Deadline: October 24, 2025
Are you a media organisation based in Nairobi or Nakuru? Are you ready to fight back against digital threats? Apply now for the third and final TrustLab Incubator in Kenya, focussed on strengthening Media Defenders in the face of rising online harms.
TrustLab is a three-year EU-funded project by DW Akademie, Code for Africa (CfA) and Siasa Place, designed to help frontline organisations respond to digital threats with practical, community-led solutions.
About the Incubator
The TrustLab co-creation incubators are based on the global Living Lab model, where participants are briefed on the nature and extent of digital threats facing their audiences and communities, with an overview of possible counter-measures or mitigation strategies. This forms the basis for designing locally relevant pilot projects that frontline organisations can implement.
Through the programme, participants will explore ways for frontline watchdog media to collaborate around shared infrastructure and services wherever possible, to bolster their collective ability to defend against digital harms in ways that are sustainable within a resource-constrained environment.
The TrustLab Incubator Programme provides a vital opportunity for organisations to:
- Develop strategies to combat digital harm
- Foster community engagement and support
- Enhance their operational capabilities through training and mentorship
Programme Phases
- Phase A: 1 to 5 December 2025 (Nairobi): Face-to-workshop. Learn from technical experts about current digital threats in Kenya (such as surveillance, information manipulation and malicious AI), existing tools and services to detect and counter them, as well as ways to gather hands-on experience from the communities you serve.
- Phase B and C: 26 to 30 January 2026 (Nairobi): Ideation and prototyping workshop to support organisations in developing their projects, followed by online mentorship.
- Phase D: expected March till August 2026 (online): Prototype grants awarded for the most feasible and compelling ideas, along with technical support and strategic peer-mentorship.
Selected organisations are expected to participate in all sessions in Phases A to C, in order to qualify for funding in Phase D.
Benefits
- Grant award of up to €5,000 to implement your project.
- Training and mentorship from domain experts; access to tools
- Travel and accommodation for the workshops will be covered.
Eligibility
Eligible applicants must:
- Not work for any paramilitary or security organisation and must be non-partisan.
- Be registered with the relevant authorities in Kenya.
- Have skilled and available staff who are committed to participating in the period agreed upon.
- Maintain a strong connection to the communities they serve
- Be committed to countering digital threats such as surveillance, intimidation, hate speech and misinformation.
Application
For more information, visit DW Akademie Kenya’s TrustLab Incubator.
