The IPI News Innovation Contest is aimed at advancing the future of news by funding new ways to digitally inform communities in Europe, Middle East and Africa.

Via these grants, International Press Institute (IPI) is supporting projects from profit or non-profit organizations and individuals that revolve around online news that advances press freedom, the development of more sustainable business models and the training of journalists.

The contest was initiated by Google Inc. with a grant of $2.7 million US dollars.

In her article Fleur gives a detailed overview of the development of eLinea and how the service works. What does eLinea offer to participating publishers and what does the subscription model look like? And what are the results so far in The Netherlands? She also spoke with Michel Suijkerbuijk, owner of eReaders Groep, the young and independent company behind eLinea. He motivates why eLinea suits his way of doing business: he wishes to help start projects that benefit environment, society and economy.

Fleur also researched the current situation of eLinea in The Netherlands and assessed among others the results so far and the online buzz. She also noticed that we, eReaders Groep, are very clear and confident about our international ambitions. Before this summer we expect to enter the Flemish market and we are also busy preparing the launch of two English eLinea platforms, one for the British market and one for the European market. The public launch of eLinea.com is scheduled for October 1, 2011. Publishers who are interested in issuing their digital content through eLinea are invited to participate in the international pilot scheme.

Read the full article of Fleur Stigter on Tell Fleur.

Because eLinea offers many advantages, not only to publishers but also to readers, eReaders Group has now decided to develop an international version as soon as possible. In view of this, we are seeking to establish contacts with internationally renowned publishers who are interested in the attractive business model that eLinea can offer them.

Pilot scheme
Publishers who are interested in issuing their digital content through eLinea are invited to participate in the international pilot scheme, which offers them all these advantages:

• Participation is free of obligation: publishers who participate in the pilot scheme are in no way bound to do so later, after the public launch.
• Participation is free of charge: publishers will incur no costs. For the duration of the pilot scheme, eReaders Group will fully bear the costs of custom linkages, if necessary, to feed the content of the publisher into eLinea.
• Participating publishers will have exclusive insight into the results of the pilot scheme.
• Additional advantages for participating publishers are that when eLinea is publicly launched, not only will they already occupy a leading position but we will also heed their wishes regarding the admission of their competitors to eLinea.
• For the duration of the pilot scheme, use of eLinea.com will be restricted to authorised users only: only those who are on an eReaders Group green list will be able to make use of the pilot version. Of course, employees of the participating publishers will also be able to make use of eLinea.com.
• During the pilot scheme, eLinea.com will be extensively tested with the aid of international groups of test users. Participating publishers may, if they so desire and in consultation with eReaders Group, set up their own groups of test users and their own surveys (using their own survey questions).

The pilot scheme will run from 1 September 2012 to 1 May 2013, which is the date planned for the public launch of eLinea.com. Our aim is for 10 to 20 internationally renowned publishers to participate in the pilot scheme.

Click here for more information about eLinea. Publishers can click here for further information. Other kinds of potential partners who are interested in eLinea can get further information here.