Emergency Media Support Grants: Call for Proposals for SMF Members
As part of the initiative to strengthen access to reliable, public-interest information during an open conflict context, Free Press Unlimited and the Sudan Media Forum launch an Emergency Media Production/Activities Support Call for its member organisations.
Media and CSOs actors are operating under severe disruption, including displacement, safety risks, infrastructure breakdown, and censorship pressures. This small support mechanism is designed to contribute stabilizing essential work that protects the public’s access to verified information, that help reducing harm, and supports social cohesion.
This is an internal call managed by FPU in close coordination with Norwegian embassy for benefit of SMF members and open exclusively to eligible SMF member organisations.
FPU expects to award 5 grants of up to €20,000 each, for a grant period of six (6) months, subject to the urgency and quality of applications. A total of three grants will be awarded to media outlets, and two will be allocated to non-media organizations.
Priority is given to proposals that demonstrate clear public interest value, strong feasibility under current conditions, and responsible communication (NGOs) or journalism (media organisations) practices.
Objectives of the support
The grants aim to support initiatives that:
- Helps essential public-interest media production to continue
- Counter misinformation and harmful narratives
- Promote conflict-sensitive and constructive journalism
- Serve audiences affected by displacement or insecurity
- Strengthen collaboration and resilience within the media ecosystem
- Amplify community voices
Urgency is treated as a universal threshold condition. Comparative assessment focuses on preventing the greatest immediate harm to public access to reliable information.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants must:
- Be an SMF member organisation in good standing
- Demonstrate operational capacity to implement activities safely
- Meet minimum editorial and ethical standards
- Show ability to reach intended audiences/constituencies under current conditions
Applications that fail minimum capacity or content safeguards will not proceed to scoring.
What we support
Support will be provided based on:
Media organisations:
- Urgent operational needs: Current operational challenges requiring immediate financial or technical support to resume or sustain production.
- Public interest journalism: Alignment with call objectives including countering misinformation, civic awareness, and addressing Sudan's current context of conflict, displacement, governance, and humanitarian issues.
- Meaningful impact: Ability to produce impactful content that supports democratic dialogue and reaches Sudanese audiences, particularly in exile or conflict-affected areas.
Non-media organisations:
- Capacity to positively advocate for change: Have a clear advocacy strategy to support peace, democracy and freedom.
- Have a coherent capacity to strengthen media organizations through training and capacity building, as fitting the needs of members of the SMF.
Types of activities supported
Proposals may include, for example:
- Emergency continuation of news or public-interest reporting/ community engagement
- Fact-checking or counter-disinformation content
- Community information services
- Collaborative reporting initiatives
- Content/Activities that promotes cohesion or reduces harmful narratives
- Advocacy activities
- Activities that focus on capacity building, such as a hands on specialised workshops, series of thematic webinars, peer to peer learning, etc.
Activities must be feasible, safety-aware, and conflict-sensitive.
Evaluation criteria and weights
Applications are reviewed through a structured, independent process using published criteria. The evaluation considers the following criteria with specified weights totaling 100%:
- Relevance and Alignment (20%)
Alignment with call objectives, relevance to the current Sudanese context, and clear target audience identification. - Technical and Operational Capacity (20%)
Realistic timeline and workplan, team capacity, access to platforms and audiences, past performance, and risk mitigation. - Diversity and Inclusion Contribution (20%)
Inclusion of women, youth, minorities, or displaced populations; gender sensitive and inclusive content; local language or community outreach. - Partnership and Collaboration Potential (15%)
Ability to build bridges and work across divides. - Budget and Value for Money (10%)
Budget clarity and realism, cost effectiveness, and appropriate allocation to content. - Ethical and Accountability Standards (15%)
Accuracy and verification, responsible language and framing, conflict sensitivity, ethical safeguards, and balanced representation of voices.
A minimum threshold score is required to advance.
Decision Process
Eligible proposals are reviewed by an independent jury using standardized scoring tools.
Each proposal will be assessed by multiple independent reviewers to ensure consistency and fairness.
Timeline
Call Announcement: 10 September 2026
Application Deadline: 24 September 2026
Eligibility check: 28 September 2026
Review Period: 29 September- 16 October 2026
Award communication: 19 October 2026
How to apply
Applicants must submit:
- Completed proposal form that includes description and implementation plan, Safety and risk considerations
- Budget outline
Contact and questions
For questions, clarifications, or support with your application, before 24 September, please ask here: info@freepressunlimited.org
Please submit your questions before the application deadline.
Complaint mechanism
SMF and FPU are committed to a fair and transparent selection process. Applicants who believe a procedural concern has arisen are encouraged to raise it through the mechanism described below.
What can be raised. Complaints may relate to eligibility rules not applied as published, undisclosed conflicts of interest, procedural errors or deviations, breaches of confidentiality or ethics, or discriminatory conduct in the process.
What cannot be appealed. This mechanism covers process integrity only. Disagreements with scores, rankings, or jury judgments, as well as concerns about funding availability or pre-set strategic priorities, are not admissible.
How to submit a complaint. Complaints must be submitted in writing to the Secretariat at issues@freepressunlimited.org within 10 working days after receiving the notification letters. Anonymous complaints may be considered where they raise serious misconduct concerns.
What to expect. The Secretariat will acknowledge receipt within 3 working days and provide a full response within 15 working days. Identities of all parties involved are protected throughout the process. Retaliation against complainants is strictly prohibited.
A full version of the Formal Complaints and Appeals Policy is available upon request to FPU.
FAQs
Sudan Media Forum is a coalition of independent media organizations, journalists and aligned CSOs in Sudan. Dedicated to fostering a robust and independent media landscape, the Forum works tirelessly to advance press freedom, promote ethical journalism, and cultivate informed citizenship within a
just and democratic society.
Find out more on the SMF website
Free Press Unlimited is an international press freedom organisation that collaborates with over 300 media partners worldwide. With them, we work on our mission to make independent news and information available to everyone.
Find out more about FPU’s mission on the website
SMF is the partner in outreach and member coordination. FPU is the contracting organization responsible for this call, including eligibility checks, jury coordination, and issuing contracts.
The emergency support grants are institutional grants directed at SMF member organizations.
You can find a complete list of the media outlets on this page. If you are still in doubt, please reach out to your editor-in-chief.
You will be required to insert an email once you start the Google Form. Please make sure the email is valid and one that you frequently access. Once you complete the Google Form, you will receive a confirmation on said e-mail with a copy of your answers.
The Google Form is formulated in a way that every question has an explanation; however, if you experience troubles please reach out to info@freepressunlimited.org and indicate ‘Application for ‘SMF Emergency Media Production Support’.
Please fill in every box that applies to your organisation. If a box genuinely doesn't apply (for example, you're not requesting equipment), write "N/A" rather than leaving it blank.
The form is bilingual so either language reader can review it, but you only need to write your answers once, in whichever language you're most comfortable in.
The applications are evaluated by a Jury composed of 3 members. All jury members have committed to the utmost professionalism and are selected and operaring to avoid any conflicts of interest.
The SMF board is not involved in evaluating applications or deciding awards. If you have a question about your application or the process, contact FPU directly at info@freepressunlimited.org, not the SMF board.
The results of the call will be communicated on 19 October. However, the Jury reserved itself the right to postpone the date in case of an unexpected number of applications or unforseen delays.
Submit a written complaint to issues@freepressunlimited.org within 10 working days of the notification that triggered the concern.
The Secretariat will acknowledge within 3 working days and respond in full within 15 working days. Your identity is protected. Note that disagreements with jury scores or rankings are not admissible
