This year’s hackathon brings together media professionals and innovators from across Europe in Vienna to develop concrete, sustainable business models tailored to their own media organisations.

WHO IS THIS FOR?

We invite applications from teams that:

• Work in journalism or media and are part of an established organisation (newsroom, media outlet, non‑profit, etc.);
• Are based in one of the following countries: Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, or Ukraine. We particularly encourage applications from different media organisations to collaborate and establish cross-border partnerships;
• Want to address a clear business challenge for their organisation, such as revenue instability, paying audience retention, revenue diversification, or dependence on a single funder or platform.

Each team should consist of 2-4 people with the skills to plan and implement a business model project in practice. At least one team member should be a decision‑maker within the organisation (for example, editor‑in‑chief, product lead, business or revenue lead). 

KEY BENEFITS FOR PARTICIPANTS

• Travel support: travel grants for selected finalist teams to attend the event in Vienna;
• Kick‑off funding: €5,000 grants for 3 winning teams to launch or scale their projects after the hackathon;
• Visibility & access: a complimentary pass to the IPI Media Innovation Festival 2026 in Vienna and present your project in an open pitching session on the festival’s opening day;
• Capacity‑building: an online ideation session and a digital simulation game with expert feedback to refine and stress‑test ideas;
• Tailored support: pitch coaching and mentorship from experienced media and business experts during the hackathon;
• Community: networking opportunities with media innovators, editors, product leaders, funders, and partners from across Europe.

PROCESS & TIMELINE

1. Call for applications (now – 15 March 2026, 23:59 CET). Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, so early applications are strongly encouraged. Teams have to complete a short online application form where they:
   • Introduce their organisation and team;
   • Describe the specific business challenge they want to focus on during the hackathon;
   • Indicate whether they already have a concept or developed idea for a media business model (early‑stage ideas are welcome).
2. Selected applicants are invited to a 3‑hour moderated online ideation workshop. Together with peers and experienced industry professionals, teams:
   • Refine and sharpen their problem statement;
   • Explore potential solutions and business models;
   • Receive feedback on feasibility, impact and sustainability.
3. Based on the applications and/or participation in the ideation session, 10 finalist teams are chosen to attend the in‑person hackathon in Vienna.
4. Hackathon in Vienna (4-6 May 2026), where over three days, finalist teams:
   • Work intensively on their concepts, value propositions, revenue, and audience strategies;
   • Take part in the digital simulation game and mentoring sessions;
   • Prepare and rehearse their final pitch with support from coaches;
   • Present their solutions to a jury and guests in a final open pitching session.
5. Three teams receive €5,000 kick‑off grants to start implementation and are encouraged to continue developing and testing their projects within their organisations and markets.

ELIGIBILITY & SELECTION CRITERIA

• The team belongs to an organisation working in journalism or media;
• The applying organisation(s) are registered and operating in one of the eligible countries listed above;
• The team includes 2–4 people with complementary skills (editorial, product, business, tech, audience, etc.);
• Ideally, teams include members from two different organisations and/or countries, but this is not mandatory;
• The team includes at least one decision‑maker who can support implementation.

WHAT WE LOOK FOR IN THE SELECTION:

• Clarity and relevance of the business challenge (Is it a real, pressing problem for the organisation?);
• Potential impact on the organisation’s sustainability (revenue, audience, diversification, resilience);
• At least one team member who will present the project during the pitching session must have a good command of English;
• Where possible, diversity of perspectives (teams combining different roles, organisations and/or countries are encouraged).