Direkt36 is part of the CJEGC project, led by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), and co-funded by the European Union’s CREA programme.

The project runs from 1 October 2025 to 30 September 2027. The CREA funding covers 80% of Direkt36’s project costs, the maximum EU contribution is 192 350,90 € for the two-year period. The project consortium — ICIJ, MANS (Montenegro), Context (Romania), Siena (Lithuania), and Direkt36 — harnesses collaborative journalism to expose wrongdoing and protect the public interest.

CJEGC launched in 2023 with Creative Europe funding, pioneering a model that empowers cross-border teams to tackle globalized issues while strengthening newsrooms. Our first shared investigation, Cyprus Confidential, brought together media from 30+ European countries, spurring key reforms and exposing Cyprus’s role in Kremlin-linked sanction evasion.

Direkt36 has collaborated with ICIJ for more than a decade, uncovering the Hungarian aspects of the Panama Papers, Pandora Papers, Cyprus Confidential, and China Targets investigations. Now, Direkt36 will further this collaboration and cross-border reporting in Europe through CJEGC to strengthen independent journalism.

CJEGC’s success stems from deep media collaboration, shared resources and unified technology — plus training for hundreds of journalists who embedded collaborative workflows in their newsrooms. Now, we will expand this proven model, equipping more newsrooms to launch their own cross-border investigations and at the same time, build resilience to economic and digital challenges. Key objectives include:

– Training 200+ journalists in data journalism, bespoke technologies, and collaborative workflows.
– Launching a consortium-led investigation to expose a systemic failure in Europe.
– Supporting eight regional cross-border investigations led independently by consortium members.
– Sharing project methodology with 350+ journalists, educators, and decision-makers to expand impact.

By embedding collaborative methods, providing investigative tools, and fostering partnerships, this initiative will bolster European media’s resilience — especially in Central and Eastern Europe, where press freedoms face growing threats.

The consortium members retain sole editorial freedom and responsibility for all content produced in connection with and during the project. No European Union body or other external party has any say in, has any consultation with or is informed about the content. Views and opinions expressed are those of the respective newsrooms and authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or Creative Europe. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.