Sub-Grants for Media Coverage of Trafficking and Displacement (Ukraine)

Deadline: 20-Sep-2026

Internews Ukraine is offering subgrants to Ukrainian media and civil society organizations to produce high-quality multimedia journalism on the experiences of people from temporarily occupied territories, forced displacement, reintegration, and social cohesion. Grants of up to UAH 520,000 for media and UAH 3,000,000 for media organizations are available, alongside mentoring, training, coordination, and access to research and media analytics. What Is the Internews Ukraine Subgrant Competition? The Internews Ukraine subgrant competition supports independent Ukrainian media and media organizations in producing ethical, accurate, and human-centered multimedia content about the experiences of people affected by occupation and displacement. The programme aims to strengthen coverage of issues that are important to Ukrainians from temporarily occupied territories and people who have experienced forced displacement or are navigating reintegration. The initiative also seeks to strengthen cooperation across Ukraine’s media ecosystem and encourage systematic reporting rather than isolated stories. What Topics Can Projects Address? Proposed projects should focus on issues connected to: Human experiences connected to displacement and occupation. Recovery and reintegration processes. Projects should provide meaningful context and accurately represent the perspectives of affected communities. What Are the Two Funding Lots? Applicants can submit one proposal under one of two lots.

Lot 1: Independent Media

Lot 1 is intended for independent:

National media. Regional media. Local media. Relocated media organizations. Selected applicants must create and publish at least 10 original multimedia journalistic materials addressing the programme’s priority topics. The proposed content should demonstrate strong journalistic standards and provide systematic, contextual, and human-centered coverage.

Lot 2: Civil Society and Other Non-Governmental Organizations

Lot 2 is intended for civil society and other non-governmental organizations working on issues related to occupation, displacement, reintegration, and social cohesion. Applicants must propose a media project designed to improve the quality of coverage of these issues. The project must involve at least 10 independent media partners. Each participating media partner must produce or publish at least five relevant multimedia materials. This means the project should create a coordinated media collaboration rather than simply fund the applicant’s own publications. How Much Funding Is Available? The available subgrant amounts depend on the applicant category.

Media: Up to UAH 520,000.

Media organizations: Up to UAH 3,000,000.

The requested budget should correspond to the scale and activities of the proposed project. Applicants should provide a clear explanation of how the funds will be used to produce and disseminate the planned multimedia content. What Additional Support Will Grantees Receive? Financial support is accompanied by capacity-building and professional development opportunities. Information about the media and information environment of temporarily occupied territories. Training will include approaches to sensitive and conflict-aware reporting, helping participants cover complex and potentially traumatic issues responsibly. What Is the Expected Project Duration? The planned implementation period for subgrant projects is approximately seven months. The programme duration may be adjusted depending on the development of agreements and other implementation circumstances. Applicants should therefore propose a realistic work plan covering content development, production, publication, dissemination, coordination, and reporting. What Makes a Strong Project? The competition gives priority to projects that provide: Systematic coverage rather than isolated reporting. Strong contextual analysis. Diverse perspectives and voices. Human-centered storytelling. Ethical treatment of people affected by occupation and displacement. High-quality multimedia content. Collaboration within Ukraine’s independent media ecosystem. Meaningful dissemination and public reach. Projects should demonstrate why the proposed coverage is needed and how it will address existing gaps in reporting. Who Can Apply? Eligible applicants must be officially registered in Ukraine as non-profit organizations. Depending on the selected lot, applicants should meet the relevant experience requirements. Requirements for Media Applicants

Media applicants must generally:

Be officially registered in Ukraine as a non-profit organization. Have at least two years of relevant experience. Maintain an active website. Have an active social media presence. Demonstrate relevant journalistic experience. Follow professional journalistic standards and ethics. Requirements for Media Organizations Media organizations applying under the relevant category must generally: Be officially registered in Ukraine as a non-profit organization. Have at least four years of relevant experience. Maintain an active website and social media presence. Demonstrate experience working on relevant topics. Be capable of coordinating the required media partnerships. Follow professional journalistic and ethical standards. Applicants should also be prepared to participate in the programme’s training and coordination activities. The important requirement is that content should provide accurate, contextual, ethical, and human-centered coverage of the programme’s priority themes. How to Apply Applicants should develop their proposal around a clearly defined media problem and explain how their project will improve coverage.

Step 1: Select the Appropriate Lot

Choose either:

Lot 1 for eligible independent media, or Lot 2 for civil society and other non-governmental organizations coordinating a broader media project. Applicants may submit only one project proposal under one lot.

Step 2: Define the Reporting Gap

Explain what is curren