Open source R&D programme contributes 9.6 million € to “digital commons”
Today a coalition of 12 not-for-profit organisations from across Europe launches the first open call for a large new research programme, NGI Zero Entrust. The ambitious programme is part of the Next Generation Internet initiative which was initiated by the European Commission in 2016. The programme is the next iteration of NGI Zero, which is one of the most ambitious funding programme designs of its kind — providing bottom-up funding to create digital commons such as free and open source software, libre hardware and open standards with a pipeline of tailored support to help mature the technologies in question.
New calls will open up every two months until the budget is fully allocated. These European grants are available to any individual or organisation that has a worthwhile idea for making the internet more trustworthy internet and offer users more privacy, robustness and agency. NGI0 Entrust allows independent researchers and developers to work on new cutting edge solutions in the public benefit, creating a virtuous cycle of innovation through free and open source software, libre hardware and open standards.
The core premise of the fund is that reliability, confidentiality, integrity, security and data portability should be the ‘new normal’ of the internet, something ordinary users should not have to worry about.
The overall mission of the Next Generation Internet initiative is to re-imagine and re-engineer the internet for the third millennium and beyond to shape a value-centric, human and inclusive society for all. The programme is supported by the European Commission’s DG CNECT.
All the information about the NGI0 ENTRUST 1st open call is available at: nlnet.nl/entrust