How much funding does Award for the Advancement of Free Software provide?

The listing does not state a funding amount. Check the funder's announcement for specifics.

When is the deadline for Award for the Advancement of Free Software?

The funder has not published a deadline for this grant.

Who is eligible for Award for the Advancement of Free Software?

Eligible applicants: Only individuals are eligible (not projects).

How often is Award for the Advancement of Free Software offered?

Award for the Advancement of Free Software runs on an annual cycle.

Award for the Advancement of Free Software

Free Software Foundation Inc

Foundation Annual

Funding Amount

Not stated

Deadline

Deadline not published

Grant Type

Foundation

Deadline history & next window

Cycle: Annual
Tracked since: April 2026

Source: the cycle recorded on this listing. Confirm dates with the funder.

Can we apply?

Check your organization against each line. Taken from the listing; confirm with the funder's guidelines.

Eligible organizations

Only individuals are eligible (not projects)

Other requirements

Renomination of previous nominees (who did not win) is encouraged

Not eligible / not funded

Not eligible: Previous winners are not eligible for renomination
Not eligible: Previous winners are not eligible

Overview

The Free Software Foundation Award for the Advancement of Free Software is presented annually by FSF President Richard Stallman to an individual who has made a great contribution to the progress and development of free software, through activities that accord with the spirit of free software.

Geographic Scope: International

Focus Areas:

Technical contributions to free software projects
Community leadership in safeguarding software freedom
Enforcement of free software licenses (e.g., GPL)
Development of significant free software projects
Advancement of free software philosophy and principles

Eligibility:

Only individuals are eligible (not projects)
Previous winners are not eligible for renomination
Renomination of previous nominees (who did not win) is encouraged

Previous Winners:

2008: Wietse Venema (creator of Postfix, network security contributions)
2007: Harald Welte (Linux kernel contributions, GPL enforcement through gpl-violations.org)
2006: Ted Ts'o
2005: Andrew Tridgell
2004: Theo de Raadt
2003: Alan Cox
2002: Lawrence Lessig
2001: Guido van Rossum
2000: Brian Paul
1999: Miguel de Icaza
1998: Larry Wall

Award Presentation: Winners are recognized at an awards ceremony, typically held during the annual LibrePlanet conference in March.

How to Apply

Nomination Process

Submission Format:
- Send nominations via email to award-nominations@gnu.org
- Subject line: Name of the person being nominated
Required Content:
- Explanation of the work done (40 lines or less)
- Description of why the work is especially important to the advancement of software freedom
- Information about where to find the materials (software, manuals, writing, etc.) on which the nomination is based
Eligibility Requirements:
- Only individuals are eligible (not projects)
- Previous winners are not eligible
- Renomination of previous nominees (who did not win) is encouraged
Nomination Deadline:
- Typically in October (e.g., October 31 for 2008 awards)
- Check fsf.org/awards for current year deadline