Open call for funding (0-30.000€)
NLnet: funding the shock waves of open information technology
Dead-line for submission: December 1st, 2009
[Deze tekst in het Nederlands 
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Do you have a valuable idea in the area of open source software and/or open standards, and are you looking for financial means to make your ideas come through? Or do you have an existing project that requires additional means to enable further development? Then submit your proposal to NLnet foundation before December 1st 2009 and see if we can help you. We are independent and put put our money where our mouth is: that is to increase the use of open technologies for society. Wat is important for us is that the technology you develop or help promote is usable for others and has real impact. We are looking forward to your proposals! Note that we are also interested to hear your inspiring ideas if you are unable to manage it yourself.
Plenty of possibilities
NLnet Foundation (in Dutch: Stichting NLnet) is a philanthropic (private) not-for-profit organisation that invests its own trust funds to bring the open information society closer. Annually, the foundation spends around two million Euro in supporting strategic initiatives that contribute to an open information society, especially where these are aimed at development and dissemination of open standards and (network related) open source technology. Additionally the foundation wants to contribute to the societal debate on these subjects.
NLnet foundation supports a large array of activities, from software development, standardisation work and development of educational material up to hacker festivals, digital rights activities and the international development of open source software licences. The NLnet contribution can also be used as so called "matching" for other subsidies from organisations such as the EU and Science foundations.
How does it work
Six times a year NLnet offers smaller and starting projects (budget between 0 and 30.000€ and a manageable life span of a year at most) the opportunity to submit a proposal for support. A project can be anything, including travel grants and one-time events such as hackathons, lectures and conferences. The next deadline for submission is December 1st 2009 12:00 o'clock (Central European Summer time, UTC +2).
In a short and clear procedure the foundation decides, based on relevance, quality and urgency which initiatives it supports and which it does not. A focus on societal impact and actual usage are considered as positive traits of a proposal. There is one important condition which is that any software or hardware that a project produces must be available under a valid open source licence (GPL, BSD, Apache, etc.).
We appreciate it if (where relevant) your application contains a target audience for your project, and tells us how you are going to disseminate results and promote awareness. Within two weeks after the deadline you will hear if your project falls within the criteria, and within four weeks you will know if we want to take the project under our wings. After we have shared our vision on the project with you the project plan is finalised. We have quite an extensive network and many partners, and potentially we can hook you up with other experienced partners. If everything is in place, your project can be up and running within six weeks!!
My idea needs more
Projects that require a considerable additional amount of money than is possible through the open call of NLnet are advised to make an appointment with one of our staff to explain your idea and discuss the possibilities. The possibility exists that NLnet may be able to either support such projects or help the project finding support elsewhere. Also cofunding may be a possibility.
Use the contact request form or call either Michiel Leenaars (Director of Strategy, +31 6 27 050 947) or Valer Mischenko (General Director, +31 20 888 42 52).
About NLnet Foundation
NLnet foundation is an independent organisation whose means come from donations, legacies, and interest on a substantial own capital formed in 1997 by the sale of the first Dutch Internet Service Provider. Its private capital ensures an absolute independent position. The articles of association for the NLnet foundation state: "to promote the exchange of electronic information and all that is related or beneficial to that purpose". NLnet believes in open standards and open source. At the moment, dozens of projects and organizations are supported financially. Amongst them: research laboratory NLnet Labs, the Free Software Foundation, ThinkQuest, Intelligent Interactive Distributed Systems, and the Internet Society.
