Google launches the Google News Initiative for the Middle East and Africa Innovation Challenge, and aims to fund projects that inject new ideas into the news industry in efforts to build a stronger future for journalism. A panel of Google and other tech industry executives will review submissions of selected projects to provide a chance to secure up to $150,000 and 70% of total project cost in financial aid.

The challenge is aimed at Middle Eastern news organizations with projects that help build a more sustainable environment for digital news in the region through the development of reader engagement and new business models, such as personalisation, localisation, analytics, audio and voice applications, subscription memberships and loyalty programmes.

The challenge is open to organisations of every size, including freelancers and large media corporations that aim to produce original and innovative journalism, and to enlighten citizens of the MENA region with trustworthy journalistic content.

For more information on how to apply, click here.