NGI Zero Commons Fund (2026-04Z)

The NGI Zero Commons Fund (2026-04Z) is a substantial funding opportunity with a total budget of €14,000,000 aimed at developing, maturing, and scaling new internet commons. This fund is co-financed by the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation program and the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation. The funding initiative welcomes proposals that contribute to the Next Generation Internet (NGI), focusing on areas such as open source software and hardware, open standards, open data and AI, and other digital resources.

Eligible applicants for this fund include private individuals and organizations of any type, making it one of the most inclusive funding opportunities available. There is no requirement for a consortium; individual applicants or small teams can apply independently. All projects need to demonstrate a clear European dimension, with a strong preference for proposals tied to EU Member States or Horizon Europe Associated countries, including Switzerland.

Projects can cover a wide range of stages from early research to commercialization, and the funding amount per project may vary significantly based on scope, likely ranging from smaller grants of €50,000-€500,000 up to larger amounts for comprehensive projects. The application process is a single-stage open call, allowing submissions any time until the deadline of April 1, 2026. To be considered for funding, proposals must achieve a weighted score above 5.0 out of 7.0 based on criteria such as technical merit, strategic relevance, and overall value for money, indicating a competitive selection process with estimated success rates likely in the 10-39% range.

No co-funding is required, and all awarded funding will be provided directly as grants aimed at supporting a variety of activities related to digital commons, including scientific research, software/hardware development, validation of technical solutions, standardization efforts, and community participation among others. Proposals must also adhere to open access principles, ensuring that all outcomes are publicly available and that software is released under recognized free or open-source licenses.

The NGI Zero Commons Fund is part of a broader initiative to enhance the security and operational viability of the internet through public investment and collaborative efforts across public sector, academic, and civil society contributions. It aims to foster innovative technologies while also evolving established ones, aligning with Europe's vision for a sustainable digital future characterized by Web 4.0 technologies and responsible societal impact.

The NGI Zero Commons Fund is a funding opportunity co-funded by the European Union's Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101135429. Additional funding is provided by the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI). The fund aims to support the development, maturation, and scaling of new internet commons across the technology spectrum, from libre silicon to middleware, and from P2P infrastructure to end-user applications. The fund supports the Next Generation Internet (NGI) initiative and contributes to a resilient, trustworthy, and sustainably open internet.

The opening date for submissions is 01 February 2026, and the deadline for submissions is 01 April 2026 at 12:00 (Brussels time). The expected duration of participation is flexible, ranging from 1 to 12 months. The total funding available is 14,000,000.00 EUR. 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).

Projects can be submitted through https://NLnet.nl/propose. Applicants should consult this page and the guide for applicants before preparing a proposal. The call is open to anyone, including private individuals and organizations of any type. Project proposals should align with the NGI vision and have research and development as their primary objective. Proposals should be complete, concise, and no longer than the equivalent of two pages for the main application. Proposals should 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. Projects must achieve a total weighted score above 5.0 (out of 7) to be selected.

The following types of activities qualify for financial support, provided they are cost-effective and directly linked to digital commons and the objectives of the NGI0 Commons Fund call:

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 current internet landscape by supporting collective action and public investment in internet commons. It seeks to foster a critical mass of shared building blocks and collective resources to enhance security and long-term operational availability for governments, businesses, and civil society. The fund encourages the development of new ideas and disruptive technologies while also evolving and growing existing technologies that are future-proof. It supports the quadruple helix collaboration of the public sector, aligned companies, academia, and civil society to restore the internet and economies to health. The fund also aims to bring about new paradigms like the European Commission's vision for Web 4.0, which seeks to harness technologies like virtual and augmented reality, generative AI, and intelligent mediators in a responsible way to sustainably serve society.

The NGI Zero Commons Fund is an open call for troubleshooters to tackle challenging issues and contribute to the development of a strong and open internet. Project results must be available under a free or open-source license, allowing for scrutiny, reuse, and innovation. The use of standards is encouraged to enable interoperability and redundancy.

In summary, the NGI Zero Commons Fund is a significant funding opportunity aimed at fostering the development of a more open, resilient, and trustworthy internet. It supports a wide range of activities, from scientific research to software development and community engagement, all with the goal of creating and scaling internet commons. The fund is open to various applicants and encourages innovative projects that align with the NGI vision and contribute to the evolution of the internet.

Eligible Applicant Types: The opportunity is open to anyone, including private individuals and organizations of any type. This suggests a very broad range of eligible applicants, encompassing startups, SMEs, large enterprises, universities, research institutes, nonprofits, governments, and individuals.

Funding Type: The primary financial mechanism is a grant, specifically cascade funding, where the NGI0 Commons Fund provides financial support to third parties.

Consortium Requirement: The opportunity does not explicitly state whether a consortium is required or if single applicants are preferred. However, the mention of the "quadruple helix" (collaboration of public sector, companies, academia, and civil society) suggests that collaborative projects are welcome, although single applicants are not excluded.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The opportunity has a clear European dimension, being co-funded by the European Union's Horizon Europe program. Additional funding is provided by Switzerland. Therefore, the geographic eligibility likely includes EU member states and potentially extends to countries associated with Horizon Europe, such as Switzerland.

Target Sector: The program targets the ICT sector, specifically focusing on the Next Generation Internet (NGI) and digital commons. This includes areas like open source software and hardware, open standards, open data & AI, open science, creative commons, and open educational resources. It also touches upon virtual and augmented reality, generative AI, and intelligent mediators.

Mentioned Countries: Switzerland, EU.

Project Stage: The opportunity supports projects across various stages, including research, design, development, validation, software engineering, and activities supporting deployability. It aims to deliver, mature, and scale new internet commons, suggesting a focus on projects from development to scale-up.

Funding Amount: The total funding available is €14,000,000. The expected duration of participation is 1-12 months, suggesting that individual project funding amounts may vary considerably, but are likely to be in the range of under €50k to €200k, or possibly higher depending on the project scope.

Application Type: The application type is an open call, as explicitly stated in the text: "it really is an open call."

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

Application Stages: The deadline model is single-stage, meaning applicants submit a complete proposal by the deadline.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned. However, the scoring criteria indicate that projects need a total weighted score above 5.0 (out of 7) to be selected, suggesting a competitive selection process. The success rate is therefore likely to be in the 10 to 39% range or below 10%.

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

Summary:

The NGI Zero Commons Fund is an EU-funded initiative under the Horizon Europe program, with additional funding from Switzerland, designed to foster the development and scaling of digital commons for the Next Generation Internet. It 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 fund targets various aspects of the internet technology stack, from libre silicon to middleware and end-user applications, promoting open source software and hardware, open standards, open data & AI, and other open resources. The program aims to address market failures and promote collective action in the digital realm, supporting activities such as scientific research, software development, security audits, documentation, standardization, and community engagement. The application process is a single-stage open call, with projects evaluated based on technical merit, strategic relevance to the NGI, and value for money. The goal is to support projects that deliver breakthrough contributions to the open internet and align with the European Commission's vision for Web 4.0, including responsible development of technologies like virtual and augmented reality and AI.