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Deadline

08 Jan 2026, 17:00 (CET)

For whom

Independent and/or regional German media outlets, individual freelancers based in Germany, and teams of journalists.

Amount

€5,000 to €15,000

call for applications

Programme

Official Development Assistance (ODA) Germany Grants

Grant

Official Development Assistance (ODA) Germany Grants

apply now

Supporting the quality, diversity, and reach of journalism that explores German foreign aid for development from multiple angles, such as its role, the global implications of ODA trends, and underreported stories from the Global South.

Global Official Development Assistance (ODA) is in decline, and for the first time in history, the four largest contributors made simultaneous cuts for the second year in a row. While Germany is still the world’s second-largest contributor of ODA in terms of volume, its contribution as a share of Gross National Income (GNI) is projected to again fall below the 0.7% voluntary target. This will continue to affect key aid areas such as agriculture, health, and humanitarian aid, as well as impact multilateral health and humanitarian organisations.

The ODA Germany Grants Call will deliver grant funding. Grantees will have a six-month period to research, produce, edit, and publish their story. Applications with a strong emphasis on data-driven and solutions journalism, and social media are encouraged.

Applications open 18 November 2025 and close 8 January 2026, 17:00 CET

Questions? Join our Ask-Me-Anything session on Thursday, 27 November at 12:00 CET (via Zoom)

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Eligibility Criteria 

The grants will be open to:

  • Independent and/or regional German media outlets, individual freelancers based in Germany, and teams of journalists.
  • Partnerships between Germany-based journalists and/or German media and media in countries where German foreign aid is being directed.
  • Content creators affiliated with German media outlets and working on development aid, foreign policy and/or global health.
  • Explanatory and deep-dive reports; story formats in print, web, video, audio, multimedia, and data-based. 
  • Applications that represent a reporting series, cross-platform collaborations, data-visualisation stories, social media explainers, and a solutions-oriented approach are encouraged to apply.
  • Stories that explore the role of German ODA in the thematic areas of Disease prevention and vaccination access / Health systems (e.g. HIV, malaria) / Food security and climate adaptation / Migration / Declining and/or shifting global ODA trends and their impact / Aid effectiveness, transparency, and accountability / Innovative financing and multilateral mechanisms /  Ground-up perspectives from low and middle-income countries / ODA’s role in German and/or regional security and stability of societies / Aid’s role on economic development.

How to apply

Hero image by Bettina Rühk in Hello Tractor: Per App bestellen Bäuerïnnen in 13 afrikanischen Ländern einen Pflug by Riffreporter for the Solutions Journalism Accelerator

Frequently asked questions

Why is Germany the only country eligible under this scheme?

As Germany decreases its development assistance contributions, this scheme focuses on supporting journalism in Germany that explains how these shifts affect development, diplomacy, and policy. Germany remains the world’s second-largest contributor of Official Development Assistance (ODA). However, its contribution as a share of Gross National Income (GNI) is projected to fall well below the 0.7% voluntary goal, to around 0.52% in 2026, according to analyses of the German Federal Government’s 2026 Draft Budget (released in summer 2025) by independent development policy research bodies such as Donor Tracker and Development Initiatives. This marks a pivotal moment for journalists to assess how a major donor nation is redefining its role in global development.

In the eligibility criteria you mention a solutions-oriented approach. What do you mean?

Solutions journalism is rigorous and evidence-based reporting that primarily focuses on responses to societal problems. Solutions journalism can be defined as a practice that investigates and explains, in a critical and clear-eyed way, how people try to solve widely shared problems. For inspiration, resources such as the Solutions Journalism Network’s Solutions Story Tracker might be useful.

How does EJC ensure the independence of the grants scheme?

The EJC is an independent Dutch foundation. No funder is permitted to exert influence over the selection of grantees or their work. The editorial independence of all grantees is guaranteed. All grants under this scheme are awarded by an independent jury of experts based on a pre-established set of criteria. No representative of any funder can sit in on or influence the jury.

Stated-funded media

The EJC understands that some media may be financed both indirectly and directly by the state. If this is the case, you might be eligible to apply for the grant, but we request that you indicate the amount/percentage and type of state funding received by your organisation.

Can I write our application in a language other than English?

No, we only accept applications in English.

Can an applying team submit more than one application?

Yes. There are no restrictions on the number of applications that may be submitted. The independent jury’s decision for the selection of projects will be based entirely on the selection criteria and an attempt to ensure thematic balance. You can also apply for the individual rounds (3 in total).

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