Applications are now open for the Pascal Decroos Fund for Investigative Journalism to promote investigative journalism in Dutch-language media in Belgium.
Grant Types
The Pascal Decroos Fund has three types of grants:
Investigative Journalism: A working grant for investigative journalism allows the applicant to concentrate on one particular topic for a longer period of time.
In-Depth Journalism: The projects must go beyond regular reporting, daily journalism or correspondence. The subject or theme must be special, or else the approach or angle.
Preliminary Research: When it is not clear whether the inquiries will yield the expected results, it is possible to apply for a grant to cover the expenses of the preliminary research.
Funding Information
In 2022, there is €265.000 to distribute over four application rounds, which means approx. €66.000 per round. The programme is subsidised by the Flemish government.
Eligibility Criteria
Both beginning (starters) and experienced journalist (seniors) can submit a project that cannot be realised through the normal channels of journalism, that has major news value and depth and that is also original, innovative and time-consuming.
The applicant must be a journalist (written or audio-visual press), or be able to prove that he/she is aspiring to a career in journalism. Personal references and/or references to earlier work are essential in that respect.
Only natural persons can apply for a grant.
Projects with regard to investigative and special journalism must deal with topics that are relevant for Flanders.
The project must be published in a Dutch-language medium in Belgium. A letter of intent for publication from at least one professional news outlet is required for journalists with more than 2 years of experience. For starters this is considered a plus.
All journalistic end products qualify for a grant: newspaper and magazine articles, radio and television documentaries and series, photo-reportages and books, podcasts and journalistic non-fiction books.
