Media Mentorship Program | SMK80019PAS005

Opportunity Information: Apply for SMK80019PAS005

The Media Mentorship Program is a U.S. Embassy Skopje (Department of State, U.S. Mission to North Macedonia) grant opportunity designed to strengthen a free, independent, and resilient media environment in North Macedonia by investing in early-career journalists. The program focuses on building practical reporting capacity while helping participants respond to modern information challenges, especially disinformation and the fast-changing digital media landscape. The opportunity is structured as a discrete, time-bound mentorship and training initiative that combines skill-building workshops, expert engagement, and a final public-facing capstone that shares lessons and raises the program's reach beyond the core cohort.

At the center of the project is a cohort model: applicants are expected to recruit and select 20 to 25 journalists who are under the age of 35, then guide them through a sequence of 9 to 12 in-person workshops delivered in North Macedonia over a total period of 9 to 12 months. The workshops should be practical and hands-on, exposing journalists to real case studies and applied exercises that sharpen critical thinking and strengthen storytelling skills. While the training is expected to occur in person, speakers and experts may participate either virtually or in person. A key feature is the mix of expertise: proposals should draw on specialists from North Macedonia, the wider region, and the United States, including potential participation by alumni of past U.S. government-sponsored media programs in the country.

The Embassy lays out several clear program objectives that the workshops and mentorship activities should directly advance. These objectives include introducing journalists to new skills and emerging trends in reporting; strengthening their ability to recognize disinformation tactics and develop the skills needed to investigate and expose disinformation; expanding their use of digital tools while improving digital security awareness and practices; helping them analyze both the challenges and opportunities created by new media; encouraging the production of original, high-quality content; and providing case studies and hands-on experiences that build strong analytical habits and more fluent, compelling storytelling. In practical terms, the program is meant to help young journalists do better work in a more complex information ecosystem, while also improving their safety and effectiveness when operating online.

Beyond the workshop series, the grantee is expected to design and deliver a capstone event at the end of the program that reaches a broader audience. This capstone is meant to multiply impact, elevate participant work, and expand public engagement with the themes of media integrity, professional standards, and information resilience. The timeline and sequencing of activities are not fixed in advance; instead, the awardee is expected to coordinate the detailed timeline with U.S. Embassy Skopje to ensure the program aligns with local context and Embassy priorities.

Inclusion is a core requirement rather than an optional add-on. Proposals must demonstrate a real commitment to supporting and including marginalized communities across a wide range of identities and circumstances, including disability status, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, and whether participants come from rural or urban areas. This expectation applies both to who benefits from the program and how it is designed and delivered. For proposals submitted by U.S. institutions, there is an additional emphasis on identifying potential local sub-grantees, reflecting a preference for meaningful local partnership and on-the-ground implementation capacity.

Applications are expected to be specific and operationally credible. A competitive proposal should clearly explain how the project will meet each objective, spell out concrete outputs and outcomes that will be achieved by the end of the grant period, and describe the American content and/or involvement that will be integrated into the program. It must also define the target audiences, identify where activities will take place geographically, and, if programming is spread across multiple locations, explain how logistics and delivery will be managed. Applicants need to include a monitoring and evaluation approach that shows how progress and results will be tracked, and they should explain how the program will have a multiplier effect or remain sustainable after the grant ends, such as through reusable training materials, participant networks, follow-on mentoring, or partnerships that persist beyond the award.

The opportunity also requires a communications component. Proposals should include a traditional and/or social media plan to market or publicize activities and outcomes, helping increase visibility and extend the value of the work beyond the immediate participants. Finally, applicants must demonstrate strong financial and administrative capacity, including the ability to manage participant costs and maintain transparent oversight, especially when sub-grants or partner organizations are involved. The Embassy is looking for implementers who can deliver a well-managed program with clear results, responsible stewardship of funds, and professional accountability.

Key grant details from the announcement include an opportunity number of SMK80019PAS005, a discretionary grant instrument type, and an anticipated single award with a funding ceiling of $100,000. The funding opportunity was created on May 21, 2019, with an original closing date of July 1, 2019, and it is administered by the Department of State, U.S. Mission to North Macedonia under CFDA 19.900.

• The Department of State, U.S. Mission to North Macedonia in the housing, humanities (see cultural affairs in cfda), information and statistics, income security and social services, law, justice and legal services, natural resources, other (see text field entitled explanation of other category of funding activity for clarification) sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Media Mentorship Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.900.
• This funding opportunity was created on May 21, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jul 01, 2019. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $100,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

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