The Business Development Incubator will provide hands-on support to a cohort of publishers, helping them strengthen their commercial foundations and improve long-term financial resilience.
More hands, more headlines
Got an idea for your business but no time to implement it? Let us do it for you.
While we’ve been thrilled to see the success generated by publishers participating in growth programs in various formats, a common barrier for small businesses is having the time to build a new product, service, engagement activity or workflow tool.
We think the hardest part is the set-up, so we’ve brought in Olivia McDonnell, a media strategist with expertise in building sustainable models for independent publishers, to help.
Over the course of the next year, Olivia will work alongside publishers on specific projects, literally doing the establishment work for you to break ground on your project dreams. Then she’ll hand you the keys to maintain, iterate and grow it into the future.
What project? Well, that’s up to you. Pitch us ideas that you’ve had on your to-do list but never quite seem to get to. The ones that you know would probably be beneficial, if only you could find the time. It could be a way to reach new audiences, a product you want to offer, an expansion on a revenue stream you already have, a better workflow for part of your business… anything that could help you grow that’s not creating news content.
We’ll select around 20-25 projects to work on throughout the year in an identified timeframe.
Pitch your project
Note: you can pitch up to 3 ideas, a maximum of two projects will be supported for any one publisher.
We will select the best pitches we can support and will contact successful pitches in August to line up timing for implementation.
Olivia McDonnell is a media strategist and former Managing Director at Private Media and SmartCompany, with a background spanning The Sydney Morning Herald, Crikey and The Economist. She specialises in building sustainable, reader-first strategies for independent and niche media.
Advertising
Display advertising allows newsrooms to keep costs low (or free) for their communities. LINA has plenty of resources and tips for implementing and selling advertising effectively, including free 1:1 tech support for member newsrooms.
Grants and funding
LINA offers grants to support the production of public interest journalism, particularly when newsrooms need extra resources to cover complex, time-intensive or multi-part stories that matter to their communities and audiences.
Discounts for newsrooms
Check out these discount codes and exclusive offers for local and independent newsrooms.
Collective fundraising
For the past two years, LINA newsrooms have come together for a collective, week-long fundraising campaign. We provide the digital assets, fundraising guidance, and platform for accepting donations (thanks to our partner PressPatron). You receive donations directly from your community to your newsroom, which is then amplified by matched-funding from philanthropic LINA supporters.
News products
Many newsrooms don’t think of their content as a product or their audience as customers—but what if you did? Exploring your content, audiences and services through a product lens can reveal new revenue opportunities. This isn’t about compromising quality — it’s about finding sustainable ways to support and grow your journalism. Access guides to ‘product thinking’ and other free resources from the News Product Alliance (NPA).
Past programs
Sustainability Growth Program
Applications closed August 2025.
The 10 week program gives you hands-on support from expert mentors to turn your ideas into income-generating projects.
Newsrooms are paired with an experienced mentor for guidance and support while cultivating an experimental mindset, implementing the ‘test and learn’ approach, and tracking revenue outcomes. You’ll walk away with a deeper understanding of diversifying income, practical experience experimenting with options, and a more sustainable news organisation.