MediaFit Creators Fund – Fit for your story

SEASON 4

DW Akademie invites independent journalists and media outlets to apply to the fourth season of the content production Creators Fund dedicated to podcast production. The Creators Fund is a core element of the MediaFit project. The goal of the Creators Fund is to push for a bigger variety of media content that is interesting, innovative, and relevant to regional audiences. The media products must target audiences in at least one of these 10 regions: Donetsk, Luhansk, Dnipro, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Mykolaiv, Odesa, Sumy & Chernihiv.

What do we offer?

1. online training and mentoring programme in podcasting led by experienced Ukrainian podcasters and media practitioners taking place in October – December 2023. It focuses on exploring podcasting fundamentals, user-centred format development, content production, podcast production process, distribution and promotion / monetisation.
2. production grant of 2000 EUR (incl. distribution and promotion costs).

Who can apply?

Media outlets, media professionals individually or as a team

• with at least 3-year journalistic experience with a proven track record of media content creation.
• who have already produced podcasts and looking for developing your podcasting skills further.
• who preferably work on content for the target regions.
• who have an untold story or underreported topic which you would like to cover via podcasting.
• who have an established media platform / media outlet (partnerships allowed) to publish your final product/s.

Please apply by 3 September 2023 24:00 Kyiv time via the application form for the Creators Fund Season 4.  Any applications submitted after the deadline will not be considered. By the end of September, you will be informed of the decision of the jury committee, if selected.

We welcome all topics relevant to the regional audiences. News content as well as any sort of fiction production are not supported. Content-wise your projects could include but are not limited to environmental and gender-sensitive topics or reporting on national, ethnic minorities and indigenous population of Ukraine or people with disabilities. There is a special quote for fact-checking products.

We expect

• you commit to participate in planned online training and mentorship sessions as it is a mandatory part of the funding.
• you ensure to produce and to publish your completed product.
• your podcast entails at least 5 episodes that is published by 31 December 2023 and the respective links to your completed product are provided.
• your final publication is either in Ukrainian or has also a Ukrainian version.
• your final product is in full adherence to independent journalism standards.
• you take care of the distribution and promotion of your own content.
• you agree that the final media product as well as the documentation of production stages will be used for visibility measures in line with EU visibility requirements of the MediaFit Creators Fund.
• you submit final narrative report describing production process and results, including audience data.
• you are ready for interviews or other forms of accompanying media coverage of the Creators Fund.

The selected media creators will sign a contract with DW Akademie in accordance with the rules of MediaFit EU-funded project. Please be aware that the funding will not be awarded if the same project has already received funding elsewhere.

All ownership and rights to the ideas submitted will remain with the original rights holders. All publications produced within the Creators Fund must carry the reference to the MediaFit project.

DW Akademie might change the timeline of the procedure and extend the deadline if no satisfactory applications have been received. 

Please check out our FAQs for the detailed information, and if you have any additional questions, please contact us via
dw-akademie.ukraine.eu-projects@dw.com with the email subject “Question on Creators Fund Season 4”.

The current edition of the Creators Fund is part of the EU-funded “MediaFit Programme for Information Integrity in southern and eastern Ukraine” (2021-2024). The MediaFit project is implemented by DW Akademie in partnership with Transtele Canal France International (CFI) and Lithuanian Radio and Television (LRT).

DW Akademie is Deutsche Welle’s centre for international media development, journalism training and knowledge transfer. Our projects strengthen the human right to freedom of expression and unhindered access to information.