It is clear that the commons model works, and continues to gain ground. Free and open source software and hardware, open standards, open data & AI, open science, creative commons and open educational resources are democratising innovation and learning, and are together driving society and industry forward at an unprecedented pace. But it is also obvious that there are major gaps that need to be fixed still. The answer to market failure and dystopian runaway technology lies in collective action and public investment.

The following types of activities qualify for financial support in the call:

• scientific research;
• design and development of 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;
• documentation for researchers, developers and end users;
• standardisation activities, including membership fees of standards bodies;
• understanding user requirements and improving usability/inclusive design;
• necessary measures in support of (broad)er deployability, e.g. packaging;
• participation in technical, developer and community events like hackathons, IETF, W3C, RIPE meetings, FOSDEM, etc. (admission fee, travel and subsistence costs);
• other activities that are relevant to adhering to robust software development and deployment practices;
• project management;
• out-of-pocket costs for infrastructure essential to achieving the above.