PULSE 2026: New Formats & Open Calls Now Live!

What's New This Year

To better support different types of cross-border journalistic collaborations, we are introducing two major changes to our application process:

1. No more rolling basis: We are moving away from ongoing applications. Instead, we will launch specific calls with fixed deadlines, selecting the best story ideas on a competitive basis.

2. Two distinct formats: You can now apply for either Sprint Stories or Deep Dive Series cross-border collaborations depending on the scope of your story.

Eligible Topics & Thematic Networks

While our application process and formats have changed, our four core Thematic Networks remain exactly the same. PULSE continues to look for trans-border stories that provide deep, comparative insights into crucial European issues. Please note that a clear, essential EU angle is a mandatory requirement for all pitches.

🟢 The EU Green Transition focuses on the climate, environment, sustainability, biodiversity, and energy sectors. Pitches should explore how the continent-wide ecological transformation impacts different regions, or look closely at the implementation, challenges, and local realities of European climate policies.

🌍 Europe and Global Power Dynamics covers trade, security, defense, and geopolitical strategies. Stories should bridge the Brussels perspective with local realities, investigating how the EU's central policy responses and legislative agendas play out in relationships and conflicts with major global players, including China, Russia, the US, the UK, and key regions in Africa.

🇪🇺 EU Enlargement examines the political, social, and institutional dynamics of European integration. Pitches should focus on EU integration policies themselves, how current Member States are responding to a potential "accession big bang," or the ground-level developments in the nine candidate countries on their path toward joining the EU.

💻 Media, Technology & Information Society focuses on the European media landscape, public sphere, and the local impact of major EU regulations (EMFA, DSA, DMA, and the AI Act on big tech accountability). We welcome pitches on how these frameworks intersect with shifting societal realities, including public trust, algorithmic power, disinformation, media sustainability, and journalists' safety (including SLAPPs).

Formats of Collaboration

1. Sprint Stories (2 Calls in 2026, 2 calls in 2027)

Best for quick, impactful cross-border stories that provide sharp analysis and comparative insights.

• First Call Deadline: July 15th, 2026 (Selection results: end of July 2026)

• Second Call Deadline: Autumn 2026

• Selection: Two teams per Thematic Network will be funded in each call.

Requirements:

• Team Structure: 2 journalists from different eligible countries^[1] working together.

• Publishing Requirement: Applicants must secure a confirmed publishing agreement with an external media outlet before applying. Please note that publications within the PULSE Collaborative Desk or its associated newsrooms^[2] are not eligible to count as your primary third-party publisher.

• Topic Focus: Must address one of the 4 Thematic Networks listed above, featuring a strong comparative, cross-border angle.

• Expected Output: Usually results in one solid piece per journalist (e.g., an in-depth analytical article, comparative feature, or deep-dive op-ed of approximately 2–3 pages / 1000–1500 words) published in their respective national media outlets.

• Time Commitment: 1-2 working days per journalist.

• Project Credit: A standard PULSE project disclaimer must be included at the end of each article.

• Application Limit: To ensure fair distribution of funding, journalists can only apply to participate in one collaboration per call.

2. Deep Dive Series (1 Call in 2026, 1 call in 2027) - NEW FORMAT!

Best for long-form projects that explore complex issues through multiple formats and perspectives.

• Deadline: August 20th, 2026 (Selection results: September 2026)

• Selection: 1 cross-border team per Thematic Network will be funded, 4 in total in 2026.

Requirements:

• Team Structure: 3-4 journalists from different eligible countries^[3].

• Publishing Requirement: Applicants must secure a confirmed publishing agreement with an external media outlet before applying. Please note that publications within the PULSE Collaborative Desk or its associated networks^[4] are not eligible to count as your primary third-party publisher.

• Topic Focus: Must address one of the 4 Thematic Networks listed above, featuring a strong cross-border angle.

• Expected Output: A comprehensive, multi-part cross-border series resulting in at least 2–3 publications per journalist (with an absolute minimum of 8 original articles published total per team). Instead of just standard analysis, teams are encouraged to combine multiple formats, including (but not limited to): on-the-ground field trips and joint reportages; investigative features and interview series; multimedia elements (e.g., short video, photo essays, audio/podcasts), and more.

• Time Commitment: 5-6 working days total per journalist.

• Project Credit: A standard PULSE project disclaimer must be included at the end of each article.

• Application Limit: To ensure fair distribution of funding, journalists can only apply to participate in one collaboration per call.

• 1, 3. Journalists with fiscal residency in the following countries are eligible: EU Member States, EU Candidate and Potential Candidate countries. Eligibility of third countries will be checked on a case by case basis. [↩1] [↩3]

• 2, 4. PULSE Collaborative Desk newsrooms: OBCT, Delfi, Deník Referendum, Der Standard, EfSyn, El Confidencial, Gazeta Wyborcza, HotNews, HVG, Il Sole 24 Ore, Mediapool (Bulgaria), Voxeurop, n-ost. PULSE Associate newsrooms: Rubryka (Ukraine), Levila (Estonia), Føljeton (Denmark). [↩2] [↩4]

PULSE Financial Support

Compensation: Daily rates are based on EU standards and generally range from €160 to €300 (including VAT), depending on your country of fiscal residence.

The Daily Rate table is available here.

Important Guidelines for All Participants

By applying for PULSE funding, all selected teams agree to the following conditions:

• Open access: all funded stories must be freely accessible and cannot be placed behind a paywall. PULSE content should be published under at least a royalty-free license to allow for its wider distribution and impact.

• Free republication: Articles funded by PULSE can be freely republished by other media outlets within the PULSE Collaborative Desk and our associated media partners.

• Webinar participation: Authors might be expected to take part in at least one online webinar dedicated to their article's topic after their publications were published.

• Impact & audience Reporting: Getting qualitative or quantitative evidence (outreach, page views, comments) regarding the outreach and the impact of the produced stories is welcome and highly appreciated.

• Building connections within PULSE: Network Coordinators can also support you in connecting with PULSE core newsrooms and exploring potential synergies.

• In-Person Meeting (Deep Dive Series Only): Authors selected for the long-term track might have the opportunity to participate in an offline event, in-person meeting organised by PULSE starting Autumn 2026.

Selection

The selection of pitches will be guided by PULSE’s editorial process and priorities.

How we evaluate your pitches :

• Cross-border impact: It connects multiple countries and weaves together diverse European perspectives.

• Originality: It skips the clichés and offers a fresh editorial angle.

• Urgency: It matters to society today and has the potential to move the public debate forward.

• Rich Formats: It uses engaging storytelling, especially multimedia elements if you are pitching a Deep Dive story idea.

• Broad Outreach: It targets a wide audience and gives a platform to underrepresented regions and communities.

We are looking for a mix of stories that cover different regions, tackle a wide range of topics, and reach diverse audiences.

Contact Your Network Coordinator

Don’t hesitate to contact Network Coordinators for assistance. n-ost and OBCT teams can help you find co-authors with relevant expertise within Networks’ database. Please note that a suitable match cannot always be guaranteed.

We strongly encourage you to address the coordinators and arrange any potential collaborations prior to submitting your pitch.

1. Green Transition - Angelina Davydova
2. Europe and Global Power Dynamics - Mila Corlateanu
3. EU Enlargement - Rossella Vignola
4. Media & Information Society - Joanna Kopacka