Through a competitive grant system, Tanzania Media Fund (TMF) works to support individual journalists, media houses, civil society organisations, and training institutes to improve the quality and quantity of public interest and investigative journalism in Tanzania. TMF offers two types of grants: for individual journalists based in mainland Tanzania and/or Zanzibar, and institutional grants for media houses, media associations, civil society organisations (CSOs), and media training institutes officially registered in mainland Tanzania or Zanzibar.

The grants are awarded to proposals that focus on investigative and public interest journalism. Successful proposals should also contribute to at least one of the following priority areas: improving public transparency and accountability and promoting informed public debate; increasing the diversity of voices in the public sphere, especially voices from rural areas and/or of historically excluded people; and addressing the underlying causes of poverty in Tanzania.

There are three categories of grants for individual journalists:

• rapid release;
• regional; and
• strategic capacity.

Application deadlines are announced annually.

Click here for more information about the individual fund.

TMF offers two types of institutional grants:

• basic institutional grants; and
• large institutional grants.

Institutional proposals are considered on a continuous basis throughout the year.

Click here for more information about the institutional fund.

Journalists, media houses, and organisations are invited to apply. For individual grants, the completed application form should be submitted via email, ordinary mail, or through a delivery service together with: a CV, one recent passport-size photo, two samples of previously published writing, and two references. For institutional grants, step one is to submit a concept letter, which TMF screens in order to determine if the project concept or idea is viable and the applicant meets the standard criteria. Applicants whose concept letters are approved may obtain and submit the full proposal form for final consideration as step two.

Click here for more information on how to apply for the individual fund.

Click here for more information on how to apply for the institutional fund.

Tanzania Media Fund website on June 2 2009.