One World Media Fellowship 2026: Reporting Grant, Mentorship, and Production Support for Global South Journalists and Filmmakers

One World Media Fellowship 2026: Reporting Grant, Mentorship, and Production Support for Global South Journalists and Filmmakers

The One World Media Fellowship is a year-long programme run by One World Media, a UK-based charity that has spent decades supporting international journalism and factual filmmaking about the Global South. The Fellowship is built around a simple idea: talented reporters and filmmakers who live in or report on low- and middle-income countries often have a strong story and the skill to tell it, but lack the money, mentorship, and industry contacts to see it through to publication or broadcast. The Fellowship supplies those missing pieces. Each Fellow receives a reporting grant, a dedicated executive producer, one-to-one mentoring, training workshops, and introductions to editors and commissioners, all wrapped inside a supportive network of peers and alumni.

This page explains what the Fellowship provides, who it is designed for, how the selection process works, what the annual timeline usually looks like, and how to prepare a strong application. Where a figure or date is not currently confirmed for the coming cycle, that is stated plainly rather than guessed. Always check the official page before you rely on any specific detail, because One World Media adjusts the grant amount, format rules, and deadline from year to year.

Key Details at a Glance

Treat the grant amount and deadline as the two details most likely to change between cycles. Everything else in this guide describes the programme’s consistent shape, but the exact numbers should be confirmed against the live application page before you plan around them.

What the Fellowship Offers

The Fellowship is more than a grant. Money matters, but One World Media designed the programme so that a Fellow finishes the year with a completed, published or broadcast piece of work and a set of professional relationships that outlast the funding. The support has several parts that work together.

• A reporting or production grant. The grant is meant to help cover the real costs of reporting a story: travel, fixers, equipment hire, translation, and similar expenses. In several past cycles this was advertised as a £1,000 production grant, while some recent cycles have described a reporting grant of up to £3,000. Because the figure has varied, confirm the current amount on the official page rather than assuming last year’s number.
• A dedicated executive producer. Each Fellow is paired with an experienced executive producer who helps shape the project editorially, keeps it on track, and brings professional judgement to decisions about scope, structure, and safety. For many Fellows this senior editorial partnership is as valuable as the cash.
• One-to-one mentoring. Beyond the executive producer, Fellows receive career mentorship from established journalists and filmmakers, tailored to where they are in their careers and what their project needs.
• Workshops, webinars, and training. The programme includes sessions led by industry experts covering practical skills, from pitching and storytelling to the business of freelancing. Fair-reporting and security guidance is a recurring feature, which matters for reporters covering difficult or dangerous subjects.
• Introductions to commissioners and outlets. One World Media uses its industry standing to connect Fellows with editors and commissioners, improving the odds that the finished work reaches a real audience rather than sitting unpublished.
• A lasting network. Fellows join a community of peers and alumni and gain membership of the wider One World Media network of storytellers, which continues to be useful long after the fellowship year ends.

The through-line is that One World Media invests in the person and the story together. The grant pays for the reporting; the mentoring, executive producer, training, and introductions are there to raise the quality of the work and the reach of the reporter.

Who Should Apply

The Fellowship is aimed at journalists and filmmakers who report on the Global South and who are ready to take a meaningful next step in their careers. Different cycles have described the target audience slightly differently, sometimes as early-career and sometimes as mid-career, but the consistent theme is that this is for developing talent rather than absolute beginners or already-established senior figures. If you have some professional experience, a track record you can point to, and a clear story you want to tell, you are in the intended range.

A few features define the ideal applicant:

• A focus on Global South stories. The Fellowship exists to support non-fiction reporting about low- and middle-income countries. Projects are expected to originate from or centre on the Global South.
• Reporters from the Global South, and beyond. The programme is particularly focused on journalists and filmmakers who are from or based in the Global South, though applications are generally open to any nationality provided the story fits the Fellowship’s mission.
• A commitment to underrepresented voices. One World Media has explicitly encouraged applications from underrepresented groups, including people of colour, women, LGBTQ+ people, and people with disabilities.
• An individual applicant with a story. The Fellowship supports individuals developing their own non-fiction projects, not fiction, feature-length dramas, or organisation-wide initiatives.

If you work primarily on fiction, or your project has no connection to the Global South, this is not the right programme. If you are a reporter or filmmaker with a strong non-fiction story about a low- or middle-income country and you need funding plus professional support to complete it, you fit the profile the Fellowship is built for.

Eligibility and Project Requirements

Beyond who you are, the Fellowship sets expectations about the project itself. Across recent cycles, the requirements have followed a consistent pattern, though the exact wording changes year to year.

• Non-fiction only. Projects must be factual work: journalism or documentary storytelling. Fiction and drama are not eligible.
• All the main formats are welcome. One World Media has accepted projects across film, print, audio, photojournalism, and multimedia. You do not have to be a filmmaker; a print reporter or podcast producer with the right story can apply.
• Pre-production stage. The Fellowship is designed to help you make a project that is still in development, not to reward work that is already finished. Proposals should be for projects in pre-production.
• Deliverable within about a year. Because the programme runs for roughly a year, projects need to be completable in that window. Past guidance has framed this in concrete terms, for example films under 30 minutes, print pieces around 1,500 words, or audio and multimedia of similar scale. Treat these as indicative of the intended scope rather than fixed rules, and confirm the current format limits on the official page.
• Intended for real publication or broadcast. The finished work should be suitable for established media outlets. The Fellowship’s whole purpose is to get strong Global South stories in front of audiences.

Applications are free. There is no entry fee, which lowers the barrier for reporters working with limited resources.

How to Apply and the Selection Process

Applications are submitted through the One World Media submission portal, which you reach from the official apply page. In broad terms, the process works like this:

1. Register an account on the One World Media submission portal. You will use this account to complete and submit the application form.
2. Complete the online application form, which asks about you, your experience, and your proposed project. This is where your story pitch does its work.
3. Upload the required documents. Applicants are typically asked to provide supporting materials such as a CV or biography and work samples that show what you can already do. Prepare these in advance so you are not scrambling near the deadline.
4. Provide a reference. Recent cycles have asked applicants to supply a reference letter. Because references depend on someone else’s time, ask early.

After the deadline, One World Media reviews applications and selects a cohort of Fellows, around 10 international Fellows in recent years. The selection weighs the strength and originality of the story, the applicant’s ability to deliver it, the public-interest value of the reporting, and how well the project matches the Fellowship’s Global South focus. Fellows are then announced, and the year-long programme of grant funding, mentoring, and training begins.

Because the exact required materials can change from cycle to cycle, read the current instructions on the apply page carefully and assemble everything it asks for before you start filling in the form.

Timeline and Deadline

The Fellowship runs on an annual cycle. In most recent years, the pattern has looked like this: applications open around February, the deadline falls in March, and the new Fellows are announced in June, with the programme running through the following year. Specific past deadlines have included dates in March for several cycles, while at least one recent cycle used an August deadline instead. That variation is the key point to keep in mind.

At the time this page was written, the exact deadline for the next cycle was not confirmed. Rather than invent a date, the honest guidance is: assume the call is likely to open early in the year and close in the spring, but treat that only as a planning estimate and confirm the real deadline on the official page. If you are serious about applying, check the apply page periodically from the start of the year and sign up for any One World Media mailing list so you are notified when the cycle opens. Missing the deadline because you assumed last year’s date is one of the most avoidable ways to lose the opportunity.

Preparing a Strong Application

The Fellowship is competitive, and a strong application comes down to pairing a genuinely compelling story with clear evidence that you can deliver it. A few principles help.

• Lead with a specific, original story. Selectors respond to a clear subject with real stakes, not a broad theme. Instead of proposing to cover “climate change in the region,” propose the particular community, event, or person whose story reveals something larger. Explain why it matters now and why it has not already been told well.
• Show why you are the right person. The Fellowship funds reporters as much as reports. Make plain what access, language skills, local knowledge, or existing relationships you bring that another applicant could not. Your connection to the place and the subject is an asset; use it.
• Match the project to the format and the year. Keep the scope realistic for a roughly year-long programme and the format limits the Fellowship sets. An achievable, well-defined project reads as more credible than an over-ambitious one.
• Choose work samples that map onto the pitch. Your samples should prove you can already produce the kind of reporting or filmmaking your project will require. Send your most relevant work, not simply your best-known clip.
• Write a clear, honest CV or biography. Let your experience speak plainly. If you are early in your career, emphasise the trajectory and the strength of your idea rather than padding the résumé.
• Line up your reference early. A reference letter depends on someone else’s schedule. Ask well before the deadline and give your referee the context they need to write something specific.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Assuming last year’s deadline. The date has moved between cycles. Confirm the current deadline before you plan.
• Pitching a vague theme instead of a story. A subject area is not a project. Selectors want a concrete narrative with a beginning, a reason it matters, and a plan to report it.
• Proposing something too large to finish. A project that cannot realistically be completed within the programme year weakens an otherwise strong pitch.
• Ignoring the Global South focus. The Fellowship is specific about its mission. A story with no meaningful connection to a low- or middle-income country is not a fit.
• Submitting fiction or feature-length work. The programme supports short-form and mid-length non-fiction only.
• Leaving the reference to the last minute. A missing or rushed reference can sink an application that is otherwise ready.
• Confusing the Fellowship with the Awards. The One World Media Fellowship and the One World Media Awards are different programmes with different purposes; make sure you are applying to the one you intend.

The Fellowship Versus the One World Media Awards

It is worth being precise about this, because the two are easy to mix up. The One World Media Fellowship is a development programme: it funds and supports a journalist or filmmaker to make a new non-fiction project about the Global South over the course of a year, through a grant, mentoring, an executive producer, and training. The One World Media Awards are a separate, annual competition that recognises already-completed journalism and films about the Global South across a range of categories. If you have a finished piece you want recognised, the Awards are the relevant route. If you have a story you want to develop with funding and support, the Fellowship is what you want. This page is about the Fellowship.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it free to apply? Yes. Applications to the One World Media Fellowship are free.

How much is the grant? The grant has varied by cycle. Several past cycles advertised a £1,000 production grant, and some recent cycles have described a reporting grant of up to £3,000. Confirm the current figure on the official apply page, as it changes.

Do I have to be from the Global South? The Fellowship is focused on reporters from or based in the Global South and on stories about low- and middle-income countries. Applications have generally been open to any nationality provided the project fits that mission, and underrepresented groups are particularly encouraged. Check the current eligibility wording before applying.

What kinds of projects are eligible? Non-fiction only, across film, print, audio, photojournalism, and multimedia. Projects should be in pre-production and completable within roughly a year. Fiction and feature-length work are not eligible.

How many Fellows are chosen? In recent years, around 10 international Fellows have been selected per cohort.

When is the deadline? The cycle usually opens early in the year and closes in the spring, with Fellows announced in June, though one recent cycle used an August deadline. The exact deadline for the next cycle was not confirmed when this page was written, so verify it on the official page.

What do I need to submit? Typically an online application form describing you and your project, supporting documents such as a CV or biography and work samples, and a reference. Read the current requirements on the apply page, as they can change.

Official Links and Next Steps

Start at the official application page and read the current instructions in full before you begin: oneworldmedia.org.uk/fellowship/apply/. The main Fellowship page at oneworldmedia.org.uk/fellowship/ explains the programme in more depth, and One World Media’s how-to-apply guidance walks through the submission portal and required materials.

If the Fellowship fits your work, the practical next steps are straightforward: confirm the current deadline and grant amount on the official page, sharpen a single specific Global South story you are well placed to report, gather the work samples that best prove you can deliver it, draft a clear CV or biography, and ask a referee early. Where a detail on this page is described as historical or typical rather than confirmed, verify it against the official page before you rely on it, because One World Media refines the Fellowship’s terms from one cycle to the next.