Questions & Answers
Call for Applications for Media Resource Centers
Whether you are considering applying or just want to learn more about the Call, you can find more information in the Q&A section below.
1. Can the Media Resource Centers be established online, or is it required for them to be physical?
All forms are accepted, as far as they manage to deliver the services planned.
2. Will monetization of the online content of the beneficiary media actors be of added value?
Yes, monetization is an added value as it is related to media sustainability, which is at the core of our Call and our Program, together with other formats and approaches that contribute to diversification of revenues.
3. We established our organization recently, are we eligible to apply under this call?
You can apply regardless of being a recently established entity, as far as you have the right expertise and experience to offer the services envisaged to other media actors. In this case, the required expertise and experience should be clearly shown and demonstrated through the professional profiles/Bio of the Team that will implement the Project.
4. Must the organization be fully registered by the application deadline (March 15th, 2026), or can the application be submitted by individual professionals with the commitment to register the entity upon award?
No, it cannot. The applicant needs to be a legally registered entity before the deadline of the Call.
5. Can a communication consulting company that does media training and has extensive experience in this segment, be the Lead Applicant for this call?
Yes, it can.
6. Can a lead applicant be a PR and marketing agency with proven needed experience, applying in partnership with a public media service partner?
Yes, it can be.
7. Are Trade Unions eligible as lead applicants?
Yes, if the services will aim at supporting media organizations/actors.
8. Is a private company media (TV) eligible for this call, offering services to other media in the region (TV, radio, portals)?
Yes, it is eligible.
9. Are alternative media outlets (e.g. podcasts, satirical media etc.) eligible to apply?
Yes, alternative media outlets can be applicants or beneficiaries of the Initiative.
10. Are state institutions such as ‘Equality bodies’ eligible, as applicants or partners?
State Institutions are not eligible as lead applicants, but as partners yes.
11. Can an NGO apply to provide services to media actors?
Yes, it can.
12. Can Public Broadcasters apply, national or local?
No, public broadcasters cannot apply, nor local or national. But they can be partners in the application, or beneficiaries of the services offered.
13. Can Public Universities apply? What about private Universities?
Public Universities cannot apply as Lead Applicant, but they can be partners in the application.
Private Universities can apply on the other hand, both as Lead or as Partner.
14. Can one entity (organization, company) apply as Lead applicant in one application and be a partner in another one?
Yes, it can. One entity cannot apply as Lead applicant in two applications, but it can be Lead in one and partner in another application.
15. Do we need to limit our support only within one country, or can we extend it in other countries?
You can develop a regional resource center, providing support and services to media actors from more than one country, but always within the WB region.
16. Can we have partnerships with organizations from EU countries?
Partnerships with EU organizations are allowed.
17. Is it mandatory to apply in partnership with another media organization or outlet?
No, it is not mandatory. One organization/company can apply even without having a partner organization. But, in all cases you need to clearly define your target group- media beneficiaries.
18. Will GIZ provide a list of media actors that we should be supporting with our services in each country, or should we find them?
You should identify yourself the media actors you will be supporting, or at least describe the profiles of media actors that you aim to support, in case you don't have the concrete names at the time of the application.
19. Is there any minimum number of media actors/beneficiaries that we need to support?
No there is no minimum number. You should decide the number of media actors based on your concept idea approach.
20. What are the media outlets that are not eligible to be beneficiaries of the support offered by resource centers?
Our program aims to support Resource centers that will provide support to independent media organizations/actors who adhere to the code of ethics and which work in public interest.
21. Should Media outlets we will be providing services to, be registered in the official Media Register (wherever is applicable), or they could be also informal media, podcasts, blogs, etc.
The media actors benefiting from the resource center services could come in all formats and forms, registered or not, as far as they are ethical, professional and work in public interest
22. Our initiative deals with legal journalism, raising awareness of citizens on legal rights. Can we apply?
To be eligible, the services should be aimed at supporting other media actors. If you aim to provide legal support to media actors, then you can apply. Solely increasing awareness of citizens in legal areas is not the subject of this Call.
23. Can I apply to set up and develop a podcast show?
This call does not provide funding for your organization's production needs, but for services and products that you can offer to other media actors.
24. Is engagement of the external experts allowed? For example, if we don’t have enough experts within our media, can we engage someone outside the organization as a consultant?
Yes, you can contract as many external expertise and collaborators as you need. They need to be inserted at Section 2 of the budget. Additionally, a comprehensive professional profile/Bio of these experts should be included as part of the Application.
25. Do we have to immediately name the Media we will help in any area?
Not necessarily, but the profile of media actors to support will need to be put in the proposal.
26. We plan to integrate AI into our website portal and would like to hire a specialized company for the AI implementation, or to employ a developer who can both implement the AI solution and maintain the server, portal, and overall IT infrastructure? Can we apply to fund these processes?
No, this is not in line with this Call goals. You cannot apply solely to develop your own webpage or digital infrastructure, unless it serves and complements the services you will offer to other media actors.
27. When can the implementation of the project start?
Please plan your activities as of April or May 2026.
28. Is the two-year duration of the project obligatory?
No, the duration of the Project can be from 6 months to 2 years.
29. Is the €10,000–€80,000 budget range per grant, or is that the total amount available for all 15 grants to be awarded?
Each grant amount will be between 10,000 Euro to 80,000 Euro.
30. What defines the amount of the grant, as the range is too wide: from 10,000 to 80,000 Euro.
Grant amounts will be determined based on the proposed intervention, number of services offered, number of media actors targeted, duration of the project, geography covered, level of collaboration and partnerships, as well as administrative and absorption capacity of each organization.
31. How will partnerships operate administratively and financially?
The partner will be considered as a service provider to the Lead applicant and inserted into the respective budget section of the Budget Form.
32. Can people employed by one organization applying for a grant, be listed as experts in another proposal?
Yes, they can, under a contract for external expertise, under budget section 2.
33. Is re-granting to third parties allowed?
No, re-granting is not allowed to third parties under this agreement. If partnership is foreseen, the funds that will be used by the partner should be indicated as external services under section 2 of the Budget Form. Partners would be considered as service providers to the lead applicant.
34. Is the grant sum net or gross amount?
Grant is planned in gross amount, except if it’s otherwise regulated by country specific law.
35. Are there certain items in the budget that need attention, i.e. certain percentages for items or limits?
There are no fixed percentage rates for budget lines or sections. The budget costs need to match the activities, be realistic, reasonable and based on the market prices of each country.
36. What are the procurement rules of the grant?
Once you are selected and awarded a grant contract, you will need at least three offers for purchases and services above 1,000 Euro. Only in North Macedonia the upper limit is 500 Euro.
Please see more information about the procurement in the linked document: Info Session presentation.
37. In what currency should we fill out the budget?
Please fill out the budget in EUR currency using the official exchange rate at the moment of application.
38. Is there any possibility of reallocating certain budget lines after the start of implementation?
Yes, it is allowed. You can re-allocate up to 20% of budget headlines. For any reallocation above that limit, you will need contract amendment.
39. Is investing in the equipment for the resource center allowed? What about the investment in equipment for the beneficiary media actors?
Both investments are allowed, as far as they serve the purpose of the proposal, match the services to be offered and are needed for a good performance of media beneficiaries.
If the information you were looking for, is not covered in this Q&A document, you can check the presentation from the Info Session here SustainMedia Info Session Recource Centers, or feel free to contact us anytime via [email protected]. We will get back to you as soon as possible.
