Grant competition for 5 media organisations

The independent analytical center Expert-Grup in partnership with the Institute for European Policies and Reforms, is launching a competition to select 5 media organisations for the project “Strengthening Consumer Protection in the Republic of Moldova.” This project is funded by the European Union and Soros Moldova Foundation.

The main goal of the project is to raise awareness and ensure the enforcement of consumer rights in Moldova. It aligns with the broader objective of enhancing the capacity of civil society organisations in implementing the association agreement, particularly at the local level, as consumer protection is a key aspect of the European integration process. Specifically, it supports Lot 2 of the call for proposals: promoting consumer protection through advocacy.

Project objectives

The project will achieve its goals through two specific objectives:

1. Government capacity: Enhance the Moldovan government’s ability to enforce consumer protection laws in line with EU standards, primarily through technical assistance aimed at accelerating the harmonization process.
2. Consumer empowerment: Increase consumer knowledge and advocacy skills by empowering the media and civil society to promote consumer rights and raise public awareness.

Call for media organizations

This call aims to select 5 media organizations to receive sub-grants of up to EUR 15,000 each, supporting communication and awareness activities across Moldova. The sub-grants are exempt from income tax, excise duties, customs duties, and VAT as per annex no. 1 to GD no. 246 of 2010.

One media organization will be selected from each of the following 5 development regions: North, Center, South, Gagauzia, and Chisinau. Media organizations will compete within their respective regions. Each selected organization will contribute to the consumer protection awareness campaign by producing investigative journalism and other media content, such as articles, radio/TV shows, or podcasts. They will be guided by one of 5 experts chosen for the project.

The experts will assist in identifying topics for journalistic investigations and guide the development of media content related to consumer protection. Topics will be coordinated with the project team and the EU delegation. Given that many consumers in the Transnistrian region purchase goods/services from the right bank of the Dniester, all informational materials will be translated into Russian and distributed through local communication channels. If materials are initially produced in Russian, they will be translated into Romanian and disseminated.

Deliverables

Each sub-grantee will propose topics for journalistic investigations and 5 media products to their designated expert. Once approved, they will draft and finalize these products in consultation with the project team. The final media products will be published, disseminated, and discussed.

Eligibility requirements

General requirements:

• Must be legally registered in the Republic of Moldova.
• Must sign and adhere to the “Code of Ethics of Moldovan Journalists.”
• Must demonstrate an independent editorial policy.

Specific requirements:

The applying media organisation must:

• Explain its motivation and interest in strengthening consumer protection in Moldova, plans for disseminating produced materials, and objectives for continuing consumer protection efforts.
• Provide experience in journalistic investigations and producing media content (articles, TV/radio shows, podcasts).
• Submit links to the organization’s website, social media pages, and relevant media content.
• Provide CVs of up to 3 team members who will implement the sub-grant.
• Prove financial sustainability with financial statements for 2022-2023.
• Present a draft budget detailing resource allocation for the project (note: the project is exempt from VAT).

Submission details

Interested candidates must submit their offer as a single PDF file containing:

• A copy of the registration certificate.
• A cover letter (max 3 pages) detailing the organization’s motivation, plans, and objectives.
• Links to journalistic investigations and impactful media content (with audience figures, if available).
• Links to the organization’s website and social media pages.
• CVs of up to 3 team members.
• Financial statements for 2022-2023.
• An explanation of how the organization ensures editorial independence (max 1 page).
• A draft budget.

All offers must be emailed as a single PDF to procurari@expert-grup.org by September 30, 2024, 6:00 p.m.