Why we focus on data security and software infrastructure

Two weeks ago, we revealed that we will continue until at least 2029 and support open-source software projects on their way to prototypes in four yearly classes. As a learning research program, we have learned a lot from almost 400 projects funded over eight years and implemented a few changes based on this. We have already presented the new second stage in a blog post. Now we would like to discuss the other major change: in the future, we will focus on the two funding priorities of data security and software infrastructure.

By software infrastructure we mean all the software that makes up the open source ecosystem: this can be a tool that supports the development of other software, a module that can be integrated into many different other projects, or a library that makes basic functions freely available. These projects are not necessarily aimed at end users, but they are indispensable for the open source ecosystem. However, apps and programs can also fall under this category if, for example, they provide a front end to an existing API or make OpenStreetMap projects more accessible. Because these projects always give something back to the open source ecosystem, they are particularly important to the Prototype Fund.

We define data security as all software that helps to protect sensitive data from loss, unauthorized access or manipulation. This could be, for instance, the implementation of encryption in an existing project or a tool for checking data integrity. Data security also includes everything related to privacy, i.e. the protection of personal data. Data security is of particular public interest (and funding is therefore so important) because, on the one hand, security-related failures, interruptions and data leaks are prevented, and, on the other hand, the right to informational self-determination is protected. At the same time, (user) data is often the currency used to pay in the digital space – and incentives to manage this data securely or not to collect it in the first place are rare.

However, our new focus also means that we will no longer pursue our previous funding pillars of civic tech and data literacy. We have decided to do this for a number of related reasons:

Projects in these areas were more likely to be challenged in their long-term sustainability. For example, if a database software is built for a specific use case, it is much more dependent on the data being entered regularly than on the specific technical implementation. However, the Prototype Fund does not support this kind of work, so after the funding phase, there was often a lack of time and financial resources to maintain the data. What remained was a good technical framework with only a small amount of data , which then became outdated after some time. Many projects in the fields of civic tech and data literacy have developed important solutions for specific societal needs with the support of the Prototype Fund. However, these solutions often do not require technically complicated approaches; instead, proven open-source libraries and frameworks can be used to implement them. Although there is always a lack of money, the funding landscape in the areas of civic tech and data literacy is now better positioned than it was in 2016, when the Prototype Fund was launched. The field is now being explored by more civil society stakeholders, who are able to provide funding that is much better tailored to the target group and also support long-term infrastructure development in these areas. In the future, we want to focus more on funding new, technologically demanding projects that form the basis for applications in the areas of civic tech and data literacy.

We want to maintain the fundamental openness and willingness to experiment that characterizes the Prototype Fund. We want to remain a playground where projects can sometimes go wrong or be discontinued: although this is not our goal, it is inevitable if we are to provide broad support to a wider range of projects, including exciting projects that would otherwise never have had a chance. So if you have an idea that roughly fits into our two funding pillars, which are innovative, open source and can be implemented within six months, then now is your chance! You can apply for class 01 at new.prototypefund.de until January 2nd, 2025.