The Program

Individuals: If you are participating in the program as an individual, you will receive a personal stipend of up to €5,000. The aim of this stipend is for you to be able to run your project independently to the greatest extent possible. This means that the funds may also explicitly be used to cover your own living costs.
While we work under the basic assumption that every funding recipient will claim the full amount of €5,000, we understand that personal circumstances and also project needs can vary greatly; we can therefore reduce this amount at your request. We are committed to finding individual solutions to suit you and your project. You do not need to know what these solutions might look like when applying. Once the selection process is over, we will discuss with all funding recipients how they wish to receive their financial support.

Informal groups: You can join forces with up to two people for your project and submit an application together. If applying as an informal group, please indicate one primary contact for the application process. The support on offer is the same as for individual applications. However, since each project will receive funding of up to €5,000, this amount will be split among all group members. You do not need to know how you will split the funding when applying. Once the selection process is over, we will discuss with all funding recipients how they wish to receive their financial support.

Charitable organizations (e.g. initiatives, associations, archives, networks): In addition to individuals and informal groups, charitable organizations can also apply and receive funding of up to €5,000 in the form of a funding agreement. In this case, you must provide evidence of your charitable status, your charter and proof of registration as a charitable organization. You will also be required to submit a brief case and finance report at the end of the funding period. You can find templates and example reports here.

Where necessary, travel and accommodation costs for the kick-off and closing event will also be reimbursed, in addition to the funding provided. If you require the assistance of a companion or help with childcare, we will also cover these travel and accommodation costs and provide childcare on-site.

Non-material support will be provided in two ways:

• Workshops will explore the potentials and possibilities of Free Licenses and Free Knowledge platforms such as Wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons and Wikidata for participants’ own projects. These workshops will also act as a space for networking and dialogue.
• Each project will receive the help and support of a mentor. These mentors are engaged with the world of Free Knowledge. They will provide advice on practical issues throughout the program.

The program will support networking and dialogue among people who are also interested in publishing marginalized knowledge under a Free License or on Free Knowledge platforms. This will be facilitated by two events in particular: a two-day kick-off event in Berlin on September 8 and 9, 2023, and a closing event on April 12 and 13, 2024 (location tbd). Be sure to take note of these dates. Attending these events is vital both for networking and for arranging the non-material support. Please contact us as soon as possible if you are unable to attend either of the events, and we will work out a solution together.

The supporting program will be run chiefly in German, but translations and/or interpreters to and from English can be arranged as needed.

Motivation: You wish to engage critically with Free Knowledge. You demonstrate an openness to the possibility of publishing some or all of the results of your project under a Free License and wish to engage and network with other program participants.

Positionality and approach: The project fulfills at least three of the following criteria:

• Situated knowledge: You have a personal connection to the community or communities to which the project relates.
• Community-oriented: You want to use the project to address the needs and/or demands of one or more marginalized communities and to use Free Knowledge in the interests of your community or communities.
• Critical of power structures: Your project interrogates existing power structures and/or engages with inequalities in social and political participation.
• Intersectional: You understand that different forms of discrimination are interwoven. This is reflected in your project – in terms of both content and the lived realities of the project team. Here, intersectionality always refers to forms of discrimination in their intersection with racism.
• Empowerment-focused: Your project will empower one or more of your communities.

If you have any questions or would like to learn more, please don’t hesitate to contact us, for example, by calling in to our telephone consultation hours at 030-577116220. We will be available to chat every Monday and Wednesday between 16:30 and 17:30 throughout the application period. We can also arrange one-to-ones if you need help and advice on your application. To arrange a one-to-one, please email reshape@wikimedia.de We will also be hosting an online info event during the application period at 18:30 on May 24, 2023 via Zoom. You can sign up for this event via email to reshape@wikimedia.de.

• Completeness: Applications must be complete in order to be eligible for selection. This means that the form must be completed in full. Charitable organizations must also enclose proof of charity status, their charter and proof of registration as a charitable organization with their application.
• Applications must be submitted by the application deadline (using the application form, via email or postal mail). For applications submitted by postal mail, the date of the postmark will be considered the date of submission.
• Language skills: You must have sufficient German and/or English language skills to participate in the program. If you understand the German or English version of our website and fill in your application in one of these two languages, we will assume that your language skills are sufficient.
• Realistic objectives and feasibility.