The Open Media Hub has launched the first Call for Expression of Interest for Production Support, a scheme to enable TV and online video journalists in the European Neighborhood to create contents related to the European Union and their respective countries’ relations with the European Union. The scheme is now open for Georgia, Moldova, Libya and Tunisia and will be extended to more countries in a few months, IPN reports.

The entire program aims at delivering greater public awareness of the actions and impact of the European Neighborhood Policy and strengthening domestic and local audience interest in EU issues. It also seeks to increase the amount of analytic, in-depth quality programming.

Visa free travel and re-entry policies, migrants and refugees, population movements, resettlements, national borders are at the center of political negotiation and massive humanitarian aid. These factors all impact daily life. Journalists and media outlets in Georgia, Moldova, Libya and Tunisia may now apply to obtain financial support and guidance in order to produce stories – positive or negative – on the impact of these decisions and policies.

Story proposals should illustrate the impact of these decisions on daily life, by collecting testimonies, describing unfolding events.

All applicants must pitch their story and fill in the online application form (Français, English,  Arabic, Russian). All the required documents, including contract, letter of intent, intended budget, waivers and risk assessments must be submitted together. Templates are available for download on http://openmediahub.com/open-calls/application-documents.

Applicants need to demonstrate that they are duly authorized by the legal entity to produce and to publish their story by producing a letter of intent from an authorized representative. This letter must state an eligible media outlet’s intention to broadcast or publish the eventual production, including an indication of the date(s) and context(s) of the planned broadcast or publication.

Eligible applicants are: news organizations (e.g., TV stations, online news companies); journalistic organizations (e.g., associations, foundations) if they can demonstrate a publication commitment from a media outlet; audio-visual production companies, and journalists acting on behalf of any of the above.

As an exception, Open Media Hub may decide, on a case by case basis, that individual journalists or television producers are eligible without legal entity backing or endorsement. Similarly, will relevant applications from bloggers, vloggers and citizen-journalists be considered if they can demonstrate a track record of significant audience reach on their platforms.

The amount of support will always take the topic, media outlet, and country into account and be proportionate to the typical prices and rates in the country. The average disbursement for: a news piece up to 3 minutes: €250-€500; story up to 8 minutes: €500-€1,500; story up to 15 minutes: €1,000 – €3,000; story up to 30 minutes/ or more: €2,500 – €8,000, and productions intended for online media: €250-€1,50.

Deadline for submission is May, 6 2017, 21 h 00 CET, Brussels time. The award decision will be announced on May 22, 2017. Details can be found at: www.openmediahub.com/ru/open-calls/faq.