Sustainable funding for open source projects is more crucial than ever. Compared to the needs and goals stated in recent reports (e.g. EuroStack, the economic support for the open source sector in France and Europe still lacks structuration and capacities. This situation jeopardizes EU's technological independence and its innovation policies, despite the open source sector’s immense importance and potential for the economy and innovation.

Open source software and digital commons are at the core of our infrastructures, including critical ones in cybersecurity, AI, open data, and public services. With an average of 77% of private and public infrastructures relying on open source (cf the 2024 OSSRA report), the risks associated with cyber (or political) threats are significant.

However, business models for open source projects are often fragile and sensitive to development phases. Open projects are primarily supported by a diffuse network of small actors, non-profit organisations, or enterprises, which usually struggle to secure fundings allowing them to fulfil their potential, especially in their early or maintenance stages.

This talk introduces "The Librery Fund", an endowment fund project designed to support critical and strategic open source, through contributions from the tech industry.

During this session, we will delve into the core principles that would set the Librery Fund apart as an original and complementary tool within the European open source ecosystem. Its design was broadly inspired by the Copie Publique pledge, first as a way to "scale up" this process at the French level, and then to propose an alternative economic support to other initiatives in Europe such as the Sovereign Tech Agency or the EDIC.

We will describe how this fund could foster long-term sustainability and innovation in open source projects. We will detail the fund's main mechanisms, highlighting how private contributions are leveraged to provide recurring financial support. Moreover, we will discuss the fund's governance structure, transparency, collective decision-making, and the integration of diverse stakeholders.

We will finally explain how this fund would also provide a new diplomatic channel in international tech negotiations, aligning with EU priorities and the urgency to defend our common vision of digital freedoms.

Join us to learn more about this initiative and how we could with your help implement this instrument in the near future.