Open Call for Restack Consortium Grants

Deadline: 03-Nov-2026

The Restack Consortium offers grants to independent researchers and projects working to advance open, collaborative, and vendor-neutral internet technology stacks. The initiative supports the development of open and self-sustaining digital infrastructure across the entire technology stack, from hardware to end-user applications. Its broader goal is to promote digital autonomy and self-sustainability by enabling a fully open technology stack that is free from vendor lock-in. Projects can request grants ranging from €5,000 to €50,000, with the possibility of significant scaling where a project demonstrates strong potential. The total grant pool is €7 million, and new calls are expected to be announced until the available budget is fully allocated, currently expected by early 2027.

About the Restack Consortium

The Restack Consortium was established in response to the need for open, collaborative, and sustainable digital infrastructure. The initiative aims to support the development of operational internet commons across the full technology stack. Rather than relying on proprietary systems controlled by individual vendors, the programme seeks to strengthen open technologies that can be developed, maintained, and used collaboratively. A key objective is to help reclaim digital autonomy while supporting long-term technological self-sufficiency. What Is the Restack Consortium Trying to Achieve? The initiative focuses on building a fully open stack extending from hardware through to applications used by end users.

Its goals include:

- Promoting open digital infrastructure. - Supporting collaborative technology development. - Reducing dependence on vendor-controlled systems. - Advancing vendor-neutral internet technologies. - Strengthening digital autonomy. - Supporting self-sustaining technology commons. - Encouraging open development across the technology stack. Who Can Benefit From the Grants? The funding is intended for independent researchers and projects advancing open, collaborative, and vendor-neutral internet technology. Applicants should propose work that contributes meaningfully to the development, validation, deployment, documentation, security, research, or sustainability of open internet technologies. What Activities Can Be Funded? The Restack Consortium supports a broad range of technical, research, educational, and community-oriented activities.

Eligible activities include:

- Design and development of free and open source software. - Development of free and open source hardware. - Validation and inquiry into technical solutions. - Software engineering for new use cases. - Software engineering for quality improvements. - Formal security proofs. - Security audits. - Technical documentation. - Educational materials. - Standardisation activities. - Usability improvements. - Inclusive design improvements. - Packaging and deployment support. - Scientific research. - Participation in technical and community events. - Project management. - Essential infrastructure costs. This broad scope allows projects to seek support not only for software and hardware development but also for the research, security, documentation, deployment, and community work required to make open technologies practical and sustainable. Free and Open Source Software and Hardware A major area of support is the development of free and open source software and hardware. Projects can focus on creating new open technologies or improving existing solutions where the work contributes to a more open and vendor-neutral internet technology stack. Technical Validation and Research Funding can also support projects that investigate and validate technical solutions.

This includes:

- Technical inquiry. - Scientific research. - Validation of proposed solutions. - Engineering work. - Development of new use cases. - Improvements to existing technologies. The emphasis is on advancing practical and research-based solutions that strengthen open digital infrastructure. Security and Auditing Security is another eligible area.

Funding can support:

- Formal security proofs. - Security audits. These activities can help strengthen the reliability and trustworthiness of open technologies and infrastructure. Documentation and Education The programme recognises that open technology requires more than technical development.

Funding can therefore support:

- Documentation. - Educational materials. - Knowledge-sharing activities. Clear documentation and educational resources can help communities, developers, researchers, and users understand and adopt open technologies. Standardisation, Usability and Inclusive Design Projects can also seek funding for activities that make open technologies easier to use and more widely accessible.

Eligible activities include:

- Standardisation. - Usability improvements. - Inclusive design. These activities can help ensure that open technologies are practical, interoperable, accessible, and useful to a broader range of users. Packaging and Deployment Funding can support packaging and deployment work required to move technology from development into practical use. This can be particularly important for projects seeking to make open technology easier to install, operate, distribute, and maintain. Events and Community Participation The programme also supports participation in technical and community events. Such participation can help projects engage with developers, researchers, technical communities, and other stakeholders working on open internet infrastructure. Project Management and Infrastructure Funding is not limited to direct technical development.

Eligible activities also include:

- Project management. - Essential infrastructure costs. This recognises the operational resources needed to coordinate projects and maintain the infrastructure necessary for their implementation. How Much Funding Is Available? Projects can request between €5,000 and €50,000. The programme also allows for the poss