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Terms of Reference: Global Ireland Media Challenge Fund 2024-2025
From Department of Foreign Affairs
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Ireland’s Strategy ‘Global Ireland: Ireland’s Global Footprint to 2025’ is a whole-of-Government strategy aimed at doubling the scope, influence and impact of Ireland in the world. As part of this, it states that a programme for engagement “will be developed and implemented to communicate on a continuing basis to our citizens at home and overseas Ireland’s long-term international policy objectives.”
In the context of this strategy, the Department of Foreign Affairs is confirming the continuation of the Global Ireland Media Challenge Fund, initially established in a pilot basis, for a further two years 2024 and 2025. The initiative will be reviewed at the end of this period.
The objective of the fund is to support the provision of information about major geo-political developments and the changing nature of Ireland’s role in the world, to the public in Ireland, by helping build the capacity of Irish media outlets to undertake international reporting, while maintaining editorial independence.
A core principle of the Global Ireland Media Challenge Fund is editorial independence. Accordingly, following the allocation of funding to organisations to support their coverage of international issues, the Department of Foreign Affairs does not direct the organisations in terms of the projects selected, the tone of the coverage, or the allocation of staff to carry out this work.
Applicant organisations are invited to submit proposals via an application form (link below), describing the work that they plan to undertake to increase the scale and scope of their international reporting using the requested funding. Proposals may focus on the development of thematic and/or geographically based content.
The factors to be taken into account in assessing applications will include:
• Quality of proposal
• Track record of the organisation and relevant expertise
• Reach and scope of the organisation
• Ability to deliver to a wide audience as well as specific audiences
• Themes, sectors, and regions which have hitherto been lightly covered in Ireland and/or have been covered primarily by utilising news agency and/or 3rd parties
• Value for money
Funding will only be provided to media organisations with a presence in Ireland, and the scale of operation that would enable them to deliver on the objectives of the Fund will be taken into consideration.
An internal DFA Evaluation and Management committee will evaluate all applications and ensure transparency and accountability in decision making. An External Expert Advisory Group made up of experienced media professionals will also advise on the merits of the proposals and the extent to which they adhere to the terms of reference.
The Department of Foreign Affairs will engage experienced professional advice to support the assessment of all applications, make recommendations, and review delivery of agreements against agreed outputs and metrics.
Applications will be accepted biannually during two application windows, and will be assessed following the closure of application window. The results of successful applications will be published on gov.ie as soon as practicable thereafter, following formal agreement between DFA and applicant organisations.
The first 2024 application window is May 20th to June 14th, with funding decisions confirmed in July 2024 , and a second window will be announced before year end 2024.
Successful media organisations will be obligated to submit an annual report detailing their output for the year under the initiative. Biannual meetings will be held to discuss progress, and final reports will be published on gov.ie with a summary of the work of each organisation funded through the initiative at the end of the respective funding period. All successful applicants will be required to publish notice that they are in receipt of funding through the initiative.
All enquires related to the Global Ireland Media Challenge Fund should be addressed to GIUMediaChallenge@dfa.ie
ENDS
Department of Foreign Affairs
May 2024
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Footnote: 1. Global Ireland: Ireland’s Global Footprint to 2025 - Irelands_Global_Footprint_to_2025.pdf