Open source software (OSS) is extremely widespread. Recently, Google said it makes up 77% of software and is valued at over $12 trillion. Despite this, maintenance of OSS is severely underfunded, with many projects relying on unpaid or underpaid solo maintainers, leading to burnout and security risks. Google has released OSS Rebuild to try to tackle this issue, but GitHub wants to see more funding from a European Union Sovereign Tech Fund (EU-STF).
This fund wouldn’t be for every open source project out there; it’d be for widely used components that lack dedicated funding so that they can receive ongoing maintenance and security.
As part of GitHub’s proposal, its developer policy team commissioned a study to investigate a European Sovereign Tech Fund (EU-STF). The Microsoft-owned company says that the EU could be modeled after the German Sovereign Tech Agency, which has successfully invested more than 23 million euros in 60 OSS projects in its first two years.
GitHub envisions that the EU-STF would focus on identifying critical dependencies and then invest to ensure continued maintenance, security, improvements, and the strengthening of the broader OSS ecosystem. If you’re wondering how much all this would cost, GitHub proposes a minimum budget of 350 million euros from the bloc’s upcoming multi-year budget (2028-2035). GitHub said:
“This would not be enough to meet the open source maintenance need, but it could form the basis for leveraging industry and national government co-financing that would make a lasting impact.”
The GitHub study outlined the following seven crucial design criteria for the EU-STF:
- Pooled financing: Industry, national governments, and the EU should contribute to a single fund.
- Low bureaucracy: Simple application processes and minimal reporting for maintainers.
- Political independence: Avoid shifting priorities based on political trends, focus on foundational tech.
- Flexible funding: Support individuals, nonprofits, and companies, regardless of EU residency, as long as the work benefits the EU.
- Community focus: Collaboration with the open source community to define priorities.
- Strategic alignment: Demonstrate positive impact on EU strategic goals (economy, digital sovereignty, cybersecurity).
- Transparency: High standards for governance and funding decisions.
This proposal has been well-timed by GitHub and Microsoft as it coincides with negotiations for the EU’s new budget covering 2028-2035. The company is also engaging with EU legislators and industry partners to advocate for the fund, making sure they understand the benefits and the risks of not providing funding. It has also called on individuals, OSS organizations, and companies to voice their support to EU institutions.
Source: GitHub Blog | Image via Depositphotos.com