We are happy to announce Summer of Nix 2026, the sixth edition of our paid contribution program advancing the Next Generation Internet (NGI) and the Nix ecosystem.
From August 3rd to August 28th, selected participants will work alongside a dedicated mentor to package and improve free and open source software using Nix and our new NGI Forge platform. This program is designed for curious, motivated individuals with strong software development skills who are eager to learn in a collaborative environment.
The program is funded by the European Commission’s NGI initiative through the NLNet Foundation and the NixOS Foundation.
What we are doing this year
Our focus for 2026 is centered on:
- Packaging software: Participants will package a curated list of software provided by the NGI team using the NGI Forge platform.
- Feedback loop: We will gather structured feedback from participants to help the Nix@NGI team improve the packaging workflow.
- Platform improvements: Participants will also contribute small fixes (bug fixes, documentation updates, etc.) to NGI Forge.
Roles and structure
We are forming one team consisting of 1 mentor and 3–4 participants.
Each person will work 100 hours over the span of four weeks on the focus areas listed above.
Requirements
- Fluency in English
- Advanced skills with plain text editing, Bash, and Nix + related tools
- Availability for 3 video calls per week
Please see the requirements section over in the Summer of Nix repository for more detailed information.
For mentors only
Mentors guide their team ensuring technical quality and fostering a collaborative learning environment. Experience in people and task management is required.
Compensation
| Role | Base stipend [EUR] |
|---|---|
| Participant | 1875 |
| Mentor | 3125 |
Note: Residents of EU member states receive the base stipend. For residents of other countries, stipends are adjusted according to purchasing power parity relative to the Netherlands. See stipends table for further reference.
Timeline
- Application deadline: 2026-05-31
- Selection notification: 2026-07-01
- Program start: 2026-08-03
- Program end: 2026-08-28
How to apply
Please follow the instructions in the how to apply section in the Summer of Nix repository.
Questions?
- Public discussion: Join the Summer of Nix Announcements and the NGIpkgs Matrix rooms
- Direct questions: Email us at ngi@nixos.org
- Office hours: Join the Nix@NGI office hours on Jitsi (link) on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 15:00–16:00 CET/CEST.
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