Overview and Purpose
The European Open Source Awards recognise exceptional contributions to Open Source Software, Open Source Hardware, and Open Technology across Europe. Our 2026 ceremony will take place at the historic Bibliotheque Solvay (Solvay Library) in Brussels, celebrating individuals and organizations whose work has advanced innovation, collaboration, and digital sovereignty throughout the European open source ecosystem.
We welcome nominations from anyone in the open source community – colleagues, collaborators, users, researchers, and self-nominations are all explicitly encouraged. The nomination window opens the first Monday of October and remains open for four weeks, with the final deadline being 3rd of November. Completing this form takes approximately 15 minutes.
Main Prizes
The Prize for Excellence in Open Source Software, aka ‘The European Open Source Prize’ – Recognising outstanding impact in open source software development, technical leadership, and sustained excellence over at least ten years.
Special Recognitions:
- Outstanding Achievement in Business and Impact – Honoring individuals who have demonstrated excellence in open source innovation, commercialisation, and impact.
- Outstanding Achievement in Advocacy and Awareness – Honoring individuals advancing open source policy impact, recognition, and awareness.
- Outstanding Achievement in Skills and Education – Honoring individuals who have pioneered educational projects or initiatives advancing open source skills, education, knowledge
- Outstanding Achievement in Community Impact – Honoring communities that embody collaborative innovation and sustainability and which have made a demonstrable positive impact on the open source ecosystem or in advancing the interests of open source collaboration and innovation.
Eligibility Criteria
Who can be nominated?
All nominees must demonstrate a meaningful connection to the European open source ecosystem. We recognise that open source is inherently global, but these awards celebrate contributions that have strengthened or affirmed the role of Europe and its people in open source innovation and community building.
European connections include:
- European citizenship or long-term residency
- Significant contributions to projects with European origins or substantial European user bases
- Leadership roles in European open source organizations or communities (past or present)
- Employment with European organizations making notable open source contributions
- Educational or community affiliations with European institutions advancing open source
We evaluate each nominee's European connection individually, understanding that in our interconnected world, these ties manifest in diverse ways. What matters is demonstrable impact within the European context, even when contributions have global reach.
What we're looking for?
All nominees should demonstrate:
- Innovation that has influenced practices or solved significant challenges through open source collaboration and principles
- Community impact through mentorship, collaboration, or knowledge sharing
- Sustained commitment showing consistency and long-term value creation
- Alignment with open source values of openness, collaboration, and inclusion
For the Prize for Excellence in Open Source, we specifically seek sustained excellence over at least ten years, along with contributions that have shaped their respective fields.
For Special Recognitions, we look for excellence in specific domains: businesses successfully integrating open source principles, advocates increasing adoption and awareness, educators advancing skills development, and communities embodying collaborative innovation.
What disqualifies a nomination?
We cannot consider nominees whose work primarily benefits proprietary initiatives without meaningful open source contribution, promotes discriminatory practices, or conflicts with European values of openness and collaboration. Commercial use of open source is welcomed and celebrated – what matters is genuine contribution back to the community.
The Academy evaluates all nominations holistically, recognizing that exceptional contributions sometimes emerge from non-traditional paths. Our goal is recognizing excellence that advances the European open source ecosystem in all its diversity.
