I Project description 
The Network Media Program (NMP) and Roma Health Project of the Open Society Foundation, together with Medienhilfe, are launching a call for proposals from Rrommedia.net members for television and radio co-productions on Roma health issues with non-Roma media. The aim of the co-productions is to help strengthen co-operation between Roma and mainstream media, both nationally and cross-border. In particular, it is hoped that improved coverage of Roma health issues in mainstream media will positively impact on attitudes towards Roma inclusion and contribute solutions for increasing minority access to health care.
The co-productions will also serve to underline or assist in the need for development and implementation of health and social policies that encourage inclusion of minorities; stress the importance of a respect for patient’s rights and the intrinsic intersection of human rights and access to health care; enhance public debate on and community participation in Roma health issues; and reinforce the Roma media and mainstream’s informative and educative role for Roma and non-Roma communities.
A built-in professional mentoring component will strengthen the capacity and professionalism of Roma media outlets and respond to their particular training needs. The mentoring component will also help to maximize the desired impact of the co-production, and creative production techniques and outreach.
The co-productions include Roma and non-Roma television and radio initiatives.  All forms of co-productions are eligible for support, e.g., any combination of media including radio, television, Internet, print media and news agencies. Outlets will be required to apply in pairs as follows:  one Roma and one non-Roma media in one country or between two different countries.
II Application guidelines
Eligible applicants:
Media outlets who are co-production partners are required to submit a joint application. The application should be submitted by a Rrommedia.net member.
The following combinations of co-production partners are possible:
- one Roma and one non-Roma media in one country or between two different countries
The same applicant cannot appear in more than two applications.
Mentoring, training and evaluation components.
To help to ensure that co-productions meet high professional standards and are appealing for a broad audience, each co-production project will be allocated as a mentor an experienced media professional with an international record. The mentor will assist in all aspects of production and post-production, as necessary. Efforts will be made to provide Fund recipients with training on investigative journalism techniques and health policy and issues in the region. An evaluation meeting will take place at the end of the grant period.
All outlets whose applications are selected for support will participate in the above activities.
Application deadline:
Applications should be sent by e-mail by Friday, 2 March 2007.
Grant period:
1 April 2007 – 30 November 2007
Grant amounts:
Grant amounts available per co-production project are as follows:
- US$ 5,000 – 10,000 for radio co-productions
- US$ 10,000 – 20,000 for TV co-productions

A maximum total of US$ 50,000 is available under this Call for Proposals.
Content of application (max. 8 pages, font not smaller than Ariel 10):
Two media must submit one joint application. The structure of the application is as follows:
Project narrative:
- Title of the production and applicants’ identification data
- Format of the production (documentary, magazine, debate, reportage, investigative article, etc.)
- Length of the production
- Number of productions (if series is planned)
- Idea and background
- Target audience (sections of Roma and mainstream audience; approximate number; geographical coverage, languages spoken/subtitled, and alike)
- Main message of the production
- Concrete objectives co-productions should achieve and indicators for measuring achievements
- Content – concept, structure and brief synopsis, interview partners/quotes, locations
- Activities planned for co-production
- Production time plan / schedule
- Advocacy plan
- Staff (names, functions, and c.v.’s of leading co-production team members, approximate working days)
- List of productions and regular programming to date on Roma health issues

Budget:
The application should contain separate budgets for each media outlet involved, i.e., one budget per outlet. Separate grant amounts will then be made available from the Co-production Fund to each media outlet involved.
The budget should be realistic and in compliance with the project narrative as well as with media outlets’ annual budgets. Applicants are welcome to submit proposals for a series of co-productions within the budget limitation.
In addition:
- Salaries or honoraria and other items which are already covered by other grants will not be covered
- Costs for equipment (rental and purchase) will be covered only if clearly justified in the narrative application
- Travel costs for meetings and shootings should be explained in the application narrative
- Running costs for costs (rent, water and electricity, office supplies, etc.), and staff which is not directly involved in the production should not be listed in the project budget. Overhead of up to 20% is allowed and can contribute to cover such costs.
Annex:
Confirmations should be provided by all non-Roma broadcast, print or Internet media listed in the application as those who will broadcast or publish co-productions.  These confirmations should be issued by persons in charge, i.e., by directors or editors-in-chief.
Grant reporting deadline:
31 December 2007
Grant reporting requirements:
Grantees are requested to submit the Final Narrative and Evaluation Report as well as the Final Financial Report, both done in the templates provided.
Copies of co-productions should be submitted in the appropriate format (VHS, DVD, CD).
III Application selection process
Medienhilfe will pre-assess applications to make sure they are complete, accurate and that the budgets are adequate, but will not pre-select applications. Medienhilfe will request from applicants all updates for applications that might be necessary. Medienhilfe will respond as necessary to queries from applicants about the application process and will receive and assess the final report/product and financial report.
An international board will assess and select co-production proposals.  The board will include a Roma health expert, an established media professional with significant experience and authority on Roma media development, and representatives from NMP, the Roma Health Project, and Medienhilfe.
The international board will select applications based on the following:
- professional skills and experience of co-production team, and record on coverage of Roma health issues;
-  representation of and liaison with Roma health activists and health activists in non-Roma communities in the production phase and any follow-on advocacy; gender awareness and representation of Roma women as appropriate at all stages of production, given that Roma women are disproportionately negatively affected on health issues;
- comprehensive and holistic understanding of the obstacles to equal access to health care for Roma communities and individuals and opportunities for improving access;
- well-planned advocacy component; 
- creative approaches and a strong story-telling element; and
- broad criteria of accuracy, fairness, integrity, editorial independence, diversity portrayal and Rroma media and community, as outlined in Rrommedia.net’s Code of Conduct. Particular emphasis will be placed on articles 41 to 47 under “Rroma media and community,” i.e.,
41. Members of the Rrommedia.net have a special responsibility to inform about all relevant Rroma issues on the European level;
42. Members of the Rrommedia.net duty is to articulate interests and problems of Rroma and present them to the mainstream societies and media;
43. Members of the Rrommedia.net should be engaged in advocating Rroma issues;
44. Members of the Rrommedia.net, especially those who are community-based, should pay particular attention to problems and positive developments of their respective communities;
45. Members of the Rrommedia.net should be open and accessible for all members of the Rroma community, as well as members of other communities;
46. Members of the Rrommedia.net have a duty to initiate and realize activities that come up from the Rroma community and are aimed at solving problems of Rroma communities; and
47. Commercial contents of members of the Rrommedia.net should not endanger the role they have in regard to Rroma community.
Reports are to be submitted to Medienhilfe. Where reports are inaccurate or incomplete, Medienhilfe will request updates and clarifications.
The evaluation of co-production projects and productions done will be carried out by the Board. Representatives of all co-production projects supported will participate in the final evaluation meeting.
IV Grant implementation procedures
All grants will be realized in two instalments.
The first instalment will be made in the beginning, after the grant contract is signed, and will amount to a maximum of 90% of the total grant budget. The remaining 10% or more will be transferred after the project is completed, and narrative, evaluation and financial reports (including copies of co-productions) are submitted and approved.

PLEASE SEND APPLICATIONS TO GEORGINA-VIOREL LUNCA (lgv@medienhilfe.ch) AND NENA SKOPLJANAC (nsk@medienhilfe.ch) AT MEDIENHILFE.  PLEASE ADDRESS FURTHER ENQUIRIES ABOUT THE CO-PRODUCTIONS TO MEDIENHILFE.