The Guardians Project is calling for proposals for in-depth investigative and feature journalism projects that break new ground, expose wrongdoing, corruption, malfeasance, or misuse of power in the public and private sectors, or give insight into underreported situations, communities and issues in South Africa.

Aimed at experienced freelance journalists or staff reporters on sabbatical, the Guardians Project is intended to allow participants to focus exclusively on one high-impact or in-depth story to the exclusion of all else. It is also making smaller grants available for less intensive but no less important stories.

Investigative reporting takes time and resources, both of which are in increasingly short supply in South Africa’s newsrooms. In partnership with the Open Society Foundation of South Africa, the Mail & Guardian has created a fund dedicated to providing journalists with the equivalent of a full-time salary as well travel and other expenses for up to a month.

Please read the guidelines very carefully to ensure your pitch has the best chance of being approved.

This form contains three parts:

- About you
- The pitch
- The budget

A panel of senior editors from Mail & Guardian and Adamela will be reviewing every pitch that comes in.

If your pitch is selected, we will be in touch to set up a meeting, following which we will work with you to draw up a more detailed timeline and budget.

Our job will then be to take care of as much of the admin and financial burden of reporting as we can, leaving you with as much time and capacity as possible to focus on the actual work at hand.

Please NEXT to proceed.