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EFCSN Permanent Call for Protection Grants
Digital Europe Programme · DIGITAL-2025-BESTUSE-08-FACTCHECKERS
Protection grants for fact-checkers facing harassment, threats or lawsuits, covering legal, psychological, physical and cyber safety.
What is this call about?
The call offers rapid protection grants to fact-checking organisations facing harassment, threats or legal attacks. It covers psychological, legal, physical, relocation and cybersecurity support.
What does this call fund?
Scope
The scheme provides direct, rapid support to fact-checkers facing harassment, threats, hacking attempts, vandalism, physical attacks, lawsuits or SLAPPs. It is run by the European Fact-Checking Standards Network and its consortium partners with EU support.
Supported areas
- Psychological support: counselling, burnout prevention and specialised training linked to a specific incident
- Legal aid: defence against defamation, harassment, violence, SLAPP suits, copyright disputes and similar
- Safe workspace and physical safety: security systems and equipment, secure workspace rental, remote work arrangements
- Emergency relocation: transport, temporary housing, crisis coordination
- Cybersecurity: encryption, security tools, risk assessments
General staff wellbeing, commercial or employment legal disputes and general IT upgrades not linked to a specific threat are not eligible.
Eligible costs
Direct costs must relate to the requested support. Indirect costs are capped at 10% of direct costs. Costs are eligible from the date of application if the grant is approved. Grants are lump sums, paid 75% on approval and 25% after approval of the final report.
Selection
Applications are screened automatically for completeness and basic eligibility, then evaluated by consortium experts on need, urgency, regional vulnerability and absorptive capacity. Urgent requests are processed within 48 hours and others within 5 working days.
What are the key facts?
- Topic budget
- €340,169
- Funding rate
- up to 50%
- Call code
- DIGITAL-2025-BESTUSE-08-FACTCHECKERS
- Programme
- Digital Europe Programme
- Funder
- European Fact-Checking Standards Network (EFCSN)
- Eligible applicants
- fact-checking organisations based in the EU or Digital Europe Programme associated countries
- Funding per project
- up to €20,000 per request; up to €40,000 in exceptional cases
- Duration
- up to 12 months
- Expected number of projects
- approximately 17
Who can apply for this call?
- Legal entities, for-profit or non-profit.
- EFCSN-certified fact-checking organisations, or fact-checking organisations that can show they respect in practice the European Code of Standards for Independent Fact-Checking Organisations.
- Organisations based in the European Union or Digital Europe Programme associated countries.
- Single applicants only; consortia cannot apply.
Check your eligibility and how your project fits
In your free account, we check the eligibility conditions against the call documents for your organisation and assess how well your project fits this call.
When is the deadline?
Rolling call open from 2 September 2026 until 31 May 2028, or until funds are depleted.
Interested in this call? Summary written with AI from the official call documents. Details can differ, so check the official call page before you apply. Read the official call documents before you decide. The official text is always binding.
Source: the official call page and the official call documents. Always check them before you apply. Official call page Last updated 16 October 2026.