EFCSN Permanent Call for Protection Grants
EFCSN Permanent Call for Protection Grants supports threatened fact-checking organisations with psychological, legal, physical, and digital safety assistance to counter attacks that disrupt their work.
Funder: European Commission
Due Dates: Rolling | May 31, 2028 (Final deadline, or earlier if funds are depleted)
Funding Amounts: Up to €20,000 per request (€40,000 exceptionally), covering 50% of costs for up to 12 months
Summary: Rapid protection funding for fact-checking organisations facing threats, harassment, or security incidents linked to their work.
Key Information: Applicants must be fact-checking legal entities based in the EU or DEP-associated countries and certified by EFCSN or demonstrably following its Code of Standards.
Description
This protection scheme provides direct, rapid assistance to fact-checkers facing attacks and harassment intended to censor or disrupt their work. Supported by the European Commission through the EU-funded FACTEUR project, it is run by the European Fact-Checking Standards Network (EFCSN) with Faktograf, Pagella Politica, Fact Review, FactCheck Cyprus, and Greece Fact Check.
Support addresses psychological, legal, physical, and digital safety following threats such as coordinated online hate campaigns, hacking, office vandalism, physical violence, threats of imprisonment, and lawsuits, including SLAPPs. Funding can cover incident-related counselling and trauma support, legal defence, secure workspaces, emergency relocation, and cybersecurity measures. The scheme prioritises need, urgency, regional vulnerability, and organisations’ ability to manage the assistance. Submissions are handled securely to protect those affected.
