Deadline: August 24, 2025

Are you a local publisher asking yourself how to monetize your content, adapt your news products to changing consumer behavior or keep up with rapidly evolving technology? Apply for the International Press Institute Local News Accelerator 2025.

International Press Institute (IPI) Local News Accelerator is a four-month programme where you and your organization will take practical steps towards investing in your local media business’ financial and editorial sustainability. The programme, already in its third edition, offers personalized advisory services, tools and guidance to help you reach audiences, grow into an engaged, responsive media brand and have access to a community of local news practitioners.


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Key Activities

  • One month of direct needs assessments to identify your pain points, problem statements and map solutions. 
  • Intensive training focused on tools and skills that can be transferred to your newsroom well beyond the duration of the accelerator, focused on problem solving and identifying solutions, audience research, strategic planning, journalism formats – audio, video, newsletters – built for user engagement, digital business models and diversifying revenue models.
  • One-on-one personalized advisory services bespoke to the needs of your newsroom, with flexible, on-demand industry experts as coaches during the accelerator.

Benefits

  • They provide structure and support to identify and help deliver solutions that will advance projects toward financial and editorial sustainability.
  • IPI’s in-house experts will conduct a comprehensive one-on-one needs assessment and provide guidance and personalized advisory services to maximize successful applicants’ benefits from the programme.
  • In addition, you will gain access to a community of local news innovators from around the world.

Eligibility

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  • You should be a legally registered media organization from anywhere in the world.
  • Demonstrate a clear focus on serving local audiences, with news tailored to the specific needs of the local community. 
  • Your organization should demonstrate a commitment to producing quality original journalism, adherence to ethical journalism practices and commitment to press freedom.
  • Your organization must have a team of at least two individuals who are willing to commit to accelerator activities throughout the four months ( four hours per week, divided between the team of two).
  • Your media should have a solid business case and understanding of your audience, backed up by audience or market research.
  • Your media should demonstrate a willingness to explore and implement new ideas, tools and technologies to enhance storytelling and audience engagement, while learning from experts and each other.
  • Your media should have a clear vision for the future of their media organization, including plans for how they will grow, expand and/or adapt.
  • You must submit a proposal outlining a specific need and solution (Note: it is anticipated that this project will change or evolve during the accelerator period).

Application

Applications are accepted until August 24, 2025 [23:59, CEST]. Only applications in English received via the Jotform platform by the stated date and time will be considered.

Click here to apply


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For more information, visit IPI Local News Accelerator.

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