Arena for Journalism in Europe

What Arena for Journalism in Europe does

Arena for Journalism in Europe is a Dutch-registered non-profit foundation (Stichting) headquartered in Amsterdam with a fully remote team of approximately 13 employees distributed across Europe. Founded in January 2019, it provides infrastructure for cross-border collaborative journalism, organizing the annual Dataharvest European Investigative Journalism Conference (517 attendees in 2026) and Climate Arena conference, operating thematic networks (Climate, Food & Water, Labour, Housing, Reference Circle, Coordinators Without Borders), delivering training through fellowships and the European Collaborative Journalism Programme, and providing the Collaborative Desk — a secure digital workspace for cross-border investigative teams built on Discourse-based forums, the Collocall web conferencing platform, and a Baserow-powered internal data workspace. The organization also orchestrates branded multi-newsroom investigations such as Green to Grey (11 newsrooms, 47 publications in 10 languages, Sigma Award 2026), the Forever Pollution Project, Under the Surface, Troubled Waters, and Cities for Rent.

Arena's revenue model is dominated by foundation grants from Journalismfund Europe, IJ4EU, Erste Foundation, Zeit Stiftung, Fritt Ord, and the European Climate Foundation, supplemented by fee-based and grant-funded participant programmes: €800 for the seven-week online 'Your First Cross-border Investigation' course, up to €2,000 working grants for fellows, conference ticket revenue, and participation grants covering travel and accommodation for journalists from Central, Southeastern, Eastern Europe and exiled journalists. Its go-to-market is community-led rather than commercial, relying on trusted relationships with European newsrooms (Le Monde, Die Zeit, The Guardian, NRK, De Standaard), independent media organizations (Civio, Lighthouse Reports, EIC), and scientific partners (NINA) to originate, resource, and publish investigations continent-wide. Dataharvest 2026, training pipelines, and the Online Academy serve as both delivery mechanisms and on-ramps into Arena's broader network ecosystem.

Name

Arena for Journalism in Europe

Legal name

Arena for Journalism in Europe

Website

https://journalismarena.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Arena for Journalism in Europe is a Dutch foundation that provides infrastructure for cross-border collaborative journalism across Europe, running the Dataharvest and Climate Arena conferences, training programmes, secure digital workspaces, and thematic networks serving investigative journalists in 47+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Journalism Collaboration Services

NAICS

Other Similar Organizations (except Business, Professional, Labor, and Political Organizations) (81399), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Investigative & Nonprofit News Organizations (MPAJADAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Conferences & Conventions Operations Services (Registration, AV, Logistics) (MPAGAGAM)

Keywords

• Cross-border journalism
• Collaborative journalism
• Investigative journalism conferences
• Journalism training programs
• Journalism support services

Headquarters

HQ city

Amsterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Foundation/Grant Funding: Arena relies heavily on support from foundations and grants. Major funders include Journalismfund Europe, IJ4EU, Erste Foundation, Zeit Stiftung, Fritt Ord, and European Climate Foundation. The organization receives grants from various foundations to support cross-border journalism activities.
2. Training and Fellowship Fees: Revenue from online courses (€800 for 7-week course), fellowships with working grants up to €2000 for fellows, and training programs like the European Collaborative Journalism Programme.
3. Conference Revenue: Dataharvest and Climate Arena conferences generate revenue through ticket sales. Complimentary tickets provided to grant recipients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Arena for Journalism in Europe operates conferences (Dataharvest and Climate Arena), training programs (The Academy, including fellowships, the European Collaborative Journalism Programme, and the new Online Academy), a secure digital workspace (Collaborative Desk) for cross-border teams, and thematic networks (Climate, Food & Water, Labour, Reference Circle, Coordinators Without Borders) that connect European journalists across borders. The organization also coordinates and publishes cross-border investigative journalism projects in partnership with European newsrooms.

Product overview

Arena for Journalism in Europe is a journalism NGO that operates as a platform-plus-network model with multiple interconnected products and services. The core offerings include two annual conferences (Dataharvest for investigative/data journalism and Climate Arena for climate reporting), The Academy providing training through fellowships, the European Collaborative Journalism Programme (ECJP), and the Collaborative Desk providing secure digital workspaces for cross-border teams. Arena also coordinates collaborative investigations under branded projects (Green to Grey, Forever Pollution Project, Under the Surface, Troubled Waters, Cities for Rent) and maintains thematic networks (Climate Network, Food & Water Network, Reference Circle). In 2026, Arena launched its Online Academy to broaden access to collaborative journalism training. All activities are designed to facilitate cross-border investigative journalism across Europe.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Dataharvest: The European Investigative Journalism Conference - Arena's flagship annual conference for data and investigative journalism.
• Climate Arena
• Arena Academy
• Collaborative Desk
• Arena Climate Network
• Arena Food & Water Network
• Reference Circle
• Coordinators Without Borders

Products and services

• Dataharvest (European Investigative Journalism Conference) Annual flagship conference for investigative and data journalism in Europe, bringing together 500+ journalists from 47+ countries for workshops, networking, and building cross-border collaborations. Features 140+ presentations, workshops, and hands-on sessions across topics including lawfare investigations, data storytelling, and cross-border collaboration.
• Climate Arena Conference Annual conference focused on climate, energy, and environmental reporting, combining workshops, networking, and collaboration between journalists and scientists. Past editions have been held in Vienna, Bologna, and Budapest.
• The Academy (Arena Academy) Educational and knowledge-sharing arm providing training on cross-border collaborative journalism. Includes fellowships, academic courses, residencies, the European Collaborative Journalism Programme bootcamp, and online courses. Designed for journalists wanting to develop collaborative and data journalism skills.
• Collaborative Desk Secure digital workspace for cross-border investigative journalism teams, providing secure communication tools, a cloud platform for sharing data and editing files, and customized setup following in-depth security assessments. Includes ongoing support and mentoring in cross-border collaboration, team organization, and coordination. Accessible to IJ4EU grantees and course participants.
• Arena Networks Open networks facilitating information sharing to help journalists collaborate across borders, including Climate Network, Food & Water Network, Labour Network, Coordinators Without Borders, and Reference Circle (network of 26 European independent public interest media organizations).
• European Collaborative Journalism Programme (ECJP) Five-day immersive bootcamp in partnership with Alfred Toepfer Foundation for junior and mid-career journalists to build networks and develop collaborative story ideas with expert feedback. Held at Gut Siggen in Germany, followed by follow-up at Dataharvest.
• Climate Arena Fellowships Fellowship program providing mentoring, financial support (working grant up to €2,000), and training for cross-border climate and environmental investigations. Includes conference attendance and Climate Arena participation.
• Reference Circle (European Independent Public Interest Media Circle) Network of 26 European independent public interest media organizations incubated by Arena and partnered with Netzwerk Recherche. Focused on developing the independent media sector and exchanging knowledge on non-editorial operations, sustainable funding, and community management.

Quantifiable outcome

• Green to Grey investigation reached 3+ million readers in first month, produced 47 publications in 10 languages, and won the 2026 Sigma Award
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

AI capability3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• IJ4EU (Investigative Journalism for Europe)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Arena is an official partner in the IJ4EU program, providing training, support, and match-making for cross-border journalism teams. IJ4EU offers grants up to €50,000 through the Investigation Support Scheme (€1.5M total managed by IPI) and up to €20,000 through the Freelancer Support Scheme (€500K managed by EJC). Arena hosts master classes, provides match-making, and grants access to the Collaborative Desk.
• Alfred Toepfer FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in delivering the European Collaborative Journalism Programme (ECJP), a two-part bootcamp designed to help journalists kickstart cross-border investigations. The programme holds sessions at Gut Siggen conference center in Germany and at Dataharvest.
• NRK (Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNorwegian broadcaster that initiated the Green to Grey investigation concept with their original investigation into land loss across Norway. Partnered with Arena to scale up the investigation across Europe.
• NINA (Norwegian Institute for Nature Research)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerScientific partner providing expertise for the Green to Grey investigation. Also developed a citizen science app following the project that allows people worldwide to help track land loss. Scientists from the project were published in Nature Communications.
• Global Investigative Journalism Network (GIJN)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational network of investigative journalists. Arena is a member and participates in GIJC conferences with collaborative track sessions.
• Netzwerk RecherchecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman journalism network partnered with Arena on the Reference Circle (European Independent Media Circle), a network of 26 independent public interest media organizations. Co-host events and collaborate on the Journalism Value Project.
• Green to Grey Consortium (11 European Newsrooms)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative investigation involving 41 journalists and scientists from 11 newsrooms across Europe: Datadista (Spain), De Standaard (Belgium), Die Zeit (Germany), Facta (Italy), Gazeta Wyborcza (Poland), Le Monde (France), Long Play (Finland), NRK (Norway), Reporters United (Greece), The Black Sea (Turkey), The Guardian (UK). Produced 47 publications in 10 languages.
• European Investigative Collaborations (EIC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of investigative journalists co-founded by Stefan Candea. Attends Dataharvest annually and coordinates cross-border investigations including The Israel Files investigation.
• Civio (Spain)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAward-winning non-profit newsroom that produced Medicamentalia investigation (into global access to health) as a result of connections made at Dataharvest.
• Urban Journalism NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork developed from Arena's Housing Network, collaborating on urban issues across cities including Dublin, Prague, Berlin, and Athens. Producing ongoing investigations beyond national borders.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Pulitzer Center: US-based non-profit that funds and supports cross-border investigative journalism globally. Comparable in funding model (grants and fellowships) and in supporting networked reporting; less European-focused but adjacent in mission.
• Lighthouse Reports: European non-profit investigative newsroom conducting cross-border investigations including collaborations with Arena partners (e.g., 'Hiding Behind AI' with Africa Uncensored and The Guardian). Comparable non-profit collaborative investigative model.

Direct peers

• Bellingcat: Netherlands-based open-source investigative journalism organization conducting cross-border investigations. Operates a comparable model of collaborative, networked investigative work but with stronger technical/OSINT specialization.
• Investigative Journalism for Europe (IJ4EU): Program that Arena is an official partner in, offering grants up to €50,000 for cross-border investigations and managing the Freelancer Support Scheme. Direct peer in funding and supporting cross-border investigative work across Europe.
• OCCRP (Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project): Major cross-border investigative journalism network with 50+ partner newsrooms across Europe and beyond. Operates a comparable collaborative-investigation model with significantly larger scale and global reach.
• European Investigative Collaborations (EIC): Network of investigative journalists co-founded by Stefan Candea that attends Dataharvest annually and runs cross-border investigations including The Israel Files. Directly comparable network model for cross-border investigative collaboration.
• Journalismfund Europe: Belgian-based grant-making foundation that historically hosted Dataharvest until 2019 and continues to fund cross-border investigative journalism in Europe. Directly comparable mission: providing grants and support infrastructure for European collaborative investigations.

Broad incumbents

• Global Investigative Journalism Network (GIJN): Larger international umbrella organization of which Arena is a member. GIJN runs the Global Investigative Journalism Conference and supports investigative journalism globally; comparable mission at a broader geographic and institutional scale.
• European Journalism Centre (EJC): Larger Maastricht-based foundation supporting European journalism innovation and cross-border reporting. Manages the IJ4EU Freelancer Support Scheme and operates with broader scope and resources than Arena.

Regional players

• Netzwerk Recherche: German journalism network co-hosting the Reference Circle with Arena and organizing investigative journalism events in Germany. Comparable mission and constituency; primarily focused on the German-speaking market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/arena-for-journalism

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Arena for Journalism in Europe