Restack Grants for IT Developers and Innovators

The Restack grant programme is an initiative by the NLnet Foundation, operating as part of the broader Open Internet Stack concept (initiated by the European Commission). The main objective of the programme is to deliver, mature, and scale internet commons across all layers of the technology stack. The initiative strives to establish a competitive, reliable, and open internet to counteract the dominance of closed proprietary technologies. The organizers plan to fund the creation of an end-to-end open ecosystem: from libre chips and middleware without vendor lock-in to local-first end-user applications. In addition to financial support for research and development (R&D), the programme provides hands-on practical assistance, including accessibility scans, security audits, standardization guidance, and copyright compliance.

• There are no categorical exclusions based on applicant type: individuals, companies, NGOs, and public administrations are all eligible.
• Geographical priority: Priority is given to residents of EU Member States and countries associated with the Horizon Europe programme. Proposals outside these areas may be considered only if they present exceptional quality, unique technical expertise, and a clear European dimension.
• Minors: Young applicants below the legal age of consent (18 years old) may submit proposals without restriction. Consent from a legal guardian is only required at the stage of formal contract negotiations.
• Conflict of interest: Restack consortium partners, their employed personnel, review committee members, and legal entities financially backed by NLnet are excluded from receiving grants. However, unpaid membership or board service in non-profit technical bodies (such as ACM, IEEE, W3C) does not constitute a conflict of interest.
• AI restrictions: AI-centric projects fall outside the call's scope unless the technology is already widely adopted (>1 million active human users) and directly critical to the underlying stack.

• Total programme budget: 7 million euros in small to medium-size R&D grants.
• Funding limits:
  • Initial proposals may request grants from 5,000 to 50,000 euros.
  • Proposals exceeding 50,000 euros and up to 150,000 euros (the maximum per single proposal) are eligible only if preceding smaller projects within Restack or equivalent programmes (such as NGI) have been successfully concluded.
  • The maximum funding limit per third party (organization or individual) over the entire lifetime of the Restack programme is 500,000 euros.
• Grant calculation: The exact amount of financial support is determined based on projected costs and estimated project value. It may be adjusted by deducting ineligible costs or adding costs for supplementary activities recommended by the organizers. The final amount is established in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). All grants are disbursed as donations under the most beneficial tax terms as charitable gifts.
• Eligible costs (qualifying activities):
  • Design and development of free and open-source software and open hardware.
  • Validation or constructive inquiry into existing or novel technical solutions.
  • Software engineering aimed at adapting to new usage areas or improving software quality.
  • Formal security proofs, security audits, setup and design of software testing, and continuous integration (CI).
  • Documentation for researchers, developers, and end users, including educational materials.
  • Standardization activities, including membership fees for standards bodies.
  • Understanding user requirements and improving usability / inclusive design.
  • Necessary measures to support broader deployability (e.g., packaging).
  • Scientific research.
  • Participation in technical and community events (hackathons, IETF, W3C, RIPE, FOSDEM, etc.) — covering admission fees, travel, and subsistence costs.
  • Other activities relevant to adhering to robust software development and deployment practices.
  • Project management.
  • Out-of-pocket costs for infrastructure essential to achieving the above.

• Innovations and enhancements to core internet infrastructure.
• Developing alternatives to closed online technologies currently serving large user bases.
• Hardware devices designed to access and consume networked services securely and with enhanced privacy.
• Full-stack security, software supply chain management, reproducibility, and trust-enhancing technologies.
• Improving and decoupling infrastructure layers.
• Service management and deployment innovation.
• Core online services and their client-side application counterparts.
• Formulation and adoption of technical norms and standards to ensure interoperability and implementation redundancy.

• Overall programme duration: From June 1, 2026, to May 30, 2030.
• Calls run on a continuous open basis until the entire budget is fully allocated (full budget allocation is expected in early 2027).
• Opening of the first call: September 3, 2026.
• Deadline for the first call: November 3, 2026, at 12:00 CET (noon).
• Note: If a project team is unable to prepare all answers to review questions or submit a revised proposal within the allocated time frame during Stage 2, the application may be deferred to the next call.

• Proposals must be submitted through the official web form at https://nlnet.nl/restack/.
• Submissions must be written in English and presented in plain text.
• Responses should be concise, direct, and drafted in the applicant's own words, prioritizing the core technical concepts over grammar or stylistic polish.
• AI Policy: Automated or AI-generated applications are strictly discouraged. Applicants who rely on AI writing tools are required to retain and submit full prompt and interaction logs inside the application form.

Projects are evaluated on their technical merits, strategic relevance to the Open Internet Stack, and overall value for money across three assessment stages:

• First Stage (Eligibility check and initial rating):
  • Proposals are checked against strict ("knock-out") criteria: alignment with Restack objectives, R&D as the primary goal, and a distinct "European dimension." Applications failing these criteria are rejected.
  • Passing proposals are rated on a scale from 0 to 7, requiring an overall weighted score above 5.0 to advance.
  • Criteria weights: Technical excellence/feasibility — 30%; Relevance/Impact/Strategic potential — 40%; Cost effectiveness/Value for money — 30%.
• Second Stage (In-depth assessment):
  • Focuses on selecting strategic initiatives capable of delivering a lasting impact on society.
  • Reviewers pose clarifying questions (regarding differentiation from existing projects, standards compliance, budget justifications, long-term sustainability, etc.).
  • Reviewers conduct independent verification of claims, methods, and facts without disclosing personal data. Proposals are re-scored, and a cut-off threshold is set based on round quality and remaining budget.
• Third Stage (Independent Review Committee):
  • An independent committee of external experts (without conflicts of interest) randomly audits the final selection to validate eligibility, budgetary frugality, and overall integrity.

• The submission process takes place by filling in text fields in an online form, and the organizer does not require specific attached files or certificates at the application stage.
• The only mandatory supplementary material (if applicable): If you used AI assistants while preparing your responses, you are required to provide the logs (prompt and response history) of your interaction with AI.

• Licensing: All scientific outcomes must be published under open-access terms. Any software and hardware deliverables must be published entirely under recognized open-source licenses.
• Inclusivity: All delivered software artefacts must comply with WCAG accessibility standards.
• For projects above 50,000 euros:
  • Must be preceded by smaller successfully concluded projects (deliverables made public, WCAG met, security audit issues resolved).
  • May be subjected to a comprehensive independent security audit upon completion. Grant disbursements may be made conditional on audit results and subsequent remediation of identified vulnerabilities.

• Charitable status: All grants awarded to individuals, companies, non-governmental organizations, or other legal entities are donations that fall under the most favorable tax conditions as "charitable gifts". This is because NLnet (the grant-handling organization) is a recognized public benefit organization, and the goals of Restack fall within its statutory mission.
• Memorandum of Understanding: The final grant amount and all terms are established in a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between NLnet and the grantee. If the grantee does not agree with the proposed amount, they may withdraw their proposal at any time prior to signing the MoU.
• Conflict of interest resolution: To ensure transparency and objectivity, strict restrictions apply: 
  • NLnet Foundation, as the coordinator and reviewer, derives no financial or other benefit from selecting specific proposals. Companies in which NLnet holds financial investments are explicitly excluded from receiving grants.
  • All other legal entities comprising the Restack consortium, as well as their paid staff, are fully excluded from applying for and receiving grants (a "Chinese wall" policy applies).
  • Reviewers are strictly prohibited from having any financial or personal interest in the proposals. This restriction also extends to their close family members.
  • Members of the independent review committee, their employers, colleagues, and relatives are likewise barred from submitting projects to Restack.