2016 The Google Innovation Fund "Digital News Initiative" (DNI), the € 150 million initiative to support innovation in the European Journalism Industry, offered 51 millions of euros to 251 ambitious digital journalism projects in 27 countries. Today, Google enthusiastically opens the Fund for the third round of applications, which will be accepted by April 20.
From the beginning, the Google Digital News Initiative Fund was designed to provide unrequited awards to those looking for space and money to experiment. Google knows from experience that the biggest and bold ideas often start from something small. With the DNI Fund, the company wants to give new approaches the ability to experiment and develop.
The number and quality of the requests received by Google in the first two rounds of funding, for which you can get updated on its new website Fund, they were really impressive. To allow time for prospective applicants to prepare, this year's application round will be open for the next 6 weeks, with a closing date 20η April.
The invitation is for projects that bring a fresh way of thinking to the practice of digital journalism, supporting the development of new business models, or even changing the way news is used and consumed in the digital environment. Google's focus on this third round of the DNI is on emerging and creating new business models and finding new potential revenue for the industry.
The Digital News Initiative, started as a collaboration between Google and several European News Organizations, has grown into an ecosystem of over 180 participants working together to support high quality journalism through technology and innovation. Part of this collaboration is the open source project "Accelerated Mobile Pages" for mobile pages and the specialized YouTube Player for Publishers, used by the largest news sites in Europe. The DNI initiative is open to anyone active in the European digital journalism industry, whether small or large, start-ups or start-ups.
Timetable:
07/03/2017
Opens the application mechanism
20/04/2017
Deadline for submission of applications
27/06/2017
The third council meets
05/07/2017
The funded projects are announced
Here's a quick reminder of how the Fund works:
projects
We are looking for projects that demonstrate a new way of thinking in the application of digital journalism, that support the development of new economic models, or even the change in the way news is used and consumed in the digital environment. Projects may be in the experimental stage, but they should have clear objectives and a significant digital presence. There is no requirement to use Google products. Successful projects should demonstrate innovation and have a positive impact on the production of primary digital journalism and on the future viability of news companies.
Candidate conditions
The Fund is available to established publishers, online-only publishers, journalistic start-ups businesses (start-up), partnerships of companies and individuals in EU countries and Europeans Free Trade Zone.
Financing
There are three funding categories available:
- Original projects: available to organizations and individuals who meet the eligibility criteria and require a grant of up to 50 thousand. These projects must be at a very early stage, with ideas not designed and assumptions that have not yet been tested. Such projects will be promoted quickly and will be funded at 100% of their total cost.
- Medium projects: available to organizations that meet the eligibility criteria and require a grant of up to 300.000 euros. Funding requests will be accepted up to 70% of the total cost of the project.
- Great works: available to organizations that meet the eligibility criteria and require a grant of more than 300 thousand. Funding requests will be accepted up to 70% of the total cost of the project. Funding has a limit of 1 million.
There are exceptions to the limit of 1 million for major projects, which are part of parties (eg international, sectoral, multi-agency) or projects that are of great benefit to the overall ecosystem of journalism.
How to apply
For more details visit the initiative website DNI (https://digitalnewsinitiative.com), which includes eligibility criteria, terms, conditions and application forms. Applications must be submitted in English and the submission deadline is 20η April 2017.
Administration
Through extensive consultation it is now certain that the Fund has comprehensive and transparent selection and application procedures. Confidentiality is extremely important. Applicants should not share sensitive business or highly confidential information. More details are available on the DNI site.
The initial selection of projects will be made by a team of experienced people in the field, as well as Google executives, who will consider all applications in terms of suitability, innovation and impact. They will make funding proposals to the Fund Board for pilot and medium-sized projects, which will oversee the selection process. The council will vote on major projects.
Council Members:
- Joao Palmeiro, President of the Portuguese Publishers Association and Chairman of the Board DNI Innovation Fund
- Alexander Asseily, Founder & CEO of State, Founder of Jawbone
- Arianna Ciccone, Co-founder and Director of the Perugia International Journalism Festival
- Bartosz Hojka, Chief Executive Officer of Agora SA
- Veit Dengler, Managing Director, Neue Zürcher Zeitung
- Rosalia Lloret, Director of Inter-Organizational Relations, Online Publishers' Association Europe
- Bruno Patino, Rector of the School of Journalism Sciences-Po
- Bart Brouwers, Professor of Journalism at University of Groningen
- Madhav Chinnappa, Director of Strategic Relations, News and Publishers, Google
- Torsten Schuppe, EMEA Marketing Director, Google
- Ronan Harris, Vice President, Google
The next recipients of the Prizes will be announced before the summer holiday. Your applications will be filed here.
