The European Fact-Checking Standards Network (EFCSN) invites eligible fact-checking organisations to submit tenders to contribute fact-check content to, and license it for, a European fact-check database operated by the EFCSN. The database is a centralised repository of fact-check articles, fact-check data, verified disinformation appearances, and associated metadata, providing the fact-checking community with infrastructure for information exchange, collaboration, and collective licensing. Through these tenders, the EFCSN aims to increase the value of its database and gain insights into its usability for fact-checkers.
This call forms part of the project “Fact-Checkers for European Resilience Against Disinformation (FACTEUR)”, implemented by the EFCSN with seven partner organisations: Pagella Politica/Facta, Faktograf, Newtral, Fact Review, Greece Fact Check, Fact Check Cyprus and Science Feedback.
Subject of the Contract
Successful tenderers will enter into a contract with the EFCSN under which they will:
- contribute full-text fact-checks to the database from the contract start date until the end of the project (continued ingestion thereafter is encouraged, governed by the data licensing agreement);
- set up the technical infrastructure necessary to contribute, with options and support provided by the Consortium;
- review the AI-generated metadata of ingested fact-checks and, where necessary, correct or annotate it manually;
- grant the EFCSN licensing rights in the contributed content, enabling the EFCSN to make the data accessible to third parties, on fair and reasonable conditions; and
- promote the database.
Successful tenderers also gain access to the database back-office to collaborate with other fact-checkers. Alongside the contract, they will sign a data licensing agreement enabling the EFCSN to make the data accessible to third parties.
Eligibility Criteria
This call is strictly limited to organisations meeting all of the following criteria:
- Fact-checking organisation: a fact-checking organisation, team or unit using an evidence-based method to verify claims made in the public sphere, publishing on average at least four human-authored fact-checking articles per month.
- Council of Europe focus: a substantial and demonstrable editorial focus on a country that is a member of the Council of Europe, or on Kosovo, Belarus or Russia.
- Highest standards: tenderers must have a proven track record of adhering to the highest standards in methodology, transparency, and ethics, such as the standards laid out in the Code of Standards for Independent Fact-Checking Organizations.
- Location, outside the EU and DEP-associated countries: tenderers must not be established in an EU Member State or a DEP-associated country (please consult this document for the most updated version). Organisations that are so established are not eligible here and should apply under the Database Grants call instead.
Contract Value
- Contract value: determined per contract, based on the size of the tenderer’s organisation and its projected number of ingested fact-checks relative to the entire dataset, but maximum €70,000.
- Duration: 24 months.
- Procurement basis: this is a procurement of services and content licensing, not a grant. The fee is consideration for the services rendered and the licence granted, not a subsidy or distribution. Tenderers bear their own costs, taxes and charges, which must be reflected in the price offered.
Selection and Award Procedure
Tenders are assessed in two stages. First, the EFCSN staff carries out an eligibility and compliance check against the eligibility criteria above. Eligible tenders are then assessed on a best value-for-money basis, weighing the price offered against the projected volume of fact-checks to be contributed and the tenderer’s readiness to connect its editorial systems to the database. The EFCSN Governance Body takes the final selection decision.
How to Submit and Timeline
Submit your tender by email to [email protected]. In your offer, provide information about:
- the number of fact-checks you publish per year;
- how your organisation will manage the process of contributing data to the database, for example: who will be responsible for data ingestion, whether you will designate specific staff members or a dedicated team, and what steps you plan to take to set up and maintain the ingestion pipelines;
- your organisation with regards to the eligibility criteria;
- any experience you have with fact-checking database projects; and
- a reasoned fee proposal.
This call opens on 13 August 2026 and closes on 27 August 2026 at 23:59 (CET). Evaluations follow shortly after closing, with results communicated as soon as available. Contracts shall start on 1 September 2026.
Questions?
Please send questions about this call to [email protected].
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HADEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
