
INOVATIVE FINANCING
FOR INDIE
THE GLOBAL PROJECT FINANCING
NEEDS DERIVING FROM THE BUSINESS PLAN, OVER THE 3 FIRST YEARS, ARE AS FOLLOWS:
INDIE AGENCY
150 K€
INDIE NEWS
1.500 K€
UNPLANNED NEEDS
150 k€
TOTAL SHORT-TERM
FINANCING NEEDS
1.800 K€
TOTAL LONG-TERM
FINANCING NEEDS
7.500 K€
INDIE, AS A JOURNALISM AND TECHNOLOGY PROJECT, INTENDS TO FUND ITS JOURNALISM ENDEAVOR WITH A MIX OF TRADITIONAL AND INNOVATIVE REVENUE STRATEGIES. HERE'S A SUMMARY.
INDIE’s model is based on the idea of not only being a content producer, but also a mediator and distributor of content produced by third parties. For this reason, its funding model needs to take into account the fair remuneration for the start-ups that participate in the hub.
In the next pages, we will analyze in detail these two important points: [1] INDIE’s capacity to add value and grow in an organic and sustainable way and [2] the remuneration model for the hub’s partner start-ups.
One of INDIE’s essential, non-negotiable tenets is an absolute separation between its funding sources and the content it produces. Every potential investor that joins the project must be aware of this impregnable wall. Its funding model must also reflect and contribute to this independence.
Since there is no clearly defined model to fund a journalism start-up, INDIE will make use of existing successful strategies, but will also commit to searching for other forms of innovative and ethical financing. With that in mind, let’s talk a bit more about subscriptions, syndication and data management – and then go on to how INDIE intends to be instrumental in the sustainability of its partners.
The best way to guarantee journalistic independence is direct funding from a solid reader base that is willing to pay for content. INDIE will operate on a paywall and "fremium" subscription system that will guarantee unlimited access to its content amongst all digital platforms.
The agency will group together all the content produced by INDIE NEWS and its PARTNERS. INDIE AGENCY will oversee the project’s B2B exchange, reselling part of its content to newspapers, websites, and radio and cable TV channels willing to pay for high quality syndication service.
INDIE DATA will be INDIE’s data strategy agency, the projects intelligence unit. Alongside resources obtained through subscriptions or syndication, INDIE envisages this third branch of business that can aggregate and analyze data for its own use and for use by NGOs, entrepreneurs, and public as well as private initiatives.