August – December 2026 | ₹50,000 Fellowship Grant | Apply by 30 June 2026
About the Fellowship
The Media Fellowship Programme 2026 is a strategic initiative by ACCESS Development Services to build a cohort of engaged, informed, and field-ready journalists and media professionals who can bring sustained visibility to inclusive finance, women’s economic empowerment, rural livelihoods, and grassroots development across India.
Anchored around ACCESS flagship platforms including the Global Inclusive Finance Summit (GIFS), the fellowship goes beyond event-based coverage. It creates a structure for evidence based, continuous, and high-quality journalism on inclusive development.
Through expert briefings, curated field visits, data access, and editorial mentoring, fellows will be equipped to produce original stories that deepen public understanding, shape discourse, and influence policy.
Fellowship Themes
Fellows may propose and develop story ideas across the following thematic areas:
- Financial literacy and behaviour change
- Women’s financial inclusion and entrepreneurship
- MSMEs and access to credit
- Digital finance and trust barriers
- Last-mile delivery systems (BPI and Customer Protection)
What Fellows Receive
₹50,000 Fellowship Grant Disbursed in three tranches tied to story milestones.  No of Grants: 2 | Field Visits Across India Travel to ACCESS programme locations for ground-level reporting. |
Expert Access Sector Briefings Interactions with practitioners, to stakeholders | Knowledge Hub Data & Reports Access to curated datasets, sector reports, and knowledge products. |
Summit Invite Invitations to ACCESS flagship summit – Global Inclusive Finance Summit |
Programme Details
Eligibility
Who Should Apply
- Print journalists
- Freelance reporters
- Early to mid-career media professionals
Selection Criteria
- Quality of previous work
- Relevance of story pitch
- Platform reach & distribution
Fellowship Structure
Phase 1 - Orientation
Phase 2 - Expert Briefings
Phase 3 - Field Exposure
Visits to selected ACCESS programme sites
Phase 4 - Story Support
- Editorial check-ins and mentoring by a senior journalist
- Expert and data access
Phase 5 - Summit Integration
- GIF India Summit invitation
- Networking with sector leaders
How to Apply
Expected Outputs
Minimum 3 original published stories
Grant Structure
- 30% on selection
- 40% after first two stories published
- 30% after final story submission
Timeline
Applications
- Open: 18 June 2026
- Deadline: 20 July 2026
Selection
Grant Disbursement Fellowship
- Tranche 1: On selection
- Tranche 2: After 2 published stories
- Tranche 3: Final submission
- Orientation: September 2026
- Story Development: September–November 2026
