EFCSN Content Grants: Supporting Fact-Checking Production and Disinformation Investigations

EFCSN Content Grants under the FACTEUR project (Grant agreement 101269336) provide cascade lump-sum grants to support editorial fact-checking, deep-dive disinformation investigations and outreach across Europe. The call opens 9 April 2026 with a single-stage deadline of 8 May 2026 at 23:59 Brussels time; total budget is €390,000, maximum grant €30,000, funding rate 50%, up to 13 grants, maximum duration 12 months, with 50% paid at signature and 50% after final report approval. Eligible single applicants are legal entities based in EU Member States or DEP-associated countries that are EFCSN-certified or demonstrate intent to comply with the European Code of Standards, and selection follows a three‑phase process including eligibility checks, independent expert review and final committee selection.

What it funds

Core activities supported

Grants finance editorial production of fact-checks (video, audio, text), deep-dive investigations into disinformation phenomena, communication and outreach to increase reach, and collaborations with media ecosystem stakeholders to amplify fact-checking impact.

Budget and award structure:Total call budget €390,000; up to 13 awards; maximum €30,000 per project; funding rate 50%; lump-sum payments (50% on signature, 50% after final report). ¹

1. 1Deadline: 8 May 2026, 23:59 Brussels time (single-stage).
2. 2Maximum project duration: 12 months.
3. 3Eligible costs include personnel, travel and subsistence, purchase of services/goods, and 10% indirect costs.

Who can apply

Single applicants only (no consortia). Must be a legal entity (for-profit or non-profit) based in an EU or DEP-associated country and either EFCSN certified or able to demonstrate sincere intent to comply with the European Code of Standards for Independent Fact-Checking Organisations.

Geographic eligibility

Organisations based in EU Member States or DEP-associated countries:Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine.

Selection and evaluation

Three-phase evaluation:eligibility check, independent expert review (scored on Objectives, Impact, Organisational Capacity), and final selection by a committee. External reviewers are vetted and Governance Body members recuse where conflicts exist.

1. 1Award criteria: Relevance to call objectives, expected impact and KPIs, and organisational capacity (each scored).
2. 2At least 17 high-scoring proposals proceed from expert review to final stage.

How to apply and contact

Apply via the EFCSN application form linked from the call page. Results expected July 2026. Questions to grants@efcsn.com and a Q&A webinar is scheduled on 22 April 2026.

Footnotes

1. 1Call published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal; application form and call text available from the portal and EFCSN website. See the call page for full templates and calculation table EFCSN call page.

Overview and Purpose

The European Fact-Checking Standards Network (EFCSN), under the FACTEUR project (Fact-checkers for European Resilience Against Disinformation: Network for Emergency, Protection & Technology, Grant agreement 101269336), is launching a single-stage call for Content Grants. The call funds editorial fact-check production, in-depth disinformation investigations, communication and outreach activities, and collaborative projects that expand the reach of fact-checking across the media ecosystem. The action is part of the DIGITAL-2025 network and is funded by the European Union with a total call budget of €390,000.

Opening and Deadline:Opening date: 09 April 2026. Deadline: 08 May 2026, 23:59 Brussels time. Expected duration of participation: up to 12 months.

Eligible applicants and eligibility constraints

This call is open to legal entities only. Both for-profit and non-profit legal entities may apply. Applicants must either be EFCSN-certified fact-checking organisations or fact-checking organisations that can demonstrate sincere intent to comply with the European Code of Standards for Independent Fact-Checking Organisations. The call is for single applicants only; consortia are explicitly not allowed. Organisations must be based in the European Union or in DEP-associated countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine. Applicants that submit both a Content Grants application and an Innovation Grants application will have only the first submitted application considered; exclusivity applies between these simultaneous calls.

Eligible applicant types:Eligible applicant types include legal entities such as: fact-checking newsrooms, independent media organisations, nonprofit organisations active in fact-checking, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that operate fact-checking projects, and other formally constituted legal entities that meet EFCSN certification or demonstrable intent to comply with EFCSN standards. Individuals and informal groups are not eligible unless they are incorporated as eligible legal entities.

Geographic eligibility:Beneficiaries must be established in the European Union or in the following DEP-associated countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine.

Scope, targeted activities and thematic sectors

The grants support content production and investigations addressing disinformation. Funded activities may include: production and editorial costs for fact-checks in any format (text, video, audio, interactive formats), deep-dive investigative projects on disinformation campaigns and networks, outreach and dissemination campaigns to increase audience reach, partnerships and collaborations with other media actors and creators, and capacity-building communication activities that broaden the impact of fact-checking. Thematic sector: media and information integrity, disinformation studies, media literacy and communications; adjacent technical themes such as AI for information quality are relevant to review but the primary sector is journalism/fact-checking and information integrity.

Project stage and expected outputs:This call targets projects at the development, validation and production stages: editorial content development and publishing, investigative reporting and research into disinformation phenomena, and outreach campaigns aimed at increasing reach and impact. Outputs expected include published fact-checks and investigations in relevant formats, measurable audience reach and engagement KPIs, dissemination materials, and final reporting documenting impact and deliverables.

Funding, financial rules and eligible costs

Total budget for the call:€390,000. Maximum grant per project: €30,000. Form of grant: lump sums. Funding rate: 50% of eligible project costs. Maximum duration: 12 months. A maximum of 13 grants will be awarded. Payment structure: 50% paid upon signature of the grant agreement and 50% following approval of the final project report. Indirect costs are covered at a flat rate of 10% of direct costs. Applicants must calculate exact amounts using the EFCSN budget template provided by the call administrators Budget template ¹.

1. 1Eligible direct personnel costs: editorial personnel, research personnel, technical personnel, administrative personnel, other staff; natural persons under direct contract; seconded persons; SME owners and natural person beneficiaries.
2. 2Eligible direct purchase costs: travel and subsistence (accommodation, travel, subsistence), consumables, services for meetings and seminars, dissemination services including website and publication fees, and other goods and services such as shipment, insurance, translation.
3. 3Indirect costs: flat rate of 10%.

Funding type and nature of support:Primary funding mechanism: grant in the form of lump-sum payments. Beneficiaries receive monetary support. No direct loans, equity or procurement contracts are offered under this call.

Selection procedure and evaluation

The selection and evaluation process has three phases:Phase 1 eligibility and compliance check by the EFCSN team; Phase 2 independent expert review by vetted external reviewers in fields such as disinformation studies, AI for information quality, and media literacy; Phase 3 final evaluation and selection by a committee including Governance Body members and optional independent reviewers. Reviewers are vetted and approved by the EFCSN Governance Body. Conflict of interest rules apply: any committee member with a conflict (for example an application from their own organisation or direct competitor) must be recused from the discussion and decision.

Award criteria and scoring:Applications are scored by independent experts against three equally weighted award criteria. Each criterion has a maximum of 10 points. The criteria are Objectives, Impact and Organisational Capacity. An average score will be calculated across reviewers; at least 17 high-scoring proposals will advance to the final stage. Final selection is made by the selection committee.

Application process, templates and timeline

Applicants must submit their proposals via the EFCSN application form provided in the call documents. The call uses a single-stage submission model. The official call page and the EFCSN fund page host links to the application form, budget template and supporting materials. Evaluations will take place in May 2026 and applicants will be informed of results in July 2026. A Q&A webinar was organised on 22 April 2026 at 11:00 CET; questions may be submitted by email to grants@efcsn.com.

Application templates and structure:Applicants should complete the EFCSN application form and the budget template spreadsheet. The budget template requires a breakdown of direct personnel costs, direct purchase costs (travel, subsistence, consumables, services), other goods and services, and calculation of indirect costs at 10%. The final requested lump-sum must correspond to 50% of eligible costs, with the grant not exceeding €30,000. Applicants should prepare a project description including objectives, methodology, workplan, expected outputs and KPIs, detailed budget lines consistent with the template, timeline up to 12 months, and evidence of EFCSN certification or declaration of intent to comply with EFCSN Code of Standards.

Administrative and transparency provisions

This call is published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Disclosure of funding awarded under this call will be published on the EFCSN fund page at efcsn.com and will include the name of the receiving organisation, amount and grant duration. The call is implemented under the EFCSN Statute; Article 15.3 on conflict of interest applies to the selection committee. Views expressed by beneficiaries do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the granting authority.

Contact and further information

Primary contact for questions:grants@efcsn.com. The EFCSN fund page contains the published call and additional resources. Applicants may register for webinars and download templates from the links provided in the call documentation. The call references the FACTEUR project page and the EU Funding & Tenders Portal for official publication and records.

Quick reference: structured answers to classification questions

1. 1Eligible Applicant Types: Legal entities including fact-checking newsrooms, independent media organisations, nonprofit organisations, SMEs and other legal entities running fact-checking activities. EFCSN-certified organisations or those demonstrating intent to comply with EFCSN Code of Standards are eligible.
2. 2Funding Type: Grant (lump sums).
3. 3Consortium Requirement: Single applicant only; consortia cannot apply.
4. 4Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): Organisations established in the European Union or DEP-associated countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine.
5. 5Target Sector: Media and information integrity, fact-checking, journalism, disinformation research, media literacy; relevant intersections with AI for information quality and communications/outreach.
6. 6Mentioned Countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine; EU member states generally (European Union).
7. 7Project Stage: Development, validation and production stages: editorial production, investigative research and dissemination/outreach activities.
8. 8Funding Amount: Total call budget €390,000; maximum grant €30,000 per project; funding rate 50%; up to 13 grants to be awarded.
9. 9Application Type: Single-stage open call via EFCSN application form (open for eligible applicants until the deadline).
10. 10Nature of Support: Monetary (grant lump sums) including coverage of direct personnel and purchase costs plus 10% indirect costs.
11. 11Application Stages: Three evaluation stages: 1) Eligibility and compliance check, 2) Independent expert review, 3) Final evaluation and selection committee decision.
12. 12Success Rates: Not explicitly published. Up to 13 grants will be awarded from all eligible applications; an intermediate shortlist of at least 17 high-scoring proposals will advance to the final stage. Exact overall success rate depends on number of valid applications received.
13. 13Co-funding Requirement: The funding rate is 50%, implying that eligible project costs must be twice the requested grant amount; beneficiaries must cover the remaining eligible costs from their own or other sources.

Summary:What this opportunity is about and how to approach it.

The EFCSN Content Grants call provides targeted, short-term lump-sum grants to strengthen European fact-checking capacity by funding editorial productions, investigative work on disinformation, outreach and collaborative initiatives. Grants are intended for legally constituted fact-checking organisations based in the EU or DEP-associated countries and require EFCSN certification or a demonstrable commitment to meet EFCSN standards. Projects may be up to 12 months in duration, with a maximum award of €30,000 per project and a funding rate of 50% of eligible costs. Applicants should prepare a concise project description with clear objectives, measurable KPIs for reach and impact, a realistic budget using the provided template, evidence of organisational capacity and track record, and explain how the work addresses current disinformation challenges and underserved languages or regions where relevant. The evaluation is competitive and follows a three-phase process including independent expert review and a final selection committee. Successful applicants will receive 50% of the grant at signature and the remaining 50% after approval of the final report. All grants awarded will be publicly disclosed on the EFCSN fund page.

Footnotes

1. 1Use the EFCSN budget template to calculate requested lump-sum amounts and ensure cost categories follow the call's eligible costs structure. Template available at the link provided in the call documentation Budget template.

This cascade funding opportunity under the FACTEUR project (Grant agreement 101269336) provides grants to support fact-checking organizations in producing content to combat disinformation across Europe. The call opens on 9 April 2026 with a single-stage submission deadline of 8 May 2026 at 23:59 Brussels time.

Objectives

• Editorial production of fact-checks in formats such as video, audio, or text, prioritizing underserved European languages and regions.
• Deep-dive investigations into disinformation campaigns, networks, or coordinated inauthentic behavior.
• Communication and outreach activities to broaden fact-checking impact and reach general audiences.
• Collaborative efforts with media ecosystem stakeholders, such as content creators or newsrooms, to expand reach.

Eligibility Criteria

• Legal entity status, for-profit or non-profit.
• EFCSN certified or demonstration of sincere intent to comply with the European Code of Standards for Independent Fact-Checking Organisations.
• Based in the European Union or DEP-associated countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine.
• Single applicants only; consortia not eligible.
• Cannot apply simultaneously to the EFCSN Innovation Grants; only the first submission considered if both applied.

Funding Details

Total Call Budget:€390,000.

Maximum Grant Amount:€30,000 per project.

Number of Grants:Maximum 13 grants.

Funding Rate:50% of eligible costs.

Form of Grant:Lump sums; exact amounts calculated using the provided budget template table.

Eligible Costs:Direct personnel costs (editorial, research, technical, administrative, others; natural persons under contract; seconded persons; SME owners); direct purchase costs (travel/subsistence, goods/works/services including dissemination, publication fees, etc.); indirect costs at 10%.

Payment Structure:50% upon grant agreement signature; 50% after final project report approval.

Maximum Duration:12 months.

Evaluation and Selection Procedure

Three-phase process:Phase 1 checks eligibility and completeness by EFCSN team; Phase 2 involves independent expert review scoring on Objectives (max 10 points), Impact (max 10), Organisational Capacity (max 10); at least 17 highest-scoring advance to Phase 3 final selection by committee with conflict-of-interest recusal.

Application Process and Timeline

1. 1Complete the online application form.
2. 2Submit by 8 May 2026, 23:59 Brussels time.
3. 3Evaluations in May 2026; results communicated in July 2026.

Q&A webinar on 22 April 2026 at 11:00 CET; register via provided link. Direct questions to grants@efcsn.com.

Additional Information

Funded through the EU Funding & Tenders Portal under DIGITAL-2025. Grants disclosed publicly on efcsn.com including recipient name, amount, duration. Primary source: EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Application form: Application Form. Budget template: Budget Template.

This call is part of the broader €5 million FACTEUR project led by EFCSN to enhance fact-checking resilience against disinformation, building on prior EU support for network expansion and multilingual coverage¹.

Footnotes

1. 1EFCSN received €5 million from the European Commission for the FACTEUR project to support fact-checkers, including cascade funding mechanisms like this call.