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DNT FUND FAQs

1. About the Fund

What is the DNT Fund?

The Digital News Transformation Fund (DNT Fund) is a R114 million initiative funded by Google in partnership with the Association of Independent Publishers (AIP). Tshikululu Social Investments administers the Fund independently.

The Fund was established by AIP on behalf of the media industry. Applicants do not need to be AIP members to benefit.

The Fund strengthens the sustainability, digital transformation, and audience reach of South Africa’s small, medium, and independent news publishers producing original public-interest journalism.

The mandate covers both sustainability and digital transformation. Digital transformation is a priority focus given the Fund’s origins within Google.

The DNTF recognises that financial and operational stability is the first step towards digital transformation for many independent publishers. The primary purpose is to help small and medium independent publishers become sustainable in the digital era.

The DNT Fund is intended to:

 

  • Assist print publishers to move to digital
  • Provide financial support for specific digital projects
  • Build publishers’ skills so they are profitable
  • Grow publishers’ online audiences and revenue
  • Support public-interest journalism that serves communities

The DNT Fund provides grant funding for projects that:

  • Support original public-interest journalism
  • Enable digital transformation and product development (including generative AI tools)
  • Focus on financial sustainability and revenue development
  • Promote audience engagement and reach
  • Advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in media
  • Support fact-checking and countering disinformation
  • Can be undertaken by individual publishers or collective beneficiaries
  • Are strictly product-agnostic (Google products are not required)

Funding is offered across four funding categories:

  • Ignite: R100,000 for publishers with no or minimal digital presence who need foundational support to establish their first digital footprint
  • Build: Up to R380,000 per year for foundational digital capacity
  • Grow: Up to R950,000 per year for expansion of digital reach
  • Engage: Up to R1,900,000 per year for advanced innovation and revenue models

Multi-year funding is available, subject to performance and annual review.

 

No. AIP partnered with Google to set up the Fund, but you do not need to be an AIP member to apply or receive funding. AIP members have, however, benefited from the Fund.

AIP’s initial role was to establish the DNTF, including appointing the DNTF Board and Tshikululu as fund manager. AIP’s current role is to represent small publishers’ interests. AIP is represented by its chairperson, Anetta Mangxaba, who sits on the DNTF Board as co-chair.

No. To protect independence and integrity:

–  Google is not involved in adjudication, oversight, or decision-making bodies.
–  AIP’s role was limited to co-founding the Fund.
–  Funding decisions are made independently by the Adjudication Committee and ratified by the Oversight and Advisory Board.

Any interest earned on tranche payments received from Google is reinvested into the Fund to support and advance its objectives.

Tshikululu Social Investments (TSI) is an organisation that specialises in managing funds and advising on corporate social investment strategies and implementation.

TSI plays a technical role as fund manager. Its responsibilities include administering the Fund, communications, grant applications, support to the Adjudication Panel, contracting with grantees, disbursement of funds, and monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of grants.

TSI has three branches:

  • A not-for-profit branch – the Tshikululu Trust – which is a public benefit organisation trust that holds the DNTF funding and is managed by Trustees
  • Tshikululu Social Investments NPC
  • Tshikululu Management Services (Pty) Ltd

The contract with the DNTF is with the not-for-profit Tshikululu Trust. Staff from Tshikululu Social Investments NPC manage the day-to-day operations of the DNTF through a service level agreement with the Tshikululu Trust.

Tshikululu Social Investments charges an administration fee to manage the DNTF. The fund management agreement between AIP and Google provides for up to 20% of the total amount to be spent on the fund manager.

The fee covers:

  • Governance set-up and oversight
  • Day-to-day operations of the Fund
  • Management of the application portal and supporting systems
  • Contracting and due diligence processes
  • Grantee support for reporting, compliance, and governance
  • Monitoring, evaluation, and financial accountability oversight
  • Payments to third-party service providers

 

Tshikululu will operate within the 10 to 15 percent administration range for the first three years, in line with the DNTF Board directive.

Total administration costs, including external services such as communications, website management, and board or adjudication panel support, may reach up to 20 percent of the total fund allocation. Tshikululu does not apply any mark-up to third-party disbursements.

As a result, 80% or more of the total fund amount is spent on grants and grantee support, divided across two main grant funding rounds per year.

Tshikululu Social Investments was appointed following an 18-month selection process. This included:
 
1. Review of six fund managers
2. Due diligence and suitability checks
3. Assessment by AIP lawyers and a sub-committee of the AIP Board
4. A recommendation from that sub-committee to Google
 
Google agreed that Tshikululu was the most suitable and qualified fund manager for the Fund.
Across Rounds 1 and 2, the Fund has awarded R26,321,139 to 43 grantees. Publisher size is based on average monthly website visitors: Micro (0 to 50,000), Small (50,001 to 250,000), and Medium (250,001 to 1,000,000).
 
Publisher size
  • Micro: 38 grantees (18 in Round 1, 20 in Round 2), R20,968,660 awarded, 79.7% of total value
  • Small: 4 grantees (3 in Round 1, 1 in Round 2), R3,852,479 awarded, 14.6% of total value
  • Medium: 1 grantee (Round 2), R1,500,000 awarded, 5.7% of total value
 
Audience and community reach
  • 28 grantees (65.1%) publish in an African language, alone or alongside English
  • 39 grantees (90.7%) serve rural, township, peri-urban or informal settlement communities
  • 42 grantees (97.7%) fall within the small publisher threshold
 
Ownership by population group
  • Black African: 31 grantees (72.1%), R14,924,060 awarded, 56.7% of value
  • White: 4 grantees (9.3%), R4,169,360 awarded, 15.8% of value
  • Coloured: 3 grantees (7.0%), R2,314,600 awarded, 8.8% of value
  • Indian: 3 grantees (7.0%), R2,792,479 awarded, 10.6% of value
  • Mixed ownership, 50% White and 50% Coloured: 1 grantee (2.3%), R1,500,000 awarded, 5.7% of value
  • No ownership interests: 1 grantee (2.3%), R620,640 awarded, 2.4% of value
 
Data is drawn from grantees’ own application returns and their January to June 2026 narrative reports.

2. Governance and Decision-Making

Who is on the board of the DNTF?

See the ‘Our Team & Board’ page on the website.

There is currently one vacancy on the Board.

The Framework Agreement between Google and AIP stipulates that the Board should include:

  • A government representative (Mashile)
  • An AIP representative (Mangxaba)
  • A representative from mainstream media (Charalambous)
  • A representative from the Press Council of South Africa (Lombard)
  • Industry experts (Maher and Nkambule)

The Board executes the mandate of the DNTF by setting the overall strategy, putting policies in place, and providing oversight of fund administration. The Board ratifies the grant-making process but does not have a say in individual funding decisions.

See the ‘Our Team & Board’ page on the website.

The Adjudication Panel was selected by the DNTF Board based on the criteria set out in the DNTF Terms of Reference and Funding Policy.

The following criteria apply:

  • Professional Expertise: Demonstrated experience in one or more of the following: independent journalism or media; digital innovation or technology in media; media business development or public benefit funding; or impact assessment and grant-making.
  • Sector Knowledge: A strong understanding of the South African media ecosystem, especially the challenges facing small and medium independent publishers. Familiarity with equity, inclusion, and digital transformation within the media sector.
  • Independence and Integrity: Candidates must declare any prior or current relationships with Board or applicant entities and must adhere to the Fund’s Conflict-of-Interest Policy.
  • Representational Balance: Consideration is given to ensuring diversity in terms of race, gender, geography, language, and professional expertise.

The Adjudication Panel selects projects to be funded in line with the Fund’s mandate and the funding priorities set by the DNTF Board. Decisions are based on the requirements and must fall within the funding allocation for each round.

 

The Adjudication Committee (AC) independently assesses applications against Board-approved criteria using a standard 100-point scoring matrix. The AC issues funding recommendations. Final approvals are ratified by the Oversight and Advisory Board, with the Secretariat recording both the recommendations and ratifications in the Decision Log.

Google, as the Funder, has no involvement in funding decisions. Adjudication Committee decisions are taken by majority vote.

Disclosure:

  • Members make an initial declaration before service
  • An annual update is required within 30 days of the appointment anniversary
  • Event-driven updates must be submitted within 14 days of any change
  • Meeting-specific conflicts are declared at the start of each meeting and minuted
  • The Secretariat maintains a secure Register

Recusal:

  • Recusal is required if the member, or an immediate family member or close associate, is an applicant, holds a Material Interest, or has provided services to an applicant in the past 12 months
  • The member exits for that agenda item and is excluded from related documents, discussions, and votes
  • The Secretariat records the recusal in the minutes

Cooling-off:

  • No Adjudication Committee member (nor any immediate family member) may hold a Material Interest in, or professional engagement with, a Related Organisation during their period of service and for six months thereafter
  • Any such interest must be declared immediately and triggers resignation

Gifts and benefits:

  • Any grant, donation, or other benefit exceeding R50,000 in the preceding 12 months constitutes a Material Interest and must be disclosed and managed accordingly

Confidentiality:

  • Members sign a confidentiality agreement and must comply with POPIA
  • The Fund publishes member names and biographies, and anonymised decision data. Individual applications are not published.

Breaches:

  • Non-compliance may lead to removal
  • If a decision was tainted by an undeclared conflict, the Board may set aside or vary that decision after due process

3. Eligibility

Who is the DNTF aimed at?

The Fund targets small and medium-sized publishers that are paid-up (i.e. in good standing) members of the Press Council.

Eligible applicants include:

  • Local and independent news publishers in South Africa
  • Industry bodies, associations, or support organisations serving the local media ecosystem
  • Collectives or consortiums proposing industry-wide projects
Yes, in certain circumstances.

The DNT Fund requires news publisher applicants to be subscriber members of the Press Council of South Africa in good standing and compliant with its Code of Ethics.
However, support organisations, industry bodies, consortiums, trainers, ecosystem organisations, and similar entities may still apply if the funded project directly benefits publishers that already meet, or will through the project meet, the Press Council membership requirement.

Examples may include:
• Industry support organisations delivering shared digital services or training to eligible publishers.
• Consortium or cohort applications where participating publishers are Press Council members.
• Projects designed to help eligible publishers achieve compliance and Press Council membership.
Applicants in this category must clearly demonstrate in their application:
• Which publishers will benefit from the project.
• How those publishers meet the DNT Fund eligibility requirements.
• How the project supports ethical, public-interest journalism aligned with the Press Council Code.
 
The DNT Fund reserves the right to request supporting documentation or proof of beneficiary eligibility during adjudication.

The following are ineligible:

  • Broadcasters (i.e. TV and radio services)
  • Aggregators and general-interest magazines without public-interest content
  • Publishers with over one million monthly unique visitors (with exceptions)
  • Larger publishers who have already signed an individual Showcase deal with Google
  • Political parties, campaigns, or projects with political propaganda
  • Unregistered or non-compliant entities
  • Projects implemented outside South Africa (unless benefitting South African audiences)
  • Completed activities (no retrospective funding)

 

The exclusion of broadcasters applies even if the broadcaster operates an online news site. If a broadcaster partners with, or creates a separate legally registered digital-only entity that meets all eligibility requirements, that new entity will be assessed on its own merits.

The new entity would still need to demonstrate:

  • Press Council membership in good standing
  • A primary focus on original public-interest journalism
  • A clear digital news product
  • Compliance and governance requirements
  • A demonstrable commitment to digital transformation

To be eligible for DNTF funding, publishers must be subscriber members of the Press Council of South Africa in good standing. This means:

  • Your organisation holds active Press Council membership
  • All membership fees are current and paid
  • You are compliant with the Press Council Code of Ethics

Publishers who hold Press Council membership but have not paid their membership fees for the current year are not considered “in good standing” and do not meet DNTF eligibility requirements.

If your membership fees are outstanding, you must settle them before submitting an application, or before contracts can be signed if you are a successful applicant.

4. Application Process

When does the DNTF financial year start?

Google released the funds in June 2025, so the DNTF financial year runs from the beginning of June to the end of May.

Two rounds are held each financial year. The first call opened in August 2025. Funding rounds are held in the first and third quarters of each funding year.

Applications open twice a year. One cycle runs in the first quarter and the second runs in the third quarter. Exact dates will be announced on the DNT Fund website, social media channels, and through industry communication channels.

The application process has two phases:z
 
Phase 1 (Initial Screening): Tshikululu checks each application for completeness and eligibility. Eligible applications are then assessed by the Adjudication Committee against the Fund’s criteria, using a 100-point scoring matrix. A composite score is compiled, and the top-ranked applicants progress to Phase 2.
Phase 2 (Full Review): Applicants who progress to this stage submit full project plans and budgets, which the Adjudication Committee assesses using the same scoring matrix. The Committee then makes its recommendations to the Board for ratification.z
 
Applicants who are unsuccessful will receive feedback to help strengthen future submissions.

Applications undergo the following stages:

  • Initial screening for eligibility and completeness
  • Scoring by the Independent Adjudication Committee using the DNT Fund Scoring Matrix
  • Final ratification by the Oversight and Advisory Board and Tshikululu Trustees

Assessment criteria include alignment with DNTF objectives, innovation, feasibility, governance capacity, audience engagement, diversity, sustainability, and impact potential.

No. Business plans are not required. The Project Plan, for which a template is provided, gives the Adjudication Committee sufficient evidence to assess organisational capacity and project planning.

No. The DNTF does not require publishers to hire consultants to prepare business plans. Applicants should use their own internal resources to explain their project and sustainability plans.

Yes. Applicants may propose a three-year project, but budgets must be submitted on an annual basis. The respective funding caps apply per year, not cumulatively.

For example, if an applicant requests three years of Engage funding, the cap is R1.9 million per year, not R5.7 million upfront. Funding is renewed annually, subject to review.

Yes. Publishers may open a new business account, provided it is in the legal entity’s name and bank confirmation is supplied.

Yes. Applicants must open a dedicated bank account for DNTF funds or use an organisational account. Personal bank accounts are not permitted. This ensures transparency, accountability, and easier tracking of how funds are spent.

The Ignite grant is a small, entry-level grant within the Build tier. It supports very small or early-stage independent publishers who are starting their digital journey and need limited, focused support to put basic foundations in place.

Ignite is for publishers with little or no existing digital infrastructure or capacity. It is aimed at organisations that are not yet ready for a full Build-tier project.

Ignite grants support simple, practical interventions linked directly to digital publishing and sustainability. Examples include:

  • Basic website or CMS set-up
  • Essential digital tools or software
  • Foundational skills linked to publishing operations
  • Limited technical or advisory support

Ignite is a sub-category of the Build tier. Ignite grants are smaller in size and narrower in scope. Build grants support more comprehensive digital transformation projects.

Yes. Ignite grants follow the same eligibility, governance, and adjudication principles as all other DNTF funding.

Yes. Ignite is intended as a stepping stone. Publishers who complete an Ignite project successfully are better positioned to apply for Build, Grow, or Engage funding in future rounds.

Each successful Ignite grantee receives R100,000. A maximum of seven Ignite grants are awarded in each funding round.

All applications are scored out of 100 points across eight categories. The same categories apply to every funding tier, but the weighting of each category changes depending on which tier you are applying to. This reflects the different expectations for publishers at different stages of development.

The eight scoring categories are:

  • Alignment with DNTF Objectives — whether your project supports public interest journalism, community impact, and digital transformation
  • Innovation and Use of Technology — how you plan to use digital tools, including readiness for technologies such as AI
  • Sustainability and Revenue Potential — your plans to diversify income and build long-term financial resilience
  • Feasibility and Readiness — whether your budget is realistic and your organisation is ready to deliver the project
  • Organisational Capacity and Governance — the strength of your leadership, governance structures, and financial controls
  • Audience Reach and Engagement — how well you reach and engage your target audience, including mobile-first approaches
  • Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Impact — whether your project advances black ownership, women- or youth-led initiatives, or local language content
  • Impact and Learning Potential — the potential for your project to generate lessons that benefit the broader news sector

Each category is scored on a scale from 0 (not addressed) to the maximum points available for your tier. Scores reflect the quality and evidence provided in your application.

Yes. Each tier applies different weightings to the same eight categories, based on what is expected of publishers at that stage of development.

  • Ignite (R100,000 sub-tier): Mission alignment and feasibility carry the highest weighting. Innovation and revenue metrics are weighted lower. The focus is on identifying genuine public interest publishers with the potential to grow.
  • Build (up to R380,000 per year): Mission alignment remains the top priority. Feasibility and readiness is also weighted strongly, as these publishers are establishing their digital foundations.
  • Grow (up to R950,000 per year): Mission alignment, innovation, and revenue potential carry equal weighting. Publishers at this level are expected to be actively developing sustainable business models.
  • Engage (up to R1,900,000 per year): Innovation and revenue potential are weighted highest. Publishers at this tier are expected to demonstrate sophisticated digital strategies and diversified income streams.

5. Budget and Financial Guidelines

Can overheads and salaries be included in applications?

Overheads and salaries are not funded as standalone costs. They may, however, be included if they are directly linked to the project for which funding is requested. Applicants must clearly explain how these costs contribute to the delivery and success of the project.

Yes. The Funding Policy allows for a reasonable overhead of up to 10%, in line with common grant-making practice. This should be framed as an administrative or project management cost that is essential to delivering the project.

The Digital News Transformation Fund operates on a tiered funding framework: Ignite, Build, Grow, and Engage. Ignite is a fixed amount of R100,000 per grant. Build, Grow, and Engage represent maximum funding thresholds per project, per year, as set out in the published Funding Policy. They are not guaranteed or fixed grant amounts.
 
All eligible applications are independently assessed by the Adjudication Committee, using a standardised scoring matrix approved by the Oversight and Advisory Board. Funding recommendations are based on relative scoring, feasibility, readiness, organisational capacity, sustainability considerations, and the availability of funds within the relevant tier envelope for a given funding call.
 
Within Build, Grow, and Engage, an application can be awarded less than the tier maximum. The amount awarded reflects the Adjudication Committee’s assessment of the approved project scope and budget against the published criteria.

6. Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting

What reporting is required from grantees?

Grantees are required to:

  • Submit monthly progress reports
  • Submit a bi-annual narrative report
  • Provide financial reports, including audited or independently reviewed statements where applicable
  • Submit a final impact report aligned with agreed deliverables
  • Participate in case study development for sector learning

Applicants receive reporting support from TSI.

7. Transparency and Public Information

Will application data and results be published?

Yes. In line with the Funding Policy and the Fund’s commitment to transparency, the following information will be made public:

  • Beneficiary (legal entity) and newsroom/trading name (if different).
  • Project title and short description (non-sensitive).
  • Approved funding amount and funding period.
  • Funding type/tier.
  • Province/coverage area (optional).
  • Status (active/completed).
  • Non-sensitive outcomes once the project is complete.

8. Support and Capacity Building

Will the DNT Fund provide training and capacity building support?

Yes. Alongside grant funding, the DNT Fund has developed a training framework to support grantees. The aim is to strengthen digital skills, improve sustainability, and build capacity across the sector.

The training approach focuses on:

  • Practical skills for digital transformation
  • Strengthening business and financial sustainability
  • Supporting editorial and audience growth strategies

9. Queries, Appeals and Contact Information

How can applicants query outcomes or lodge an appeal/complaint?

The Fund website hosts a public Questions and Feedback facility. The Secretariat will acknowledge enquiries within three business days and provide a response (or update the FAQ) within five business days.

Unsuccessful applicants will be notified and given reasons limited to the published criteria. A list of approved beneficiaries (with amounts and periods) is published. Disputes regarding conflict-of-interest rulings are referred to the Board.

Email: dntf@tshikululu.org.za