EFCSN Innovation Grants Call: Scaling Technical Tools and Disinformation Interventions

The EFCSN Innovation Grants under the FACTEUR project (grant agreement 101269336) provide cascade lump-sum funding to support piloting, refining and scaling technical tools and interventions to counter disinformation. The total call budget is €240,000 with up to eight grants of max €30,000 each at a 50% funding rate, payable 50% on signature and 50% after final report approval. Eligible single applicants are legal entities (for-profit or non-profit) based in EU Member States or DEP-associated countries and must be EFCSN certified or demonstrate intent to comply with the European Code of Standards for Independent Fact-Checking Organisations. Applications must be submitted via the EFCSN application form by 08 May 2026, 23:59 Brussels time, with projects up to 12 months in duration.

What it funds

Grants for piloting and scaling technical tools and interventions to counter disinformation, prebunking strategies, media and AI literacy initiatives, crisis communication, and new fact-checking formats (eg short-form video).

Who can apply

Single applicants only (no consortia). Must be a legal entity (for-profit or non-profit) that is EFCSN certified or demonstrates intent to comply with the European Code of Standards for Independent Fact-Checking Organisations. Organisations must be based in the EU or DEP-associated countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine). Applicants cannot simultaneously apply to the Content Grants (only the first submitted application will be considered).

Deadline and duration:Call opens 09 April 2026; deadline 08 May 2026 23:59 Brussels time. Maximum project length 12 months.

Available funding and format:Total call budget €240,000; up to 8 grants; maximum €30,000 per project; funding rate 50%; lump sum payments (50% on signature, 50% after final report).

Selection and award criteria

Three-stage evaluation:eligibility check, independent expert review (scored on Objectives, Impact, Organisational Capacity), and a final selection committee. High-scoring applicants advance to final stage.

1. 1Apply via the EFCSN application form before the deadline EFCSN call page ¹
2. 2Eligible costs include personnel, travel and subsistence, goods and services; indirect costs capped at 10%
3. 3Payment: 50% at signature, 50% after approval of final report

Questions can be sent to grants@efcsn.com; a Q&A webinar was scheduled for 23 April 2026. Results expected July 2026.

Footnotes

1. 1Full call text and the application form are available on the EFCSN website: efcsn.com and on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal.

Opportunity summary

The European Fact-Checking Standards Network (EFCSN), under the FACTEUR project (Fact-checkers for European Resilience Against Disinformation: Network for Emergency, Protection & Technology), is launching an Innovation Grants call to support European fact-checking organisations in piloting, refining, scaling and testing technical tools and interventions to counter disinformation. The call opens on 09 April 2026 and closes on 08 May 2026 at 23:59 Brussels time. The total call budget is €240,000, with up to eight grants available. Each project can request a maximum lump-sum grant of €30,000, funded at a 50 percent funding rate, for a maximum duration of 12 months. The call targets single applicants only; consortia are not eligible.

Key dates and administrative details

1. 1Opening date: 09 April 2026
2. 2Submission deadline: 08 May 2026, 23:59 Brussels time (single-stage)
3. 3Evaluation: May 2026
4. 4Results communicated: July 2026
5. 5Expected project duration: up to 12 months
6. 6Payment schedule: 50 percent on signature of grant agreement; 50 percent upon approval of the final project report

Links and reference:Call published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal and EFCSN website; applicants apply using the EFCSN application form available from the call announcement. EFCSN funding disclosure will be published at efcsn.com ¹.

Objectives and scope

The grants are intended to support activities that advance the capacity of fact-checking organisations to counter disinformation and increase information integrity at scale. Priority topics and activities include piloting new technical tools and disinformation intervention approaches; refining and maintaining existing innovative technical tools to operate at scale; establishing prebunking strategies; supporting media and AI literacy initiatives; scaling crisis communication capabilities; and developing and testing new fact-checking formats such as short-form video.

Eligibility criteria

Eligibility is restricted to legal entities, either for-profit or non-profit, that are either 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. Applicants must be based in the European Union or DEP-associated countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine. This call is for single applicants only; consortia cannot apply. Organisations may not submit simultaneous applications to the Content Grants; if both are submitted only the first received application will be considered.

Budget, eligible costs and payment terms

Total call budget:€240,000. Maximum grant per project: €30,000. Funding rate: 50 percent. Form of grant: lump sums. Up to eight grants to be awarded. Payment structure: 50 percent advance upon grant agreement signature and 50 percent after approval of the final project report. Exact amounts to be calculated using the EFCSN template budget table.

Eligible cost categories (listed by the call):

1. 1Direct personnel costs: employees or equivalents (editorial, research, technical, administrative and others), natural persons under direct contract, seconded persons, SME owners and natural person beneficiaries
2. 2Direct purchase costs: travel and subsistence including accommodation and travel costs, subsistence
3. 3Other goods, works and services: consumables, services for meetings and seminars, dissemination activities including website, publication fees, shipment, insurance, translation and similar services
4. 4Indirect costs: flat rate of 10 percent

Max. grant duration:12 months.

Selection and evaluation procedure

Evaluation proceeds in three phases:Phase 1 eligibility and compliance checks by the EFCSN team; Phase 2 independent expert review by external reviewers in relevant fields (disinformation studies, AI for information quality, media literacy) using award criteria and scoring; Phase 3 final evaluation by a selection committee comprising EFCSN Governance Body members and optionally independent reviewers. Reviewers and committee members with conflicts of interest must recuse themselves in accordance with EFCSN statutes.

Award criteria and scoring (each criterion maximum points):

An average score will be calculated from external reviews. At least 10 high-scoring proposals will advance to the final stage. All external reviewers are vetted and approved by the EFCSN Governance Body.

How to apply and contact

Applicants must complete and submit the EFCSN application form linked in the call announcement. The call closes on 08 May 2026 at 23:59 Brussels time. Evaluations occur in May 2026 and results will be shared in July 2026.

Questions and webinar:Questions should be sent to grants@efcsn.com. A Q&A webinar is scheduled for 23 April 2026 at 11:00 CET; registration details are provided on the EFCSN website and call page.

Structured extraction for categorisation

Below are precise, itemised answers to the categorisation questions based on the call text.

1. 1Eligible Applicant Types: Legal entities only. This includes for-profit organisations, non-profit organisations, fact-checking organisations certified by EFCSN or those able to demonstrate intent to comply with the EFCSN Code of Standards. Implicitly this covers SMEs, media organisations, research units within legal entities, NGOs and similar legal entities. Individuals cannot apply. Consortia are explicitly prohibited for this call.
2. 2Funding Type: Grant in the form of lump sums (cascade funding within EFCSN FACTEUR project context).
3. 3Consortium Requirement: Single applicants only; consortia of organisations cannot apply.
4. 4Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): Organisations must be based 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 integrity and fact-checking; disinformation mitigation; media and AI literacy; crisis communication; technology tools for information quality. Thematic sectors include ICT (tools and AI for information quality), media/journalism, education (media literacy), and public communication.
6. 6Mentioned Countries: Albania; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Iceland; Kosovo; Moldova; Montenegro; North Macedonia; Norway; Serbia; Turkey; Ukraine; and EU Member States (European Union).
7. 7Project Stage: Development, piloting and scaling of tools or interventions; projects may include refinement and maintenance of existing technical tools, pilot testing, implementation and demonstration activities, and experimentation with formats (short-form video). Expected maturity ranges from prototypes/early deployments to scaling-ready tools and tested interventions.
8. 8Funding Amount: Total call budget €240,000. Maximum grant €30,000 per project. Funding rate 50 percent. Up to 8 grants to be awarded.
9. 9Application Type: Open single-stage competitive call with an application form; deadline-driven (single deadline).
10. 10Nature of Support: Monetary support (grant lump sums) with non-financial expectations such as reporting, KPIs and dissemination; payment split 50/50 advance and final.
11. 11Application Stages: Three evaluation stages: (1) eligibility and compliance screening, (2) independent expert review, (3) final selection committee evaluation.
12. 12Success Rates: Not explicitly stated. Maximum number of awards is 8; total number of applications is unspecified. Because at least 10 high-scoring proposals advance to final stage, expected applicants surpassing awards suggests a competitive selection, but precise success rate is unknown and cannot be calculated from the available information.
13. 13Co-funding Requirement: Funding rate is 50 percent, meaning applicants must co-finance the other 50 percent of project costs from their own or other sources. The form is lump sum; eligible costs are listed and indirect costs can be claimed at a 10 percent flat rate.
14. 14Templates: The call references an exact budget calculation template table that applicants must use to compute amounts. Application is via the EFCSN application form (web form). The call lists eligible cost categories and requires KPIs, a project budget, description of organisational capacity and track record. Applicants should prepare: a project description aligned to call objectives, measurable KPIs, a budget using the provided template (personnel, travel/subsistence, other goods/services, 10 percent indirect costs), and evidence of EFCSN certification or commitment to comply with the Code of Standards.

Additional administrative and transparency notes

The call is part of the DIGITAL-2025 action under the FACTEUR project, grant agreement number 101269336. Funded by the European Union. Awarded grants and beneficiary names, amounts and durations will be disclosed publicly at efcsn.com. External reviewers are vetted and approved by the EFCSN Governance Body, and selection committee members must follow conflict-of-interest rules set out in EFCSN statutes. This call is cascade funding distributed by EFCSN under the FACTEUR EU-funded project framework.

Contact and help:For questions contact grants@efcsn.com or register for the Q&A webinar on 23 April 2026. Full application materials, budget template and the application form are linked from the EFCSN call page and the EU Funding & Tenders Portal entry.

Summary: What this opportunity is about and who should apply

This EFCSN Innovation Grants call provides small-scale, competitive lump-sum grants to single legal-entity fact-checking organisations based in the EU or DEP-associated countries to pilot, refine and scale technical tools and interventions to counter disinformation, boost media and AI literacy, strengthen crisis communications and experiment with new fact-checking formats. Projects should be 12 months or shorter, request up to €30,000 covering 50 percent of eligible costs, and use the EFCSN budget template. Evaluation combines eligibility checks, independent expert scoring on objectives, impact and organisational capacity, and a final governance-led selection. The call is particularly suited to EFCSN-certified fact-checking organisations or those prepared to commit to the EFCSN Code of Standards, with proposals demonstrating clear KPIs, feasible budgets, technical or editorial capacity to implement and plans to scale or pilot interventions that increase reach or effectiveness against disinformation. Applications must be submitted via the EFCSN application form by 08 May 2026 at 23:59 Brussels time. ¹

Footnotes

1. 1Application form, budget template and full call text are available on the EFCSN call page and the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. See EFCSN fund disclosure at efcsn.com and the call entry on the EU portal: EU Funding Portal.

This cascade funding opportunity under the FACTEUR project (Grant agreement 101269336) supports the European fact-checking community in countering disinformation through innovative technical tools and interventions. It is managed by the European Fact-Checking Standards Network (EFCSN) with a total budget of €240,000 available for up to 8 grants.

Key Dates and Timeline

Opening date:9 April 2026. Deadline: 8 May 2026 at 23:59 Brussels time (single-stage submission). Evaluations in May 2026, results communicated in July 2026. Maximum project duration: 12 months.

Objectives

• Piloting new tools and disinformation intervention approaches
• Refining and maintaining innovative existing technical tools to counter disinformation at scale
• Establishing prebunking strategies in fact-checking organisations
• Supporting and carrying out innovative media and AI literacy initiatives
• Scaling crisis communication capabilities
• Developing and testing new fact-checking formats such as short-form video

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 (no consortia)
• Cannot apply simultaneously for the EFCSN Content Grants (first submission considered if both applied)

Funding Details

Total Call Budget:€240,000.

Maximum Grant Amount:€30,000 per project. Up to 8 grants to be awarded.

Funding Rate:50% (lump sum grants). Applicants must cover the remaining 50%.

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

Eligible Costs:Direct personnel costs (editorial, research, technical, administrative, etc.); direct purchase costs (travel, subsistence, goods, services for meetings, dissemination, etc.); indirect costs at 10%. Exact amounts calculated using the provided budget template table.

Evaluation and Selection Procedure

Three-phase process:(1) Eligibility and compliance check by EFCSN team; (2) Independent expert review scoring on Objectives (max 10 points), Impact (max 10), Organisational Capacity (max 10); at least 10 highest-scoring advance; (3) Final decision by selection committee with conflict-of-interest recusal.

How to Apply

Submit via the dedicated application form. Full details and form available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal EU Funding Portal and EFCSN website.

For questions:email grants@efcsn.com or attend Q&A webinar on 23 April 2026 at 11:00 CET Q&A Webinar Registration. Budget template: Budget Template.

Additional Information

Funded through the FACTEUR project DIGITAL-2025. Transparency:Awarded grants disclosed on https://efcsn.com/fund/ including organisation name, amount, and duration. Further reading on EFCSN news: EFCSN Announcement.

Footnotes

1. 1All details sourced from the primary EU Funding & Tenders Portal page and EFCSN official announcements.