Deadline: 31 October 2018

The Simon Cumbers Media Fund is currently accepting proposals on development-related issues from media professionals who wish to travel to a developing country to report on contemporary life there.

The aim of the Simon Cumbers Media Fund is to assist and promote more and better quality media coverage of development issues in the Irish media.  Proposals should centre on international development themes, including the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Applicants must demonstrate the relevance of their project to one or more of the seven Irish Aid Priority Areas for Action.

Applications from journalists from all media disciplines and outlets are encouraged. Photographers may also apply for funding to present a photographic exhibition as part of their submission. Judges will assess applications against criteria such as originality, the reach of the project and its potential to raise understanding of development issues among Irish audiences.

Priority Areas

• Global Hunger
• Fragile States and Situations
• Climate Change
• Trade and Economic Growth
• Essential services
• Human rights and Accountability
• Humanitarian Assistance

Funding Information

The maximum amount of funding available is €10,000, but the judging panel is not obliged to award the maximum in any case.

Eligibility Criteria

• Media organisations, media professionals or media students can apply for funding.
• Applications will be accepted for print, broadcast and online projects, with a preference for multimedia projects.
• Applications for photographic exhibitions that support a primary project will also be accepted, provided there is a clear photographic element to the main project proposal. The applicant must clearly set out how they will use the exhibition to increase the reach of the project and raise understanding of development issues.
• Applications solely for a photographic exhibition will not be considered by the judges.
• Joint applications, for example between a journalist and a photographer, are permitted, but the applicant must indicate strong reasons for the proposed collaboration.
• Applicants may only submit one project proposal and one exhibition proposal in each funding round.
• The proposed media project must be new, i.e. it must not have been broadcast, published or exhibited in any format previously. Please see the Simon Cumbers Media Fund Project Showcase for examples of funded projects.
• The primary audience of all media / exhibition outlets must be in the Republic of Ireland.
• Submissions that have a film festival / exhibition as their main outlet will not be considered as a primary publication outlet.
• Applicants who are already in receipt of grants from other funding streams within Irish Aid for their proposed project will not be eligible to apply.

Judging Criteria

The Simon Cumbers Media Fund judging panel will base its decision to grant all / part-funding on the following criteria:

• Quality of the proposal.
• Value for money.
• Reach of the project (i.e. the ability of the project to reach high audience numbers and prominence in the publication or broadcast outlet / ability of the project to secure coverage across a range of national/regional media outlets or formats). Maximising the impact of the project through other media will also be taken into account.
• Relevance to the seven Irish Aid Priority Areas for Action and potential to increase public understanding of global development issues.
• Link with sub-Saharan Africa / Irish Aid partner countries.

How to Apply

Interested applicants must apply online via given website.

For more information, please visit 2018 Simon Cumbers Media Fund.