EFCSN Temporary Call for Protection Grants

Fact-checkers are frequently the targets of attacks and harassment. The fact-checking community has been repeatedly harassed; individual fact-checkers and organisations have faced threats, vandalised offices, “slapsuits,” and coordinated online hate campaigns designed to censor or cancel their work.

In response, the European Fact-Checking Standards Network (EFCSN)—together with its members Faktograf, Pagella Politica, Fact Review, Fact Check Cyprus, and Greece Fact Check—has initiated a protection scheme with the support of the European Union.

The primary aim of this scheme is to provide direct, rapid support to fact-checkers in need (e.g. due to online harassment campaigns, hacking attempts, vandalization of office spaces, threats of physical violence, physical attacks, threats of imprisonment or lawsuits, SLAPPs). Those facing harassment or requiring assistance for their psychological, physical, or legal safety may submit requests for support under this call. All submissions will be handled with the utmost security and processed as quickly as possible to provide aid to those affected.

Support and Eligible Costs

Fact-checking organisations can request support for the following:

• Psychological Support: counselling, burnout prevention, and specialised training.
  Please note that costs for general staff wellbeing not linked to a specific incident or harassment situation are not eligible.
• Legal Aid: Defense against defamation, harassment, SLAPP suits and copyright disputes. Please note that legal costs related to commercial disputes, employment matters, or issues unrelated to fact-checking activities are not eligible.
• Safe Workspace: This may include installation of security systems, purchase or rental of security equipment, rental of a secure workspace, or costs to enable staff to work remotely during a period of risk. For fact-checkers, the workspace is understood as the reporting assignment itself and the physical space immediately surrounding it.
• Emergency Relocation: Transport, temporary housing, crisis coordination for teams in danger, etc.
• Cybersecurity: Upgrades for encryption, security tools, risk assessments etc. Please note that general IT infrastructure upgrades not linked to a specific security threat or incident are not eligible.
• Indirect / Administrative Costs: Indirect costs cover organisational overhead directly related to managing this support request (e.g. staff time spent coordinating, administration). These are capped at 10% of total direct costs.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for funding, applicants must meet the following requirements:

• Legal entity: Applicants must be a legal entity, whether for-profit or non-profit.
• Certification: Applicants must be 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.
• Location: Organisations must be based in the European Union or DEP-associated countries (please advise this document for the most updated version).
• Single applicants: This call is intended for single applicants, i.e. consortia of organisations cannot apply for this call.

Budget, Funding, Payment Terms, Grant Duration

• Total Budget For the Temporary Protection Grant: €80,000.
• Maximum Grant Amount: €20,000 per support request, in exceptional cases (e.g. relocation of a large team) grants can be up to €40,000.
• Funding Rate: 50%
• Form of Grant: lump sums
• Number of Grants: ~2-4
• Payment Structure: 75% upon approval of request, 25% following the approval of the final report.
• Exact amount must be calculated using this template table.
• Retroactive costs: If a grant is approved, costs are eligible from the time of application submission.
• Max. Grant Duration: 12 months
• Rolling basis: This call is open on a rolling basis until funds are depleted. This temporary call opens on 11 May 2026 and closes on 1 September 2026 upon which a new call will be published.

Selection Procedure

The evaluation will be conducted in two steps:

• Phase 1: Expert Evaluation: Requests will be evaluated by the consortium experts based on need, urgency, regional vulnerability, and the applicant’s capacity to absorb the support. EFCSN will oversee the process, ensuring transparency, financial safeguards, and equitable distribution. Applications will be assessed against the award criteria outlined below.

• Phase 2: Governance Approval: All grant applications will be reviewed and approved by the EFCSN Governance Body. In accordance with Article 15.3 of the EFCSN Statute, any committee member with a conflict of interest (such as an application from their own organisation or a direct competitor) must be recused from the discussion and decision.

An outcome report (financial and narrative) is expected from all grant recipients.

How to Apply and Timeline

To apply, please send an email detailing your support request, information regarding the type of harassment, details on how you intend to use funds, the filled in budget template, and quotes if available at [email protected].

Where a quote could not be obtained due to urgency, provide a brief justification in the description. Please note that all budgeted costs should reflect the market rate. Requests for urgent support will be processed within 48 hours.

Transparency Notice

This call has also been published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Funding granted through this call will be disclosed on: https://efcsn.com/funding-opportunities/. Disclosure will cover the name of the receiving organisation, amount, and grant duration.

NB! If a grant recipient operates in a high-risk environment or handles sensitive data, they may request that their identity remains confidential during the implementation phase and be disclosed after the end of the funding cycle.

Questions?

Please send questions about this call to [email protected].