Who this is for: Maintainers, communities and organisations behind existing, widely used free and open-source software, anywhere in the world. Very new or little-used projects aren’t eligible yet.
FLOSS/fund was set up by Zerodha, India’s largest stockbroker, which runs heavily on open-source software. Starting with US$1 million, it gives open-source projects up to US$100,000 a year to keep them sustainable. There’s no fixed deadline: you apply by publishing a small funding.json file, and applications are reviewed at the end of every quarter.
Deadline: rolling (next review at the end of the current quarter).
At a Glance
| Funder | FLOSS/fund, set up by Zerodha |
| Funding | US$10,000 to US$100,000 a year per project |
| Amounts | Minimum US$10,000, then multiples of US$25,000 |
| Who can apply | Individuals, groups, communities or organisations maintaining widely used FOSS |
| Requirements | A bank account and the tax documents your country requires |
| How | Publish a funding.json manifest and submit its URL |
| Review | End of each quarter; decisions by email |
| Deadline | Rolling |
About FLOSS/fund
In 2024, Zerodha turned its occasional donations to open-source projects into a structured fund. An internal investment committee looks at each project’s value, impact, criticality and innovation. The focus is on keeping important existing projects sustainable, not on starting new ones. Applications are visible in a public directory.
Benefits
- Up to US$100,000 a year for one project, or for an entity representing many
- Funding aimed at sustainability: maintenance, development and the people doing it
- A simple, open process with no fixed deadline
- Public recognition through FLOSS/fund badges
Eligibility
- Individuals, projects, groups, communities or organisations can apply.
- The project must be existing, widely used and impactful. Very new projects and those with little usage aren’t funded for now.
- You need a bank account and the tax documents required where you live.
- No country restrictions are stated.
How to Apply
- Write a
funding.jsonmanifest for your project, following the format at fundingjson.org. - Publish it on your project’s website or repository.
- Submit the URL at dir.floss.fund/submit.
- Wait for the quarterly review. Decisions are sent by email.
- Complete the paperwork if accepted. Processing payment can take up to four weeks.
Official FLOSS/fund FAQ · Submit your funding.json
Tips
- Show real usage. Downloads, dependent projects, stars and known users make the impact case.
- Explain what breaks without you. Criticality is one of the committee’s four criteria.
- Ask for a sensible amount in the allowed steps (US$10,000, then multiples of US$25,000), tied to concrete work.
- Acknowledge the funding publicly if you’re accepted; it’s expected.
