The development of online media worldwide and particularly in the Arab world is having a profound effect on the media sector and, in more general terms, on society. Ebticar-Media wishes to support those involved in this process of change by providing them with the funding that will enable them to develop and to structure their projects. Ebticar-Media (“ebticar” means “innovation” in Arabic, and also stands for “E-Booster for Technical and Innovative Contents in the Arab Region”) has therefore decided to support the development and structuring of online media around the Mediterranean and to do so through the allocation of subsidies.
“Innovation” in Arabic
The development of online media worldwide and particularly in the Arab world is having a profound effect on the media sector and, in more general terms, on society.
Ebticar-Media wishes to support those involved in this process of change by providing them with the funding that will enable them to develop and to structure their projects.
Ebticar-Media (“ebticar” means “innovation” in Arabic, and also stands for “E-Booster for Technical and Innovative Contents in the Arab Region”) has therefore decided to support the development and structuring of online media around the Mediterranean and to do so through the allocation of subsidies.
Beneficiaries
Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestinian Territories, Syria, and Tunisia
Ebticar-Media is focusing on structures that have developed digital news content and that wish to further develop their activity by strengthening the way in which they operate, enriching their content and setting up new technical tools.
Ebticar-Media is restricted to structures set up in the following countries: Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestinian Territories, Syria, and Tunisia. Exemptions may be granted in duly justified cases under certain conditions (political situations, the specific nature of an “international” project, and the like).
Two calls for proposals (one in April 2014 and the other in January 2015) will lead to the selection of 10 to 12 projects each (i.e. a total, over the two calls, of 20 to 25 projects).
Supported activities
Projects supported by Ebticar-Media must relate to actions aimed at enhancing the editorial, technical or economic skills of those in the online media in the relevant region.
Supported activities should, for example, target strengthening skills and professional performance levels in web journalism, encouraging the production of independent, pluralist news content, contributing to the sustainability of online media activity, and providing assistance to project stakeholders when structuring their project (the setting-up of economic models, plus organisation and management). Support may also be given to involving online media professionals in training courses. Furthermore, encouragement will be given to the establishment of professional organisations and partnerships between relevant stakeholders and civil society, professional exchanges and the emergence of innovative projects.
Some examples:
Raising professional performance levels of those in the digital media
– setting up a training schedule relating to basic journalism, web writing, the production of multimedia products (sound, video, etc.), including hardware purchasing;
– setting up a technical training schedule relating to website design and to include software purchasing;
– setting up a training schedule relating to the use of social media and participatory tools;
– setting up a training schedule to help those involved in online activities remain secure, including software purchasing;
– providing journalism internships within the digital media and web journalism presentations as part of training courses.
Promoting the sustainability of online media activities
– development of a website that is in keeping with the editorial line and strengthening ergonomics;
– redefining the editorial line for existing sites as a function of envisaged development; adding new functionalities: interactivity, multimedia spaces, etc.;
– setting up a working organisation that is adapted to website requirements;
– experimenting with innovative tools on the website (applications, geolocation, fact checking, data visualisation, etc.);
developing and diversifying equity and new funding methods.
Structuring professional digital media organisations
– organising online press stakeholders into trade unions;
– organising labour committees to group together online press stakeholders and journalists’ trade unions to focus on issues concerning press accreditation, copyright, remuneration, and the status of news websites;
– drafting codes of conduct to regulate the profession and “white papers” on the adaptation of current press codes;
– supporting meetings between similar professional organisations and coordinating their activities, and setting up networks.
Partnerships and innovation
– creating shared working spaces for editorial teams and social media stakeholders, which will be designed to function as “check desks” or “collaboration platforms”;
– setting up partnerships to improve the representation of civil society actions in the new media (training of web journalism stakeholders, creating new categories, a journalists’ club, etc.);
– organising an “Innovation Award” in the field of journalism and social media;
– creating co-working spaces and organising meetings to promote the sharing of good practices, tools and exchanges in the region.
Key dates
A first call for proposals will relate to a first cycle of activities lasting no more than 18 months.
The schedule is as follows:
07 April 2014 Publication of the call for proposals
16 May 2014 – 15:00 GMT/UTC
Deadline for applications on the online platform
this deadline will not be extended
Early June 2014
Notification of the list of the 25 pre-selected projects
Early July 2014
Meeting with applicants and final selection in Marseille
From July 2014
Signing of subsidy agreements with selected recipients
December 2015
End of the first project cycle
Pre-selected applicants will be invited to a meeting in Marseilles in July 2014 so that they can present their project to the panel. Selected applicants will take part in the 4M Forum organised by CFI for late October 2014. A dedicated workshop for selected projects will be organised as a fringe event at this forum.
A second call for proposals will be launched in January 2015.
Ebticar-Media partners
Ebticar-Media is governed by a consortium of partners, the members being :
CFI – France – leader
BABELMED – Italy
FEI – France
ANNA LINDH FOUNDATION – Egypt
SAMIR KASSI FOUNDATION – Liban
Ebticar-Media is financed by the EUROPEAN UNION
Size of grants
20 000 > 80 000€ / project
Subsidies will be from EUR 20 000 up to maximum of EUR 80 000 per project. A single subsidy will be granted per recipient structure. Exceptionally, it may be possible for those recipients that can provide evidence of strong development requiring a supplementary project to apply for a subsidy extension, subject to satisfactory implementation of previous actions and the submission of a new action plan.
Projects may not receive double funding (the same project may not be funded by another source, but the structure may receive other sources of funding for other projects).
It is essential that a post with responsibility for financial monitoring of the structure (not simply the project) be set up within the budget in the case of structures that do not yet have such a post. Five per cent of the budget must be allocated to financing the final project assessment. An external financial audit and also the cost of participation at the 4M Forum in Beirut (travel and subsistence) must also be budgeted for.
Selection panel and assessment criteria
7 members
After the admissibility of dossiers has been established, a selection committee (composed of seven members: one for each member of the consortium + two professional experts in the digital media world) will meet to draw up the list of pre-selected projects.
Next, leaders of pre-selected projects will be invited to Marseilles to present their project in person before the panel. The definitive list of projects selected will be published after the Marseilles meeting.
Content and relevance of the project (40/100)
– quality of the background and needs analysis
– relevance of the project to the needs
– sustainability of the activity
– sustainability of results
– nature and innovative quality of the project
Management capabilities and skills of the project managers (30/100)
– experience in the relevant field
– experience of the team
– financial management capabilities
– project management capabilities
Methodology (15/100)
– cohesiveness of project and activities; project quality
– feasibility
Provisional budget (15/100)
– eligibility, clarity and cohesiveness of the project
– relationship between forecast costs and expected results
Eligibility
Eligible structures must belong to one of the following categories:
Young structures
(existing or under construction) that have developed digital news content (groups of bloggers or citizen journalists, web radios, pure players, news platforms, etc.);
Private traditional media
making the switch to digital (radio, TV, written press, press agencies, etc.);
Press trade unions, associations and NGOs
active in media promotion, civil society organisations wanting a higher web profile.
They must:
– Be a legally registered structure with legal standing (association, undertaking, NGO, etc.), independent of any political or religious movement, and be directly responsible for implementing the action. It should be noted that, in duly justified cases, non-registered organisations may submit a project. Such organisations must, however, launch the procedure for creating their structure no later than two months after notification that their project has been selected.
– Have their headquarters in one of the following countries: Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestinian Territories, Syria or Tunisia. It should be noted that, in duly justified cases (a project may not be implemented from the country of origin), organisations with headquarters in the European Union or in Turkey may submit a project.
– Have a bank account in the organisation’s name or be in a position to open one at short notice.
Content of the application folder
Only fully completed dossiers will be taken into consideration
Please retain a copy of the dossier submitted.
The dossier must contain
– The form (Fill in online)
– The action budget in euros (download specimen)
– The calendar (dowload specimen)
– Logic framework for the action, in the case of subsidy applications in excess of EUR 50 000 (download specimen)
The following items must be attached to the dossier
– The organization chart for the structure;
– The CVs of members of the proposed project team;
– The bylaws of the association or undertaking;
– A document attesting to legal constitution (current or in progress);
– All financial exhibits
that make it possible to substantiate the existence and proper management of the structure, including at least the forecast budget for the current year and, if appropriate, the budget relating to 2013. The budget must show the methods of funding of the structure (activity income, external funding, etc.).
As regards the proposed project, the applicant must provide a realistic budget and a satisfactory cost-effectiveness report. The precise amount will be allocated on the basis of financial management capacity and the presentation given in justification of the need for the subsidy. It may be revised if considered necessary.
Any questions ?
Before 10 may 2014
If you have any queries, please contact the following before 10 May:
M. Christophe Dehlinger – cdr@cfi.fr
Categories :
Mutation of the mediaPartners :
CFILocations :
MENA regionPublic : Existing organizations
Selection : 10-15 projects
Others Partners : Babelmed (Italy), FEI (France), the Anna Lindh Foundation (Egypt) and the Samir Kassir Foundation (Lebanon)
Email : cdr@cfi.fr
Find out more : http://www.4m.cfi.fr/index.php/fr/projet-ebticar-media-fr-ar