The funding measure “Software Sprint,” also known as the “Prototype Fund\u201d, was initiated in 2016 by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) to support individual or teams of software developers in developing technological and social innovations to address societal challenges. Furthermore, the initiative aims to strengthen the Free and Open-Source Software (FOSS) community as a whole and mobilise primarily non-traditional recipients for funding support. Projects in the main thematic areas civic tech, data literacy, software infrastructure, and IT security are funded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Recently, Technopolis Group conducted an evaluation of the initiative examining factors such as its ability to mobilise and activate participants, and the outcomes and impacts of the funding on recipients, applicants, and society at large. The evaluation results are summarised in the evaluation report linked below, which includes recommendations for further development of the programme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In summary, the Prototype Fund has effectively promoted the development of community-oriented FOSS projects, harnessed the creative potential within the FOSS community, and successfully mobilised individuals and groups traditionally outside the scope of typical funding programmes. It has contributed to the personal and professional development of recipients and fostered the growth of diverse networks and opportunities within FOSS communities. Nevertheless, there is still some room for improvement, particularly in ensuring the continued use of the developed FOSS solutions and in enhancing networking activities between the recipients and their project-specific target groups, end-users, as well as multipliers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"template":"","solution":[],"sector":[],"class_list":["post-50568","report","type-report","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n