Budget

Funding rate: Up to 100% of eligible costs. Budget conditions / limitations: Initial proposals may request up to €50,000. Projects larger than €50,000 may undergo a full independent security audit. The maximum grant per proposal is €500,000. Payments: Grants are not disbursed upfront. Projects are divided into milestones, each with an allocated amount. Upon completion of a milestone, a payment request can be submitted.

Key dates and deadline

The call opened up on October 1st 2025, with a deadline of December 1st 2025 12:00 CET (noon)

Details

The NGI Zero Commons Fund Open Call focuses on creating and scaling open internet solutions across all areas of technology, from hardware and infrastructure to end-user applications, while promoting public ownership and collaboration to tackle today’s digital challenges. The fund seeks projects that deliver, mature, and scale new internet commons across the technology spectrum, including libre silicon, middleware, P2P infrastructure, and end-user applications. All outcomes must be open access, with software and hardware released under recognized open-source licenses. Sectors / domain: Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), focusing on areas such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Big Data, Internet of Things (IoT), and Advanced Manufacturing.

Eligibility

Applications are open to individuals, research organizations, non-profits, public institutions, and companies of any size and type. Applicants can apply as individuals or as part of formal or informal organizations. While there are no categorical exclusions, priority is given to inhabitants of the EU and countries associated with Horizon Europe. However, exceptional projects from outside these regions with a clear European dimension are also eligible.

Additional information

How to apply?

https://nlnet.nl/commonsfund/