outlets to navigate a changing media industry, providing tools and guidance to align their journalistic products, business structures, and means of discovery and distribution in an audience-focused and sustainable way.
The programme is a response to the challenging environment media operate in, including growing hostility to media freedom, lack of trust in journalism as well as the disruption of media by the digital transformation and economic threats. By stimulating and strengthening a collaborative media innovation ecosystem across Europe, this programme aims to build sustainable media through the innovation process and digital business model transformation.
As a part of MIE 2.0, the Business Innovation Synergizer (BIS) call aims to support media organisations with developed and validated business plans or development strategies. BIS’ overall objective is to improve the business sustainability of professional media and make journalists and media outlets more resilient to any external threat.
Business Innovation Synergizer (BIS) envisages one cycle of support for six media outlets in total selected from the following European countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, and Slovenia.
The key vehicles of support include grants and business mentoring:
- Grants provide financial support to media organisations, enabling them to invest in their capacities, infrastructure, and innovation.
- Business mentoring offers personalised guidance and support. It helps beneficiaries develop strategic plans focused on digital growth, explore new revenue streams and innovative modalities of work by applying AI, and navigate challenges in a rapidly changing media landscape.
As part of the long-term strategy, supported media will:
- Become more resilient against financial and operational challenges, allowing them to continue delivering quality journalism despite political and economic threats;
- Develop sustainable business models that include diversified revenue and innovative audience engagement strategies;
- Be encouraged to integrate innovative approaches, practices, and tools (including AI and digital products) that will enhance operational processes, content production, and business models of supported media and
- Increase trust among their audiences and clients and provide high-quality content and services
Means of support include the combination of:
- Financial support through grants: up to EUR 30,000 per beneficiary. Grants will provide the resources for innovation and empower media outlets to pioneer fresh approaches, engage audiences, and implement new digital products and services.
- Capacity building support through 1-on-1 mentoring, group training, use of e-courses created by Thomson, and regular online/in-person meetings. Topics will range from business and digital solutions, use of AI and advanced technologies.
- Networking and collaborative opportunities. Networking will facilitate knowledge sharing and collective action among media organisations, especially in countries where media freedom is threatened.
The project’s duration may be up to twelve (12) months in total.
Details of the call, including the application process, criteria, evaluation, etc., are available HERE, and the application form can be found HERE.
The deadline for applications is 24 September 2024 until 23:59 CET.
