Eligibility Requirements

Open Source Collective's eligibility requirements for projects and communities

Open Source Collective (OSC) welcomes open source projects of all kinds — from anywhere in the world, in any language (spoken or programming). That inclues software projects, open source advocacy groups, open source meetups, open source conferences, open source research efforts, and more — as long as it's clearly connected to open source.

That said, not every project will be the right fit with OSC. We review each application carefully to ensure it aligns with our mission and structure. If we feel your project isn't the right fit for our services, we may decline your application. While our decision is final, you're always welcome to reapply in the future when your project meets our requirements.

Open Source Software Projects

To be fiscally hosted by OSC, your open source software project must meet the following requirements:

1. Legitimacy

Your project should demonstrate active development and meaningful impact. We assess ownership, activity, usage, and originality to determine eligibility.

• The project should be original or a substantial fork of an existing project.

• The project should show recent activity and/or have a significant degree of usage.

• Applicant(s) must have appropriate level of access and standing in the project's community to act as a representative (e.g.: be a maintainer, not just a contributor.)

2. License

Your project license is very important.

• Your project must use an open source license that clearly defines how your project can be used, modified, redistributed, and referenced by others.

  • We follow licensing standard from:

    • Open Source Initiative Approved License List

    • Free Software Foundation License List

    • Debian Free Software Guidelines

    • Fedora Software License List

    • Open Source Hardware Association Statement of Principles

3. Governance and Autonomy

To ensure sustainability and shared ownership, we look at a project's governance structure.

• The project must be hosted under an organizational repository, not a personal account.

• When possible, the project should always include two or more administrators on the Open Collective page.

While we don't impose strict governance structures, we do strongly encourage:

• Publishing contributing guidelines, onboarding documents, and a code of conduct.

• A clear decision-making process for how the project operates and for its future, especially in the event of leadership changes.

  • We recommend using best practices for collaborative decision-making.

If you are looking for guidance or best practices in governance practices, we've publish a range of guides for tackling this work.

---

Reviewing Your Application

• GitHub Projects: If you apply using the "verify using GitHub" feature and your project clearly meets our eligibility requirements, your project will likely be approved automatically. Our system uses GitHub authentication to streamline validation — more info.

  • If your project doesn't meet all requirements, our team will manually review your application within a few business days.

• Non-GitHub Projects: If your project is on GitLab or another platform, you'll need to complete our application. Our team will manually review and process your application within a few days.

---

Projects & Communities Adjacent to Open Source

We also consider applications from communities that are not software related, with a strong affiliation with or related to open source, such as:

• Meetups, conferences, and other in-person or virtual groups or events

• Advocacy, research, and awareness initiatives related to open source

To be eligible, these communities and projects must:

• Have a clear connection to open source, not proprietary tech

• Be an active and engaged community, as demonstrated by:

  • At least 50 members

  • A history of activity, including at least two past events

As further evidence, you agree to send photo/video documentation of your first event after joining Open Source Collective.

For Larger Events Looking To Join OSC

• Larger events may require additional and specific risk assessment by our board.

• Projects must have a sufficient balance before committing to venue contracts, speakers, or other vender payments.

• All contracts with venders (including a venue, contractors, etc) must be approved in writing by OSC

---

What If My Project Doesn't Fit, But I Think It Should

If your project doesn't meet our criteria but you believe it should be hosted by OSC, email us and tell us why. However, our decisions are final.