Application Deadline: May 3rd, 2021
As a part of the Google News Initiative’s $300M commitment to help journalism thrive in the digital age, we launched GNI Innovation Challenges in Latin America to support projects that focus on new business models and new news products to advance a more sustainable and diverse ecosystem. The GNI will fund projects from around the world that meet specified criteria, with the intention of producing learning and thought leadership for the wider industry.
Google will fund selected projects up to USD $250,000 and will finance up to 70% of the total project cost. The Jury can choose to increase the project cap for some large collaborative efforts with significant ecosystem impact.
Application Eligibility Requirements
The Latin America GNI Innovation Challenge is open to digital natives, startups, NGOs, freelancers, sole traders as well as broadcasters and traditional news organizations – whose projects focus on encouraging a more sustainable and diverse news ecosystem. Organizations must be incorporated or based in one of the eligible countries in the Latin America region as outlined below.
Eligible Regions
Organizations must be incorporated in one of the eligible countries (listed below) within the Latin America region.
Eligible geographies are (in alphabetical order):
- Argentina
- Bolivia
- Brazil
- Chile
- Colombia
- Costa Rica
- Dominican Republic
- Ecuador
- El Salvador
- Guatemala
- Honduras
- Mexico
- Nicaragua
- Panama
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Uruguay
- Venezuela
Eligible Projects
The second Latam GNI Innovation Challenge will advance a more sustainable and diverse ecosystem in Latin America through the development of new business models and new news products. All innovative ideas were welcome and projects can be experimental but must have well-defined goals and measurable impact. There’s no requirement to use Google products for the project. We encourage applicants to clearly demonstrate the value of the project by providing actionable key performance indicators (KPIs). KPIs should further the news organizations’ digital news objectives (i.e., digital subscription growth, online daily active users, digital ad revenue, etc.). Special consideration will be given to collaborative projects involving multiple news organizations. Successful projects will also need to be delivered within one year.
Projects will be evaluated against five main criteria:
- Impact on the sustainability of the news ecosystem: Projects should demonstrate potential for significant positive impact on the creation of new revenue streams and/or change the way people consume digital news.
- Innovative: Projects should advance new innovative approaches to creating, distributing, and monetizing digital journalism.
- Feasible: Preferred projects will have a detailed business plan when relevant, clearly outline key performance indicators or metrics, and identify key risks and how to mitigate them.
- Inspirational: Can other news organizations learn from or replicate the project? Is the news organization willing to share knowledge across the news ecosystem?
- Diversity: Projects should be able to demonstrate their self-defined commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and promotion of underrepresented voices, whether that is within their audience, organization, or content. Google is committed to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and works to support companies/projects in line with these values.
Application Process
The application window will open from March 16th, 2021 6:00 a.m. Mexico City (GMT-5) until May 3rd, 2021 23:59 Mexico City (GMT-5). You will be asked to provide descriptions, detailed project plans and budget information via our online application form as well as accept the LATAM GNI Innovation Challenge Application Terms and Conditions. Only online applications in English will be considered. However, do not let this be an obstacle, applications translated by Google Translate are acceptable and we will accommodate translators during potential interviews.
Official Website: Latin America GNI Innovation Challenge
