Applicant FAQ

How long should I spend putting an application together?

No more than an hour. The application process is designed to get a sense of the project, your journalistic background and the appetite from a partnering media outlet. We want you to express a clear vision for the project, but the judges will be able to follow up with further questions so don’t spend hours crafting something – we know you are busy and freelancers, in particular, can’t justify that.

Can a team put in an application?

Yes, submissions on behalf of teams will be considered, but we want a key contact and project leader to submit the application. In the Summary of Project, outline the other team members involved and the budget implications should be outlined under Budget Proposal, but as the project leader, we want you to submit your CV and contact details of potential referees.

How do you define journalism?

To be honest, quite broadly. But the key consideration is understanding the formats mainstream media outlets are likely to employ to feature your story. It could be a podcast, a series of opinion pieces or a data journalism project. We will consider all types of formats, but we want this work to have impact, so think of the formats most likely to engage the audience.

What if I get funded but my project falls over?

We recognise this could happen, particularly for investigative stories. You may get far down the track and spend the majority of the grant only for the premise of the story to be made irrelevant. Should your application be successful, we will draft up an agreement with you covering what we expect to be delivered. But we will also work with you in good faith, understanding of the fact that the project may not go to plan.