A small grant for stories
that deserve to be told
The Duckling Seed Grant supports emerging storytellers, journalists, photographers, filmmakers and creative change makers who want to make thoughtful stories with depth, curiosity and care.
What is the Duckling Seed Grant?
The Duckling Seed Grant is a small fund designed to help members of the Duckling community develop stories, experiments and creative projects that align with our values.
We provide up to 1.300€ for expenses like travel, research, materials, editing, translation, access, or simply time to focus. The grant exists to make that possible.
We believe many important stories never get made because the first step is too hard. The Seed Grant is here to help make that first step easier.
Duckling is building more than a platform for publishing stories.
We are building a community and a culture around a different way of telling them. The Seed Grant is part of that mission.
Who is it for?
You do not need to be fully established to apply for the grant. It’s a requirement that you are a paying member of our community. In addition to this, what matters most is the strength of your idea, your motivation, and your ability to create something meaningful. The Seed Grant is for:
Journalism students
Emerging photographers and filmmakers
Multimedia storytellers
Anyone with a strong, thoughtful story idea
What projects do we support?
We support projects that help people see the world in new ways. We are especially interested in projects shaped by compassion, curiosity and critical thinking. In addition to this, projects much be suited for publishing in the Duckling app. Projects could include:
A photo essay
A multimedia documentary
An experimental multimedia piece
A local or global human story
A collaborative story made by a small team
A story that sparks community conversations
What the grant can cover
The Seed Grant is flexible and meant to support what a project actually needs. Funding may go toward things like:
Travel and access
Production costs
Research time
Translation or transcription
Materials, tools or small technical needs
Time to develop and complete the story
What recipients receive
The Seed Grant is not only about money. The goal is to help projects grow in a thoughtful and sustainable way. Selected projects may also receive:
Editorial feedback
Access to community support
Visibility through Duckling
Opportunities to share work-in-progress
A stronger connection to other storytellers in the network
How projects are selected
We are not looking for the most polished application, we are looking for ideas with life in them. Projects are selected based on a combination of:
Strength of the idea
Relevance and originality
Alignment with Duckling’s values
Feasibility
Potential to create insight, connection or new perspective
How to apply
We’ve designed the Duckling Seed Grant to be simple, fast and human. Applications are reviewed on an ongoing basis by the Duckling core team. We usually respond within a few days.
Some projects may receive immediate support. Others may get feedback, encouragement, or a suggestion to develop the idea further and reapply.
You don’t need to write a long application. You just need a Duckling community membership, and you fill out a short questionnaire, in text, video our audio, where you share:
A bit about who you are
Your story or project idea
How you would use the grant