FAQ
Who finances the Sovereign Tech Agency?
The Sovereign Tech Agency started in October 2022 as the Sovereign Tech Fund and is financed by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action. It is a subsidiary of the Federal Agency for Disruptive Innovation, SPRIND GmbH.
What is the total amount of the Sovereign Tech Fund?
The Sovereign Tech Fund has a total of EUR 11.5 million available for 2023.
In the 2024 German federal budget, EUR 17 million were allocated to the Sovereign Tech Fund.
How can I apply for funding?
All information on how to apply for support as well as the application system can be found on the page about Sovereign Tech Fund investments.
Due to limited capacity, we are unable to advise applicants prior to submission. Requirements for applications are listed on the application page.
How are projects selected?
Projects are identified by the Sovereign Tech Agency team through a scouting process based on research and recommendations (“pull” method) and through an open application process (“push” method).
Why haven't I received a response to my inquiry or application?
If you submitted an application through our application system, you selected whether we can send you emails when you registered. If you did not agree to this option, we unfortunately cannot contact you. You can change this in your account settings. If you agree to receive emails from us, we will contact you about successful as well as unsuccessful applications.
Processing and response times are detailed on this page.
We are currently receiving many requests, our team is responding as fast as we can. We appreciate your patience.
What kind of reporting is required of projects?
We ask for regular progress reports, these are usually connected to invoicing. The exact form and format is established between the project maintainers and contributors and their Sovereign Tech Agency point of contact, the program manager. Our goal is to make this as straightforward as possible, and can take the form of an email with links to pull requests in the repository, bullet points, or a short prose summary.
At the end of a project’s contract with the Sovereign Tech Agency, we also require a final report. This includes a write-up of the impact the investment had on the project and the community, what challenges the project faced, and what the next steps are for the project and/or technology.
Are there any required meetings (in-person or online) for investment funding recipients?
Sovereign Tech Agency program managers set up onboarding meetings to clarify any questions. These are a natural extension of the scoping and contracting processes, during which the milestones, scope of work, and contract details are worked out. These meetings mostly take place as online meetings.
How long does it take to start getting paid?
You can learn more about our selection process and timeline on the page about Sovereign Tech Fund investments. Once a project is selected for support, the contracting phase can take up to two months depending on legal review, procurement, as well as other transparency and publishing requirements.
This takes place before the finalization of the contract, so work has not yet commenced.
Once invoices with reports are submitted and approved, these can take up to 30 days for our accounting team to make payment.
Does the Sovereign Tech Agency invest or support projects outside of Germany or the European Union?
The Sovereign Tech Agency focuses on securing and strengthening open and foundational digital technologies. These communities working on these are distributed all around the world, so we work with people, companies, and FOSS communities everywhere.
Who runs the Sovereign Tech Agency?
The Sovereign Tech Agency is run by Adriana Groh and Fiona Krakenbürger. They bring many years of experience in promoting open source technologies, both in national and international funding programs. Previously, their efforts have focused on the importance of diversity and democratic values in the area of innovation and technology development.
How do I stay informed?
Get updates and job openings in our newsletter and on social media (Twitter, Mastodon, LinkedIn). You can also reach out at info@sovereigntechfund.de.
Where can I find more information about the Sovereign Tech Resilience program?
You can read more about Sovereign Tech Resilience (formerly Bug Resilience Program) on its page on this website:
The Bug Resilience Program also has its own set of frequently asked questions:
Where can I find more information about the fellowship for maintainers?
You can read more about the Sovereign Tech Fellowship for maintainers on its page on this website:
The fellowship also has its own set of frequently asked questions: