Thank you for your interest in the Open Social Awards, presented by New_ Public, PublicSpaces, and Waag Futurelab. These will take place during the PublicSpaces Conference 2026, (June 4-6, 2026, Amsterdam), with an in-person ceremony on June 5th.

Please review the eligibility criteria below before submitting your application. Applications are due at 11:59pm Pacific Time on Friday May 1, 2026.

The Open Social Awards celebrate technology that makes the social internet work for everyone. We believe the future of open social will be strongest when it's shaped by people from a wide range of backgrounds, perspectives, and lived experiences. We especially encourage applications from individuals and teams who are from communities historically underrepresented in technology.

All applicants’ information, project ideas, and background data will be treated confidentially and in accordance with New_ Public’s privacy policy (newpublic.org/privacy-policies). If you are nominated for an Open Social Award, you permit New_ Public to promote and publicize your work as it relates to the awards. If you have questions about your application, contact hello@newpublic.org.

The Open Social Awards are generously supported by ZDF and Bluesky.

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ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA:

Projects must have been launched in the last three years and be in active use by end users (for applications) or open social developers (for shared infrastructure).
Projects should be past the prototype stage, with the technology in active use.
Projects should use and/or implement at least one protocol for federation or interoperability.
The underlying technology should be open source and reviewable.

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS:

Project overview: Product name, url, product category, and year of launch
Elevator pitch: Explain why your product will catapult ordinary people into the future of open social;
Project details: Description of audience need, data on usage, and plans for growth;
Open social alignment: Description of why and how your product builds on open social principles and platforms;
Bio’s and background on the team: Tell us about you and your colleagues, including where you are based.