Issuance Date: November 25, 2024

Closing Date: December 22, 2024

I. SUMMARY:

The USAID Media Program is a five-year program funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by the International Research and Exchange Board (IREX).  The USAID Media Program supports a vibrant, resilient, networked media sector that provides Georgia’s citizens and diverse communities with the civically relevant, fact-based independent information they need to build a more just, prosperous, and inclusive society.

II. PURPOSE:

To promote and strengthen investigative journalism nationwide, the USAID Georgia Media Program, implemented by IREX, invites applications from online media outlets. We seek proposals from media organizations and individual journalists committed to producing impartial, well-researched investigative content on high-interest public issues.

Applicants are expected to submit high-quality, accessible investigative pieces or series using diverse formats—such as long reads, investigative series, video investigations, and data journalism—on a broad range of topics, from current events to critical, ongoing issues like government accountability, justice, corruption, environmental challenges, and local matters. The USAID Media Program values creativity, innovation in media, digital journalism, visual storytelling, and collaborative efforts between media organizations both within Georgia and with regional and international news groups. 

Please click here to download the Request for Application (RFA) and application.

III. LOCATION OF ACTIVITIES:

The geographic focus under consideration includes the following countries for regional activities: Georgia

IV. PROGRAM OBJECTIVES:

1. Preserve and strengthen an enabling environment that fosters press freedom and access to information. 
2. Increased business innovation and viability of media outlets  
3. Increase the availability of civically relevant, fact-based, independent sources of information. 

V. APPLICANTS ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA:

The applicant / application must meet the following requirements:  

• ​​​​​​Organizational applicants must be officially registered as a legal entity. In lieu of official registration, a Sub-awardee may show proof of effort to secure registration, exemption from registration, or show cause why such registration is either not optional or practicable.  
• Individual applicants may apply individually or submit their application in collaboration with a registered organization. 
• Meet the project objectives and principles.  
• Contain expected outcomes and results consistent with and linked to the project objectives.  
• Have produced a high-quality body of work that consistently demonstrates adherence to strong editorial principles of neutrality, impartiality, and robust fact-checking. 
• Be committed to upholding the principles of the Georgian Charter of Journalistic Ethics (GCJE), or similarly robust journalism principles such as OCCRP.  
• The applicant is not a debarred/sanctioned organization or individual according to SAM.gov and LexisNexis database checks.  
• ​​​Have a Unique Entity ID (UEI). Organizations selected for funding will be expected to have, or be in the process of applying for, ​​a UIE number.  A UEI is a unique number assigned to public and private companies, individuals, or organizations that receive funding from the US federal government. UEI numbers are obtained from ​www.sam.gov. 

Eligible Entities:   

• ​​​Nongovernment Organizations whose primary purpose is journalism. 
• National, regional, and local online media   

VI. COST SHARE REQUIREMENTS:

Cost share is not required.

VII. AWARD INFORMATION:

Subject to the availability of funds, IREX expects to award up to Fixed Amount Awards (FAA) subawards.  The total amount available for this activity is $200,000, with a ceiling of $40,000 per grant. The expected duration of IREX’s support or the period of performance is up to 12 months, with an anticipated start day of 1 January 2025.

IREX reserves the right to fund any or none of the applications submitted. Further, IREX reserves the right to make no awards as a result of this RFA.