Deadline: June 14, 2023
Applications are invited for the International Press Institute New Media Incubator 2023. The New Media Incubator is a six-month programme for Europe-based new media ventures and early-stage publishers building on existing ideas.
The programme supports publishers with a minimum viable product launched in their target community at least six-months prior. Publishers will work to identify market gaps, gain deeper understanding of their audience’s information needs, to prototype a product and to continuously experiment, test and maintain their startup or a part of their business or content model. Successful applicants will have an elaborate and strategic approach to their business model but need financial support and mentoring in implementing it.
Funding
- New Media Incubator may cover any percentage of a project’s costs, up to 100 percent of the total. Co-funding is encouraged but not mandatory. Teams must declare any existing sources of funding on their application.
- Applicants to the New Media Incubator can request grants between €5,000 and €15,000.
Eligibility
- You are a new media startup and open to leveraging audience and innovation methods to grow.
- Have identified a gap that needs serving, and have developed a business plan and financial forecast.
- Demonstrate that the team has a validated business idea.
- Your team demonstrate the right mix of skills to deliver your project, such as media management and editorial experience.
- Eager to facilitate news innovation and journalism collaborations.
- Have a plan on how to identify and serve your audience, or be open to undertaking audience research and information needs assessment.
- Commitment to community journalism is a plus.
- Applicants must be 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, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Ukraine.
Selection Criteria
- A clearly identified challenge or problem you want to solve.
- A team ready to address the problem or challenge you identify.
- A clear definition of your target audience and willingness to reach out to new audiences with quality content.
- Recently conducted audience research or other market testing activities.
- Well-articulated vision for growth.
- Likelihood of survival after the six-month project.
To apply, you must have a team of two staff members who declare that they will participate through the incubator’s duration of six months.
Application
Each applicant team should designate a lead applicant from within the participating media outlet.
Applicants can save the application form by clicking “save” and return to it until they have completed it and are ready to submit. They will be emailed a link to their application which they can return to until June 14, 2023 at 23:59. Once the application is submitted, it can no longer be edited.
Only applications in English received via the Jotform platform by the stated date and time will be considered. You will receive an email confirmation of your submission. Brevity in supplying the information requested will be appreciated.
Applicants must answer the following questions:
- Information about your organization
- Participating team members (at least two)
- Your organization’s mission and values
- Project title and elevator pitch
- Definition of your target audience and market gap
- A list of financial resources you need to deliver your project
- Definition of what success means for your project proposal
For more information, visit New Media Incubator.
