The public organization “MoveGreen” announces a competition for conducting journalistic investigations dedicated to current environmental problems of the Kyrgyz Republic .
Small grants of up to €2,500 are provided to carry out investigations. The funds can be used to cover the costs associated with conducting the investigation: fees for the team and invited experts , travel, searching and processing documents, conducting interviews, and other necessary expenses associated with conducting the investigation.
A total of 6 investigations will be supported.
Participants of the competition
The competition is open to media outlets in the Kyrgyz Republic that have at least 3 years of experience in investigative journalism. One media outlet may propose several topics for investigations, but a separate application must be submitted for each topic. Investigations can be conducted either by a group of journalists from one media outlet or in partnership with other media outlets.
Possible topics for investigation:
Suggested topics for investigation include, but are not limited to, the following areas:
- Industrial impact:
- Industrial emissions and their impact on public health
- Pollution of soil and water bodies with industrial waste
- Environmental Pollution and its Economic Consequences
- Extraction of natural resources:
- Impact of mining on ecosystems
- Land reclamation after mining
- Illegal deforestation
- Poaching
- Ecosystems and Biodiversity:
- Pasture degradation
- Decline in populations of rare species
- Invasive species and their impact on native flora and fauna
- Climate change:
- Impact on agriculture and food security
- Melting Glaciers and Water Security
- Urban environment:
- The ecological footprint of large construction projects
- Transport emissions
- Green areas and their reduction
- Waste Management:
- Disposal of hazardous waste
- “Green” economy:
- Investigations into Greenwashing Cases
Editorial boards may also suggest other relevant environmental topics that meet the selection criteria.
Team criteria
Applications will be evaluated according to the following criteria:
- The relevance of the topic of environmental investigation and its validity.
- Having a clearly formulated hypothesis.
- Social significance of the topic.
- The significance of the expected results and their possible impact.
- The applicant’s professionalism in the field of investigative journalism.
- Realism and reasonableness of the project budget.
- Using multimedia formats.
- Availability of a plan for promoting the material based on the results of the project.
Grant conditions
An agreement will be concluded with the winners of the competition, on the basis of which the grant will be allocated in two tranches: 50% at the beginning of the investigation, 50% after the acceptance of the final material.
Stages of project implementation
- Preliminary interview (online or offline)
- Conclusion of a contract
- Conducting an investigation
- Fact checking
- Legal screening
- Refining the material
- Publication and promotion
Mentoring support
The winners of the competition will be assigned mentors who will provide advisory support throughout the investigation and help with approval of the final material.
Requirements for materials
- The materials of the final investigation must be presented in video format only.
- Materials on the results of investigations must be presented in two languages - Kyrgyz and Russian. The editorial board has the right to choose the main language and use the second language for subtitles.
Project implementation deadlines
Investigative projects must be completed within 3 months: March, April, May, 2025. The specified timeframe includes: fact-checking, mentor assessment of the material, legal expertise and revision.
The deadline for completion is no later than June 1, 2025.
Submitting an application
To participate in the competition, fill out the application at the link: https://forms.gle/ZGFXvPsMxGKJJQYN6
Applications will be accepted until March 9, 2025 inclusive. The winners of the competition will be notified by March 20, 2025.
For more information, please contact the coordinator of the project “Commitment to Climate Protection in Kyrgyzstan and the Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia Region” Gulmira Esengeldieva by e-mail: [email protected]
This competition is held within the framework of the project “Commitment to Climate Protection in Kyrgyzstan and the Region of Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia”, implemented by the NGO “MoveGreen” with the support of the international agency “Bread for the World”.
Конкурс малых грантов для журналистских расследований на экологические темы