FAQ
This FAQ addresses questions about the Policy on the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence for NLnet-funded projects. They've been grouped under headers for quick reference.
Topics
FAQs
Applications
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I've submitted a proposal with the aid of GenAI before the new policy came into force on October 20th 2026. Do I need to write a new proposal without GenAI?
No. We have made a one time exception allowing the use of GenAI for writing the proposal for applications submitted before October 21, 2026. If your project otherwise adheres to the policy, there is no need to resubmit.
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I have submitted a proposal before October 21st 2026 that includes use of LLMs which is not in accordance with your policy. Do I need to resubmit?
Yes, at least if you would like your proposal to be considered. Applications which are not compatible with our current GenAI policy are not eligible. Obviously you have the option to update your proposal right up to the deadline to fit the new policy, should you believe it is salvagable. We understand that may significantly change the various parameters in your project, and that this isn't always possible. If you believe your approach is fundamentally incompatible, the best option is to send us an email to withdraw. You should have received a message from us about this already.
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How do I resubmit my proposal?
Simply fill out the application form again. It is appreciated if you mention the fact it is a resubmission in the application and provide the project ID of the old application. (This makes it easier for us to deduplicate, and will speed up processing)
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The policy requires to disclose pre-existing LLM-generated code in my codebase. How do I disclose that in the application form?
The application form has a section AI disclosure at the bottom. There you can provide a high-level overview of how GenAI was used in your project. Just write a broad, general description of how GenAI was used. As a matter of transparency, we recommend you also mention it in your repository, on your website and in the project README.
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Will my proposal be disqualified if my codebase contains pre-existing LLM-generated code?
Not in all cases: some minor use can be allowed, if it is clear you fully understand your code base. It probably won't make sense to spend a lot of effort adding hand-written code to a very large 'agentic' code base. You'll need to disclose pre-existing LLM-generated code in the application form (there is a AI disclosure section), and we will evaluate.
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I worry that you'll think I wrote my application with AI because I use similar style, like using bullet points.
Don't worry too much; LLMs generating text as bullet points lists is a result of how commonly this type of formatting occurs in training materials.
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Can I use an LLM for translation?
No. It is okay to use regular machine translation, but not LLMs. We do understand there is a language barrier, English is not our native language for most of our staff either. At the same time we at NLnet have operated funding programmes for decades, funding thousands of people all across the world. We care about the engineering content, meaning you don't have to use generative AI to 'polish' to please us — doing it the traditional way means nothing sets off AI detections tools and we don't have a lot of extra work checking.
Project development
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AI coding assistants write most of the code and/or documentation, is this compliant with the GenAI policy?
No. Use of AI is only allowed in a read-only manner. The policy requires you to write your own code and documentation.
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I am using [brand LLM redacted] to code but the idea, concept, and design and everything about the project except the code is from me. Does that make my project unfundable?
Unfortunately it does. It is not allowed to use GenAI for producing artefacts of any kind, including code, design, and documentation. You can only use GenAI in a read-only manner.
Creation of AI-related projects
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Restack excludes AI-related projects. Where is the line for infrastructure that AI systems can consume but that contains no AI itself?
(question continues:)For example, would a deterministic library that records content-addressed source references (document, chunk, version, hash) and verifies that a cited passage exists and matches its hash be in scope, if any AI component using it stays outside the funded work?
Answer: If it is also consumable and useful outside of the AI ecosystems, then it would likely be considered.
