[OSGeo-Announce] OSGeo establishes a European legal foundation

[Jorge Sanz]

*Wageningen, The Netherlands, 21 July 2026.*

The Open Source Geospatial Foundation (OSGeo) has established a legal
foundation in Europe. The founding documents were signed yesterday. The new
entity, Stichting Open Source Geospatial, has its statutory seat in
Wageningen and operates under the OSGeo name and mission. It gives the
foundation a legal presence in the European Union alongside its existing
entity in the United States.

The step fits a wider move toward digital sovereignty. Governments and
organisations across Europe want control over the software and data they
depend on, and open-source geospatial technology gives them that control. A
European foundation lets OSGeo take part in that shift as a recognised
local partner, and gives the people and companies who build OSGeo projects
a stronger voice in it, along with better business opportunities that
follow from working close to European institutions and funding.

The European foundation opens capabilities that were out of reach before.
OSGeo can now apply directly for European research and innovation funding,
including Horizon Europe calls, where participation requires an EU-based
legal entity. This lets the community pursue project funding that could not
flow to a foundation registered outside the Union.

OSGeo will also file a request with the Dutch tax authority for ANBI status
(algemeen nut beogende instelling, or public-benefit organisation). If
granted, ANBI status makes donations to the foundation tax-deductible for
donors in the Netherlands and across much of the European Union, and
exempts gifts and bequests from tax. For companies and individuals who want
to support open-source geospatial software, that removes a real barrier to
giving.

The European foundation is governed by the same board of directors as the
OSGeo entity in the United States. The two entities share one board so that
the foundation's direction and decisions stay unified rather than split
across two organisations. The way OSGeo elects its Charter Members does not
change, and the board election by those Charter Members does not change
either. The community-driven process that has always chosen OSGeo's
leadership stays exactly as it is, now serving a foundation that works
across two legal jurisdictions.

With this footing in place, OSGeo aims to build a meaningful membership,
sponsorship, and donation scheme that gives supporters clear recognition
and a real relationship with the foundation. It also aims to coordinate the
FOSS4G conferences more closely, from scheduling and organisation to shared
branding and marketing, so the events reinforce one another and the OSGeo
name.

The foundation's work still rests on volunteers. OSGeo invites community
members to support it through its committees, from software projects and
infrastructure to events, outreach, and fundraising. People who want to
contribute can reach the board through osgeo.org.
About OSGeo

The Open Source Geospatial Foundation supports the development and use of
open-source geospatial software and open geospatial data. Its community
maintains widely used projects such as GeoServer, GeoNetwork, QGIS, GDAL,
and PostGIS, and organises the FOSS4G conferences through its community
membership at both global, regional and national levels. All software the
foundation manages is certified open source. OSGeo now operates through two
legal entities, one in the United States and one in the European Union,
both governed by the same board.
Contact

Jeroen Ticheler

President Open Source Geospatial Foundation

https://www.osgeo.org
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