Apply for a grant

Next deadline: August 1^st 2026 12:00 CEST (noon)

NLnet is currently taking stock of a decade of NGI Zero and preparing the transition to the new Open Internet Stack effort (read the news item), and is therefore temporarily only accepting proposals for two specific funds (the libre digital payment system GNU Taler and the hosting stack Fediversity). Others will need to have some patience: our regular open call will reopen after the summer. We apologise for any inconveniences this may cause.

This form can be used to request support for your project. Note that releasing software, hardware and content under libre/open licenses, and the application of open standards where possible are transversal requirements for all. From our end we will provide a transparent and efficient selection process. Please check the (call-specific) guide for applicants for the call you are interested in, as well as our policy on the use of Generative AI.

Please also don't forget to look into our privacy statement about how we deal with your information (should be a pleasant surprise, actually — we really care about your privacy. Throughout the years we've funded the development of quite some widespread privacy enhancing technologies ourselves).

A practical point: we recommend to prepare longer answers offline, in case something goes wrong with your browser session. It is a light weight procedure, please don't wait until the last hour before the deadline before submitting — deadlines are hard.

Please select a call
In the list of current calls below, please indicate the call topic you are responding to. Note that each fund has its own scope and conditions. Have a look at the respective guides for applicants before you submit a proposal.
Thematic call
Contact information
Your name
Email address
Phone number
Organisation
Country
General project information
Proposal name
Website / wiki
Please be short and to the point in your answers; focus primarily on the what and how, not so much on the why. Add longer descriptions as attachments (see below). If English isn't your first language, don't worry — our reviewers don't care about spelling errors, only about great ideas. We apologise for the inconvenience of having to submit in English. On the up side, you can be as technical as you need to be (but you don't have to). Do stay concrete. Use plain text in your reply only, if you need any HTML to make your point please include this as attachment.
Abstract: Can you explain the whole project and its expected outcome(s). Have you been involved with projects or organisations relevant to this project before? And if so, can you tell us a bit about your contributions?
Requested support
Requested Amount	(in Euro)
Explain what the requested budget will be used for? Does the project have other funding sources, both past and present? A breakdown in the main tasks with associated effort is appreciated. Make rates explicit. (If you want, you can in addition attach a full budget at the bottom of the form) Compare your own project with existing or historical efforts. What are significant technical challenges you expect to solve during the project, if any? Describe the ecosystem of the project, and how you will engage with relevant actors and promote the outcomes?
Attachments
Attachments: add any additional information about the project that may help us to gain more insight into the proposed effort, for instance a more detailed task description, a justification of costs or relevant endorsements. Attachments should only contain background information, please make sure that the proposal without attachments is self-contained and concise. Don't waste too much time on this. Really.
Accepted formats for attachments are: HTML, PDF, OpenDocument Format and plain text files. (The total size of attachments must not exceed 50 MB)

Generative AI
Did you use generative AI in writing this proposal? (See our GenAI policy.)
Which model did you use? What did you use it for? Please submit the dates of the prompts, the prompts themselves and the unedited output in this text field.
Optional files containing prompts used in creation of this proposal. (The total size of attachments must not exceed 50 MB)

How may we handle your information
Your privacy is so important to us, we wrote a nifty privacy statement. We'd love to collect as little personal data from you as possible, but we're bound by some pesky rules and regulations. So, before you submit your proposal, please acknowledge the following:
	I have read and understood NLnet’s Privacy Statement. I agree that the NLnet can collect, use, and share my personal information as described in the statement. I also understand that I have rights over my personal information, such as the right to access, correct, or delete it.
Send me a copy of this application.
PGP pubkey

We will contact you within a few days after the deadline. Alternatively (or in case of urgency), you can contact us in a number of ways.

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Next deadline: August 1st 2026 12:00 CEST (noon)

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Currently open for proposals:

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Next deadline: August 1^st 2026 12:00 CEST (noon)