• Funder: Internews
• Prime Funder: United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
• Funder Project Name: Media Program in Armenia
• Invitation Type: Initial
• Assistance Listing Number: 98.001
• Open to: This is an open call for all independent media outlets registered in Armenia.
  Media outlets that have ongoing Technical Development Grant funding from Internews are NOT eligible to apply for this call  
• Grant amount: 4,100,000-10,240,000 AMD
• Number of grants to be distributed: 4 (Four), including at least 2 (two) awards to local media outlets
• Total amount to be disbursed under this call: up to 40,960,000 AMD
• Deadline for Applications: December 30, 2024, 18:00 Yerevan time(applications received after the deadline will not be considered)
• Duration: Minimum 8 months, up to 12months (The beginning of the project is scheduled for April 2025)

Objectives of the invitation

To support complex technical/technology upgrades that will bolster the media business and grow its audience.

Other benefits available to the recipients

After the selection of media partners, MPA will conduct a technical assessment for each of them to evaluate the feasibility of their proposed projects and determine the likelihood of successful implementation. Based on these findings, the project packages and recommendations for procurement will be finalized and individual mentoring and consultancy on exploring new income generation methods during the implementation of the project will be provided.

Eligible Costs

Interventions may include:

• Introduction of software for newsroom convergence, optimization of workstreams, and improvement of content production.
• Access to customer relationship management tools and data. Implementation of systems for linking data analytics, audience feedback, platform delivery, and content aggregation.
• Upgrades to websites to support more interactive, multimedia content.
• Digital transformation of the organization.
• Technical equipment. The purchase of production and other technical equipment and supplies for the organization is allowed. It can be up to 70% of the budget with solid justification.

Other activities or solutions that the applicant needs and proposes with solid justification. 

Proposal Requirements

In their proposals, applicants should demonstrate how proposed technical upgrades will:

• Improve efficiency in content creation and distribution
• Enhance audience engagement and user experience
• Support data-driven decision making across the organization
• Contribute to sustainable revenue models
• Foster innovation in storytelling and content delivery

Priority will be given to proposals that show a clear understanding of how technical upgrades fit into a broader digital transformation strategy.

Applicants are encouraged to demonstrate a commitment to sustainability and cost-effectiveness in their proposed projects, as these factors will be integral to the selection process.

Cost share – 5%

The applicants are requested to provide a 5% cost share. The applicant’s cost share under this award may include project costs incurred by the applicant from their own funds or project costs financed with cash, services, or property contributed or donated to them from other non-U.S. Government sources. The cost share contributions, both cash and in-kind, must be verifiable from the applicant’s records and not be included as cost share contributions for any other U.S. Government (USG)-assisted program.

Indirect costs:
The applicant may include de minimis 10% (§ 200.414 Indirect (F&A) costs) of the Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC) as indirect costs.

Reporting
Subgrants awarded as a result of this RFA will include programmatic and financial reporting requirements. Narrative and financial reports will be submitted monthly or quarterly as outlined in the award agreements.

Subgrant administration
The following regulations and provisions, at a minimum, will apply to subawards issued as a result of this RFA.
• ADS303mab Standard Provisions for Non-U.S. Non-governmental Organizations.

Selection and Evaluation process
The project proposal will be reviewed and evaluated by an internal Selection Committee. The applications of regional/local media outlets will be evaluated separately from national media organizations to ensure equal opportunities for all media.
Procedure timeline:

• Selection committee evaluation and discussion
• Technical assessment of the four selected media outlets
• Revision of the budget and project description based on the technical assessment
• Finalization of the application package
• Submission for donor approval

The following criteria will be used for the selection:

Importance of the problem presented (20%)

• Does the problem address a significant issue affecting content production, the media’s business, and/or its audience?
  • How well is the problem defined and supported by evidence?

Effectiveness and clarity of the proposed intervention (25%)

• How well does the proposed intervention address the identified problem?
  • Are the methods and activities clearly described in the proposal?
  • Is the justification solid?

Impact and sustainability (15%)

• What is the impact of the intervention for the media outlet and for the broader information landscape of Armenia?
  • How do the proposed actions fit into the larger digital transformation strategy of the applicant?
  • How will this intervention support the sustainability of the media outlet’s operations in the long run?

Capacity and motivation of the applicant (20%)

• Does the organization have previous experience in project management and media production?
  • Does the staff presented in the application have the relevant capacity?
  • How motivated the applicant to achieve change through the project?

Cost-effectiveness of the budget (10%)

• How reasonable is the proposed budget?

Ethical standards and transparency (10%)

• Is the organization part of any self-regulatory body?
  • Does it have a Code of Ethics?
    The code of ethics will be reviewed by the Media Ethics Observatory (MEO).
  • Is the organization transparent about its ownership and financial sources, including information about other donors that are currently supporting the applicant?

Previous experience of cooperation with applicant (0.5 points from the total 10 points)

• The Selection committee members will evaluate their previous experience of cooperation with the media outlet and in case of previous negative experience 0.5 points will be taken from the total score (not meeting deadlines, not cooperating with MPA team, avoiding participation in trainings, refusing to follow other provisions of the grant contract, etc.).

How to submit the application?

The application must meet the following requirements:

• The application should be submitted in English.
  Supporting documents (registration certificate, CVs, portfolio of previous relevant work, etc.) can be in Armenian if English versions are not available.
• The application must be submitted by December 30, 2024, 18:00 Yerevan. Late applications will not be considered.
• The application must be completed and submitted within the designated Application form. See below. (Annex 1)
• The application must include a detailed Budget using the provided Budget Template (Annex 2). Any application submitted without using the designated budget form will be disqualified.
• Fill in and submit the Questionnaire form provided. (Annex 3)
• Application and additional documentation must be submitted to Monika Mughdusyan via email at [email protected] with the following subject line: “Technical development grant_Name of the organization”.

Inquiries:

All inquiries can be directed to Anahit Khachatryan at [email protected] with the subject line: “Inquiry_Technical development grant_Name of the organization”.

On Tuesday, December 17, at 15:30, Internews in Armenia and Zinc will organize an online info-session at which all interested parties can ask any questions they may have related to the grant announcement. Interested applicants can join the meeting via the following link.

Award Notification and Responses

The submitted project application will be acknowledged within two (2) business days and will note the documents submitted. The applicant is responsible for ensuring and confirming that the emails comprising the application are received by the Internews representatives indicated in the Summary above.

Successful applicants will be notified of selection within thirty (30) working days following the deadline for submission of applications and will be invited to undergo technical assessment by Zinc.

The applicant must confirm the acceptance of their selection and readiness to undergo the technical assessment within five (5) working days of selection notification or the selection will be withdrawn due to a lack of response and offered to the next most qualified applicant. 

Once selection is finalized, unsuccessful applicants will be notified that an award has been made.

Applicants are free to contact Internews to request feedback after award decisions have been made.

The notice of selection of the application is not to be construed as a subgrant award. Once the selection is confirmed, a technical assessment is conducted and projects are finalized (within 60-75 days after the applicant’s confirmation of acceptance, depending on the responsiveness of the applicant). A final subgrant agreement will be negotiated and signed with the successful applicant, subject to prime funder approval, environmental clearances, and successful vetting of eligibility.

UEI Number

Prior to receiving any subgrant, selected applicants must have a Unique Entity Identifier (EUI) number assigned by Sam.gov. A UEI number is free and may be obtained from the website Sam.gov.
The delay in receiving a UEI after submitting an application can vary widely; it is recommended that applicants start the process as early as possible.

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What is the Media Program in Armenia?

Armenia has a vibrant media ecosystem that nevertheless faces serious challenges. Resource-strapped public interest media struggle to consistently produce high-quality coverage that reaches broad audiences, including youth, minorities, and residents of rural areas. Few independent media outlets in Armenia are financially viable, which poses a threat to their long-term sustainability. The USAID-funded Media Program in Armenia aims to strengthen the integrity of the information space in the country.

Implemented by Internews in Armenia and its partners: Media Initiatives Center (MIC), Yerevan Press Club (YPC), and Zinc Network, the program will enhance journalistic standards, catalyze the financial viability of public interest media, and foster an enabling environment for a society that is more resilient to disinformation.