Event

<p>Free software has no shortage of talent, ideas, or users, but it does have a funding problem. The largest potential funding source already exists: public procurement. Governments spend billions each year on software and digital services, but most of that money flows into proprietary silos that limit transparency, reuse, and sovereignty.</p> <p>If we take “Public Money, Public Code” - https://publiccode.eu - seriously, we must recognize that procurement (not donations or sponsorships) is the most powerful lever to sustain open source. Every government contract is a potential long-term investment in the commons.</p> <p>This talk examines how procurement practices can become the backbone of sustainable free software ecosystems: • Why procurement reform is essential to digital sovereignty. • How existing frameworks (e.g., the EU Open Source Strategy - https://commission.europa.eu/about/departments-and-executive-agencies/digital-services/open-source-software-strategy_en ) still fall short. • How to structure tenders, contracts, and governance to ensure open deliverables. • Why governments should stop “buying software” and start funding maintenance and collaboration. • The opportunity for community organizations and small firms to compete fairly.</p> <p>Procurement is where ideals meet infrastructure. By redirecting even a small fraction of public IT budgets toward open, reusable solutions, we can achieve what years of advocacy and fundraising have not: a self-sustaining free software ecosystem that serves everyone.</p>