Apply for NGI Zero Commons Fund 2025

It is clear that the commons model works, and continues to gain ground. Free and open source software and hardware, open standards, open data & AI, open science, creative commons and open educational resources are democratizing innovation and learning, and are together driving society and industry forward at an unprecedented pace. But it is also obvious that there are major gaps that need to be fixed still. The answer to market failure and dystopian runaway technology lies in collective action and public investment.

They believe the NGI0 Commons Fund has a critical role to play in helping to restore public ownership of the internet, making the internet healthier and more open — both as infrastructure and as ecosystem.

Funding Information

• The NGI0 Commons Fund Consortium will competitively award 21.6 million euro worth of grants to independent researchers.
• They are seeking project proposals between 5,000 and 50,000 euro’s — with the possibility to scale them up significantly if there is proven potential.

Eligible Activities

• The following types of activities qualify for financial support, provided they are cost effective and have a clear link to the topics directly relevant to NGI0 and the objectives set out in the call:
  • scientific research
  • design and development of free and open source software and open hardware
  • validation or constructive inquiry into existing or novel technical solutions
  • software engineering aimed at adapting to new usage areas or improving software quality
  • formal security proofs, security audits, setup and design of software testing and continuous integration
  • documentation for researchers, developers and end users, including educational materials
  • standardisation activities, including membership fees of standards bodies
  • understanding user requirements and improving usability/inclusive design
  • necessary measures in support of (broad)er deployability, e.g. packaging
  • participation in technical, developer and community events like hackathons, IETF, W3C, RIPE meetings, FOSDEM, etc. (admission fee, travel and subsistence costs)
  • other activities that are relevant to adhering to robust software development and deployment practices
  • project management
  • out-of-pocket costs for infrastructure essential to achieving the above.

Eligibility Criteria

• There are no categorical exclusions of persons who may not receive support from NGI0 Commons Fund.
• Given equal proposals, inhabitants of the EU and countries associated to Horizon Europe are given priority. However if the project is of exceptional quality and the proposer holds unique technical expertise proposals from outside of those geographic areas can be eligible as well — under the condition that there is a clear European dimension.
• Young people that have not yet reached the age of legal consent in their country of origin (typically 18 years old) on the date of the deadline may apply without any constraints; consent from a legal guardian such as a parent does not have to be provided prior to initial submission, but will be required to enter any further negotiations.

Judging Criteria

• Projects are judged on their technical merits, strategic relevance to the Next Generation Internet and overall value for money. The key objective is to deliver potential break-through contributions to the open internet. All scientific outcomes must be published as open access, and any software and hardware must be published under a recognised open source license in its entirety.

For more information, visit European Commission.