Every year, IPDC supports an extensive range of projects in developing countries worldwide.

The projects are submitted by local media organizations seeking to expand opportunities for free, independent and pluralistic media. The proposals are selected in line with UNESCO’s strategic programmatic approach in each country based on the development needs identified through the application of the IPDC-endorsed Media Development Indicators.

They must have a clear objective contributing to at least one of the IPDC’s main priorities:

• Supporting media pluralism (particularly community media) and independence (improving self-regulation and professional standards).
• Promoting the safety of journalists
• Countering hate speech in media and social media, promoting conflict-sensitive journalism practice and/or promoting cross-cultural/cross-religious dialogue among journalists
• Supporting law reform fostering media independence
• Conducting media assessments and research based on UNESCO's Media Development Indicators (MDIs), the Gender Sensitive Indicators for the Media (GSIM) or the Journalists' Safety Indicators.
• Capacity building for journalists and media managers, including improving journalism education (using UNESCO's Model Curricula for Journalism Education).

Particular attention is always given to proposals from least developed, land locked and small island countries, as well as those in conflict or post-confict situations.