The Prototype Fund is a funding program for independent developers working in Germany on innovative open source software work for non-profit purposes. Public interest technologies are supported. These include technologies with social added value that focus on user needs and are freely available, sustainably accessible, and adaptable. The program's four funding priorities are Civic Tech, Data Literacy, Data Security, and Software Infrastructure.
The Prototype Fund will support software projects in a total of 16 funding rounds by 2025. The projects, selected by a jury of experts and approved by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, will receive up to €47,500, coaching, and consulting and networking opportunities over a period of six months.
The current application period runs from February 1, 2024, to March 31, 2024. Both individual developers and development teams, whether self-employed or freelance, are eligible to apply. In addition, all applicants and team members must have registered their residence in Germany.
Prototype Fund: Timeline
Approximately eight weeks after the submission deadline, applicants will receive notification of whether the jury has recommended their project for funding. One person per team will receive an invitation to an application workshop. On this day, with the support of the program managers, they will submit the formal application for public funding. The project sponsor then submits this application to the BMBF, which makes the final funding decision.
After approval, program participants can expect, in addition to financial support, coaching on UX/UI design, project management, and other topics during the funding period. There are also regular opportunities for exchange within the funding cohort, for example, at the kickoff, in monthly group calls, and biweekly updates. At the end of the funding period, all participants present a prototype of their idea at Demo Day.
