Balkan Dispatch: Apply Now for BIRN’s Travel and Reporting Grants
BIRN’s Reporting Democracy Travel & Reporting Programme invites journalists from the Visegrad region to apply for a grant that covers professional fees and field reporting expenses. This is a unique opportunity to report from the Balkans and gain deeper insights into the region. Photo: BIRN
As part of our ongoing commitment to fostering journalistic collaboration and knowledge exchange between regions, we are pleased to launch the 2025 cycle of our Travel & Reporting Grants Programme.
This programme offers a unique chance to embark on a reporting assignment, backed by financial support, editorial guidance, and on-the-ground assistance in countries where BIRN has established offices: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, and Montenegro.
We encourage journalists with a strong interest in the Balkans to apply and produce impactful stories for audiences in their home countries. Selected stories may also be featured on BIRN’s Reporting Democracy platform and in leading media outlets across the region.
We welcome pitches for a variety of journalistic formats, including analysis, investigative pieces, feature stories and interviews. Cross-border reporting, serialised stories and multimedia outputs such as video, photography, radio or podcast content are also strongly encouraged.
Who Can Apply?
We invite applications from journalists based in Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Applications are welcome from:
- Individual journalists, whether affiliated with a newsroom or working as freelancers
- Teams that may include reporters, editors, producers, videographers or photographers
- Media outlets with an interest in cross-border or international reporting
A maximum of ten (10) grants will be awarded during this call.
Grant Amount
Each successful applicant will receive 2,500 euros to support the production of high-quality, original journalism.
Important Dates:
Application Deadline: July 10, 2025, by 23:59 CET
Project Completion Deadline: February 2026
Each applicant may submit only one application per grant cycle.
What Should the Application Include?
To be considered, your application should include the following:
Topic Overview: A clear description of your proposed story idea and why it is relevant.
Balkan Fieldwork Plan: An outline of your planned reporting trip(s) to one or more Balkan countries, including a rough timeline.
Publishing Strategy: A distribution plan explaining where and how you intend to publish or broadcast your story.
Eligible Costs Covered by the Grant:
- Professional fees
- Travel and transport expenses
- Accommodation
- Daily allowances during fieldwork
- Production costs (e.g., fixers, translation, photo/video services, etc.)
How to Apply
To submit your application, please complete the online application form available at this LINK. At the start of the form, you’ll be asked to choose whether you are applying as an individual journalist/team or as a media outlet — the relevant version of the form will then open automatically based on your selection.
All applications must be submitted in English.
Please ensure that your responses are clear and thorough, as we will only follow up if essential information is missing and prevents an objective evaluation.
The deadline for applications is July 10, 2025.
If you have any questions or need assistance during the application process, feel free to contact us at [email protected]. We’re here to help.
Evaluation Process
Step 1: Technical Review
BIRN staff will conduct a technical check to confirm all required documents have been submitted correctly.
Step 2: Editorial Evaluation
An editorial board will assess applications that pass the technical review based on the story idea’s originality, feasibility, and potential impact.
Step 3: Notification of Results
All applicants will be notified of the outcome. Successful applicants will be informed by August 5, 2025.
We look forward to receiving your proposals and supporting your work in producing compelling journalism that bridges regions and tells important stories across borders.