The Validation Booster 

Are you working in a media outlet, initiative, or are you an individual content creator who wants to learn how to validate media-oriented business ideas? If so, the Validation Booster (VB) call is an opportunity you do not want to miss!

Implemented as a part of Media Innovation Europe 2.0., it is led by the Vienna-based International Press Institute (IPI); the consortium brings together Thomson Media (TM),  The Fix Foundation (TFF), and the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN). The programme will continue to be co-funded by the European Union.

The VB programme offers a tailor-made acceleration experience designed for media outlets, networks, initiatives, and individual content creators. It focuses on helping participants validate their business ideas, particularly those that involve innovative digital products and services. Through this programme, you’ll explore the potential and feasibility of your media project within the digital landscape.

The following European countries are eligible to apply: Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy,Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Ukraine.

Besides traditional media and journalists, we encourage unconventional media representatives, individuals working for media organisations and/or those performing as individual content producers and creators, media CSO, media outlets, niche media/platforms with focus on ecology or green transition (increasing transparency of the renewable energy sector, promoting public awareness, and supporting the democratisation and decentralisation of energy markets) to apply.

In addition to the financial support through awarded grants, successful applicants will benefit from mentorship and strong capacity building in business development within the Validation Booster programme. Successful applicants are expected to allocate their time for the programme for six months, including: 

• Active participation in 12 online workshops over 4 months (each workshop lasts 4 hours);
• So-called “validation execution” over 2 months where successful applicants are expected to use learned tools to research, talk to their target audiences, validate their ideas -or learn that they need to pivot.
• Lastly, at the end of the project, create a pitch deck to formulate the best, most effective, most comprehensive way to quickly explain their new business to anyone they address (audience, potential donors, future clients…)

During all three segments listed above, successful applicants will have one-on-one mentoring sessions and full mentor support.

After completing the Validation booster, beneficiaries will have developed skills that enable them to:

• Clearly define their idea/purpose;
• Test, validate, and evaluate their business idea;
• Develop materials to present and communicate their validated idea to interested parties and potential donors.
• Present their idea, if validated, to a broader pool of donors

The segments mentioned represent critical steps in validating a business idea. They explicitly test the concept in real-life conditions through market research, with expert support from mentors, to improve the concept more effectively.

The grant budget ranges up to EUR 5,000. No co-financing from the applicant’s side is expected or obligatory within this Call for Applications.

The VB call is divided into two cycles.

The deadline for the I cycle application is 24 September 2024 by 23:59 CET (project implementation from November 2024 to April 2025).

For the II cycle, it is 1 April 2025 by 23:59 CET (project implementation from June 2025 to November 2025).

For FAQ, please check out the previous Info session, available HERE.

Details of the call, including the application process, criteria, evaluation, etc., are available HERE, and the application form can be found HERE.