NGI Zero Commons Fund (2025-12Z)

The NGI Zero Commons Fund is a funding opportunity within the Horizon Europe research and innovation program, aimed at fostering the Next Generation Internet initiative. The fund provides financial support to third parties, focusing on creating, maturing, and scaling "new internet commons" across various technology sectors, including libre silicon, middleware, P2P infrastructure, and end-user applications.

The total budget for this funding opportunity is €14,000,000, aimed to be distributed in smaller grants across multiple projects, with individual project lengths varying from 1 to 12 months. The application process features a single-stage model, and proposals can be submitted through the designated platform, with the application window open from October 1, 2025, to December 1, 2025.

Eligible applicants include a broad range of individuals and organizations, reflecting the program's intent to support diverse contributors to the innovation ecosystem, such as individuals, startups, SMEs, large enterprises, universities, research institutes, nonprofits, and government entities. The application should have a clear European dimension, with particular emphasis on research and development as the primary aim.

Projects will be evaluated on a 7-point scale based on technical merit, strategic relevance, and overall value for money, requiring a total weighted score above 5.0 for selection. There are no explicit co-funding requirements mentioned, ensuring broad accessibility to funding without the need for matching contributions.

Eligible activities for funding support include scientific research, development of open-source software and hardware, validation inquiries, standardization tasks, and project management. All project outcomes must be published under open access and free or open-source licenses, promoting transparency and community engagement.

The fund is positioned as a strategic initiative to address market failures and support the development of shared resources and collaborative practices within the digital landscape. It encourages innovation across a spectrum of technologies, aligning with the European Commission’s vision of a responsible and sustainably open internet. This initiative emphasizes a collaborative approach among public institutions, private companies, academic communities, and civil society, aiming to establish a more equitable and innovative digital environment for all.

The NGI Zero Commons Fund is a funding opportunity within the Horizon Europe research and innovation programme, specifically under grant agreement No 101135429. It aims to support the Next Generation Internet (NGI) initiative by providing financial support to third parties, fostering a resilient, trustworthy, and sustainably open internet. The fund supports the creation, maturation, and scaling of new internet commons across the technology spectrum, including libre silicon, middleware, P2P infrastructure, and end-user applications.

The opening date for submissions is October 1, 2025, and the deadline is December 1, 2025, at 12:00 Brussels time. The expected duration of participation is flexible, ranging from 1 to 12 months. A total of 14,000,000.00 EUR is available. The project acronym is NGI0 Commons Fund, and the full name of the EU-funded project is "Create, mature and grow internet commons." The topic is HORIZON-CL4-2023-HUMAN-01-11 - Next Generation Internet Fund (RIA).

The submission process is single-stage, and proposals can be submitted through https://NLnet.nl/propose. Applicants should consult this page and the guide for applicants before preparing their proposal. The call is open to anyone, including private individuals and organizations of any type. Proposals should align with the NGI vision, have research and development as their primary objective, be complete and concise (no more than two pages for the main application), and have a clear European dimension.

Projects are evaluated based on a 7-point scale across three criteria: technical merit, strategic relevance to the Next Generation Internet, and overall value for money. The key objective is to deliver potential breakthrough contributions to the open internet. A total weighted score above 5.0 (out of 7) is required for selection.

Eligible activities for financial support include:

Scientific research
Design and development of 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
Standardization activities, including membership fees of standards bodies
Understanding user requirements and improving usability/inclusive design
Necessary measures in support of broader deployability, such as packaging
Participation in technical, developer, and community events like hackathons, IETF, W3C, RIPE meetings, FOSDEM, etc., including admission fees, travel, and subsistence costs
Other activities relevant to adhering to robust software development and deployment practices
Project management
Out-of-pocket costs for infrastructure essential to achieving the above

All scientific outcomes must be published as open access, and any software and hardware must be published under a recognized free and open source license in its entirety.

The NGI Zero Commons Fund aims to address gaps in the commons model, which includes free and open-source software and hardware, open standards, open data & AI, open science, creative commons, and open educational resources. It seeks to foster collective action and public investment to counter market failure and address challenges posed by runaway technology. The fund adopts a holistic, full-stack approach to reclaim the public nature of the internet and ensure full coverage across the technology spectrum.

The fund encourages new ideas and disruptive technologies while also supporting the evolution and growth of existing future-proof technologies. It emphasizes the importance of the quadruple helix model, involving collaboration between the public sector, aligned companies, academia, and civil society, to restore the internet and economies. The goal is to create a strong and open internet for all and bring about new paradigms like the European Commission's vision for Web 4.0, which aims to harness technologies like virtual and augmented reality, generative AI, and intelligent mediators in a responsible way to sustainably serve society.

Project results must be available under a free or open-source license, allowing anyone to read and validate the source code and use the code or open data for their own purposes. This promotes reuse, repair, unrestricted scrutiny, and permission-free innovation, while also reducing e-waste. The use of standards enables interoperability and redundancy in implementation to reduce the risk of compromise and failure.

The NGI0 Commons Fund is made possible with financial support from the European Commission's Next Generation Internet programme, under the aegis of DG Communications Networks, Content and Technology, and additional funding from the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI).

In summary, the NGI Zero Commons Fund is a Horizon Europe initiative designed to bolster the Next Generation Internet by funding projects that develop and scale open and accessible internet technologies. It supports a wide range of activities, from research and development to standardization and community engagement, all with the goal of creating a more resilient, trustworthy, and open internet commons. The fund is open to individuals and organizations committed to open-source principles and collaborative innovation, seeking to address the challenges and opportunities presented by emerging technologies and the evolving digital landscape.

Eligible Applicant Types: Anyone can apply, including private individuals and organizations of any type. This indicates a very broad range of eligible applicants, encompassing individuals, startups, SMEs, large enterprises, universities, research institutes, nonprofits, and governmental organizations.

Funding Type: The primary financial mechanism is a grant, specifically cascade funding, where the NGI0 Commons Fund, supported by the European Union's Horizon Europe program, provides financial support to third parties.

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity appears to be open to both single applicants and consortia. While not explicitly stated, the broad eligibility criteria suggest that both individual entities and collaborative projects are welcome.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The call has a clear European dimension. Additional funding is provided by Switzerland. It can be inferred that the primary geographic focus is the EU, with potential eligibility extending to countries associated with Horizon Europe, including Switzerland.

Target Sector: The program targets the ICT sector, specifically focusing on the Next Generation Internet (NGI) and digital commons. This includes a wide array of technologies and concepts, such as: free and open source software and hardware, open standards, open data & AI, open science, creative commons, open educational resources, libre silicon, middleware, P2P infrastructure, virtual and augmented reality, generative AI, and intelligent mediators.

Mentioned Countries: Switzerland, EU.

Project Stage: The program supports projects across various stages, including research, development, validation, and scaling. The goal is to deliver, mature, and scale new internet commons.

Funding Amount: The total funding available is €14,000,000. The expected duration of participation is 1-12 months, suggesting that the funding will be distributed across multiple projects, with individual project funding amounts varying. The exact funding range per project is not specified, but it can be inferred that it is variable depending on the project's scope and duration.

Application Type: The application type is an open call, as indicated by the statement "it really is an open call." Projects can be submitted through the provided link. The deadline model is single-stage.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of grants to support their projects.

Application Stages: The application process is single-stage.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned. However, the requirement for projects to achieve a total weighted score above 5.0 (out of 7) suggests a competitive selection process.

Co-funding Requirement: The text does not explicitly mention a co-funding requirement.

Summary:

The NGI0 Commons Fund is an EU-funded initiative under the Horizon Europe program that aims to foster the development and scaling of Next Generation Internet technologies and digital commons. The fund provides grants to a wide range of applicants, including individuals and organizations, to support projects that contribute to a resilient, trustworthy, and sustainably open internet. The program has a broad scope, covering various technologies such as open source software and hardware, open data, AI, and emerging technologies like virtual and augmented reality. Projects should align with the NGI vision and have a clear European dimension. The application process is a single-stage open call, with projects evaluated based on technical merit, strategic relevance, and value for money. The total funding available is €14,000,000, which will be distributed across multiple projects with durations ranging from 1 to 12 months. The NGI0 Commons Fund seeks to address market failures and promote collective action by supporting the creation of shared building blocks and collective resources for governments, businesses, and civil society. The program encourages collaboration among the public sector, companies, academia, and civil society to restore the internet and economies to health, fostering innovation and responsible use of technology. All scientific outcomes and software/hardware developed under this fund must be published under open access and free/open source licenses, respectively.