The Sovereign Tech Fund invests globally in open software components that underpin Germany's and Europe's competitiveness and capacity for innovation. The program supports open digital base technologies that are vital to other software or enable digital networking.
Key Details
- Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis; the programme does not publish a submission deadline.
- Applications are accepted exclusively through the online application platform.
- Applications must be completed in German or English.
Focus Areas
The Fund supports open digital base technologies that are widely used by other technologies or important to digital networking. Examples include:
- Libraries for programming languages
- Package managers
- Open implementations of communication protocols
- Administration tools for developers
- Digital encryption technologies
The Fund does not finance prototype development and is currently not seeking user-facing applications such as messaging apps or file-storage services.
Eligibility
- Proposed activities must develop or maintain open digital base technologies, with development as the primary focus.
- Security audits, conference attendance, and other community-based events may be included when necessary for the proposed work.
- The cost of the work described in the application must exceed EUR 50,000.
- The same proposed activities must not already receive grants, investments, or work commissions from another public entity.
- Supported code and documentation must be licensed for free reuse, modification, and redistribution.
- Code must use an OSI-approved or FSF Free/Libre license.
- Documentation licenses may not contain non-commercial or no-derivatives clauses.
- Applicants, their organization, or their community must demonstrate the knowledge, insight, and technical skills needed to complete the proposed work. They must be recognized within the relevant community or have the endorsement of that community or the maintainer.
Eligible submissions are evaluated according to:
- Prevalence: how widely the technology is used within or by other technologies.
- Relevance: its importance to societal sectors such as education, health care, energy, journalism, or industry.
- Vulnerability: whether important maintenance or quality work is underfunded or blocked by structural challenges.
- Public benefit: how funding the technology benefits society or critical sectors.
- Proposed activities: their feasibility, impact, clarity, timeline, budget, and contribution to security, maintenance, enhancement, or sustainability.
- Applicant expertise: relevant knowledge, skills, community standing, or endorsement.
Timeline
- Basic requirements and criteria review: up to 10 weeks.
- Detailed scoping and consultation with external experts: up to 8 weeks.
- Legal compliance review, supporting documentation, and contract preparation: up to 8 weeks.
- Overall period from submission to a potential contract start: approximately 6 months.
Application Process
- Review the requirements and criteria: applicants should confirm that all basic requirements apply before submitting.
- Submit through the application platform: applications are accepted exclusively through the online portal. Supplemental materials should not be sent by email or another channel.
- Initial review: the Fund checks the basic requirements and evaluates qualifying submissions against its criteria.
- Scoping: after a positive review, the program team works with the applicant to clarify questions, refine the proposed work, and prepare a project description.
- External consultation: the Sovereign Tech Agency consults external experts and practitioners before making a final selection.
- Legal and contracting: the final stage covers compliance review, supporting documentation, and contract preparation.
Resources and Contact
