Apply for the Validation Booster programme

Open call for journalists, creators and media innovators: Apply for the Validation Booster

Apply by September 2, 2026

The Validation Booster

Are you a journalist, media organisation, content creator, media initiative or media tech developer with an idea for a new digital product, service or format? The Validation Booster is now open for applications, offering a six-month acceleration programme to help you test, refine and validate innovative business ideas for the media sector.

Implemented as a part of Media Innovation Europe 3.0. 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 supports projects that contribute to digital transformation, stronger audience engagement, new production methods and formats, and improved financial sustainability in the media sector. It is intended for media outlets, networks, initiatives, freelance and entry-level journalists, students, media content creators, producers, and developers building products or services for the media industry.

Selected participants will receive tailored support through expert mentoring, online workshops, practical assignments, pitch training and hands-on validation of their proposed product or service. Grants of up to EUR 3,000 are available for media outlets and organisations, while individuals and informal initiatives can receive up to EUR 2,000.

Applications are open to all 27 EU member states, as well as Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Iceland, Kosovo, Liechtenstein, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia and Ukraine.

Applicants are expected to have a good command of spoken English, and the application form must be submitted in English.

The deadline for applications is 2 September 2026 at 23:59 CET.

Applicants may submit up to two applications, provided that each proposal relates to a distinct idea or project. However, funding can be awarded for only one proposal per applicant.

For questions and clarifications, applicants may contact [email protected] no later than 1 August 2026.

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

The Validation Booster cohort

  • Mensagem de Lisboa, Portugal
  • DID Media DOOEL Prilep, North Macedonia
  • “Rubryka” Information Agency LLC, Ukraine
  • Robert Gombas, Austria
  • Euromaidan Press, Ukraine
    Mahir Sijamija, Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Vuk Vujišić, Montenegro
  • NGO Educational Order Mama, Montenegro
  • Zetland ApS, Denmark
  • Ioana Veronica Epure, Greece
  • ATHENSLIVE Media Solutions P.C., Greece
  • Mariia Pachkovska, Ukraine
  • EU-Media, s.r.o. (EURACTIV.cz), Czech Republic
  • Sports and Crime Briefing, Netherlands
  • Colectivo 5W S.L., Spain
  • P.P. Ziarul de Gardă S.R.L., Moldova

Media Innovation Europe programme (MIE) is made possible with the support of the European Union.