About the opportunity
What this programme is offering
As part of SYMBIOTIC, we will also be organizing in-person workshops in each of the target countries for journalists to learn about the challenges and solutions to biodiversity in their regions, the nature-based solutions underway and the tools and resources available to cover these topics. Keep an eye out on EJN's website and social media in the coming weeks for more information.
Story themes
We welcome story ideas that focus on biodiversity and nature-based solutions to climate change and other environmental threats.
Themes that applicants may explore, include but are not limited to:
The importance of biodiversity for non-environmental sectors such as education, media, finance and planning
Local community actions to protect biodiversity that are linked with national planning and global frameworks
Effectiveness of the implementation of national biodiversity action plans
Examples of effective nature-based solutions
Benefits of human co-existence with wildlife
Value chain and other types of innovations that reduce or remove threats to biodiversity
Biodiversity-friendly agriculture
Coastal and mangrove management
Embedding biodiversity in governance reforms
Institutionalizing Indigenous biodiversity knowledge and practices
We aim to support the production of stories that raise awareness about biodiversity and nature-based solutions and drive conversation among communities and policymakers at the local, national and regional level. Proposals that focus on topics or stories that have not been widely covered are preferred. Issues that have already received a lot of media coverage or don't provide unique angles to environmental or climate challenges are less likely to be selected.
Eligibility
Applicants must be from Ethiopia, Indonesia, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan or Madagascar.
Groups of journalists and content creators are eligible, especially for cross-border story ideas. However, the application must be made in the name of one lead applicant. Lead applicants are responsible for communicating with EJN and receiving funds on the group’s behalf, if awarded.
For the purposes of this grant opportunity, we will only be accepting applications in English Unfortunately, we do not have the capacity to consider applications in other languages at this time. Applicants must either have a working understanding of English or have a translator available to assist with communication with Internews staff.
Applications are open to journalists working in any medium (online, print, television, radio), social media content creators and other expert media practitioners with professional reporting experience. We welcome applications from early-career and experienced reporters/creators. We encourage applications from freelance reporters and staff from all types of media organizations–international, national, local and community-based.
Applicants are required to be transparent about the use of generative AI tools, if any, to revise their proposals. EJN reserves the right to disqualify applicants from consideration if they have been found to have engaged in unethical or improper professional conduct, including, but not limited to, submitting AI-generated content as their own.
Story logistics
We expect to award up to 25 grants with an average budget of EUR 1, 800 each.
We plan to issue grants in July with the expectation that all stories will be published by October 2026 at the latest. Applicants should consider this timeline when drafting their workplan.
Safety: We encourage reporters to develop robust risk management plans for physical and digital security as well as mental health care when reporting so you do not endanger yourself or the people you’re interviewing. Please use EJN’s safety tipsheet or another resource of your choice to ensure you are prepared, should you be selected for this grant program. If needed, you should include any security-related costs in your budget.
Language of publication: Stories can be produced in any language. However, applicants who intend to write or produce stories in their local language need to also include an English translation. Please include the cost for translation in the budget, if necessary.
Story budget: All applicants are required to provide a detailed budget with justification for the amount requested using the template provided below. We ask that the budgets be reasonable and account for costs necessary for reporting, such as travel and accommodation. Please also note on your budget form if you are receiving funding from any other donors for the story.
Generally speaking, applications with smaller budgets will be more competitive, but we will consider larger grant amounts for stories using innovative, collaborative or investigative approaches that may be more resource-intensive and time-consuming.
We expect that proposals will largely reflect what equipment the applicant already has access to (including cameras, drones, lighting, tripods, etc.) and will not consider budgets that heavily focus on procuring new equipment.
We will consider a stipend for the reporters’ salary, particularly if the applicant is a freelancer. Please estimate the time you’ll need to complete this story and propose compensation you believe reflects a fair market rate. We ask, however, that this comprises no more than 30% of the total budget.
Acknowledgement of EJN support: Published stories and/or broadcasts must disclose EJN support by including this tagline: “This story was produced with support from Internews’ Earth Journalism Network and NABU under the SYMBIOTIC project.”
Republication rights: Those who are awarded grants are free to publish or broadcast their stories first in their affiliated media as long as Internews’ EJN, its partners and the grant funder, NABU and IKI, are also given rights to edit, publish, broadcast and distribute them freely.
Judging criteria
Applicants should consider the following points when devising their story proposals:
Relevance: Does the proposal meet the criteria and objectives of the call? Why does this story matter and to whom? Is the main idea, context and overall value to the target audience clearly defined?
Angle: If the story has been covered, does your proposal bring new insights to the topic or offer a fresh angle?
Reach: Does the proposed media outlet have a wide reach? Journalists publishing their work at outlets that typically restrict content behind paywalls are encouraged to secure commitments to publish from additional outlets, or request an exception to ensure their EJN-supported story remains accessible to audiences.
Impact: Does the proposal have a compelling narrative or investigative element that will inform and engage, draw attention, trigger debate and spur action?
Innovative storytelling: The use of creative approaches, multimedia and data visualization will be considered a plus.
Plan for timely publication: Reporters, whether freelance or employed at a media outlet, will need to include a letter of support from an editor in their application, committing to publish the stories by October 31, 2026.
How to apply