The Open Source Programme Office (OSPO) Alliance has recently launched a new initiative: the Free/Libre and Open Source Software Public Sector OSPOs (FLOSS PSOs) Network. As a volunteer-driven network, its aim is to list and connect public sector and open source programme offices, while promoting free software collaboration among public sector organisations worldwide.
As defined by the Open Source Initiative, an OSPO is a specialised unit which, within an organisation, deals with its open source operations and structure. OSPOs have a crucial role as they contribute to educating employees and developers about the opportunities offered by open source.
A new network targeting the public sector
The Network was launched by the OSPO Alliance, itself funded in 2021 by European non-profit organisations, as a new project on the occasion of the United Nations Open Source Week held in New York in June 2025. While the Alliance’s scope is wider and includes both private and public sector entities, the FLOSS PSO Network instead targets specifically public organisations, bringing contributions in the policy aspects of open source. OSPOs which are parts of public organisations tend to have specific requirements when it comes to open source practices, for instance regarding procurement rules, vendor neutrality, public scrutiny and reporting practices.
In the words of Boris Baldassari, volunteer project maintainer and Senior Software Engineer at Eclipse Foundation, “The FLOSS PSO is not a legal entity, rather a community promoting open source best practices”.
A neutral space for dialogue
With a geographical scope intending to extend across Europe and beyond, the Network initiative both aims to identify existing public sector OSPOs, and create a supportive environment for public sector organisations, a “resource centre that can be used by the public sector worldwide”.
The Network’s website hence provides a list of already-identified public sector OSPOs, as well as the possibility to declare new organisations. The list is built using a defined format: a set of YAML files, a format commonly used for writing configuration files, permitting easy retrieval and collection of information, as well as free file exchange. This commodity essentially allows for OSPOs to be defined through their name, creation date, as well as code description, independently of their website. With three of its four maintainers based in Europe, the project is developed in collaboration with networks of national European state OSPOs.
But what does the new Network initiative imply in practice? Concretely, it means that not only registered public sector OSPOs have a forum for discussions and best practice exchange, but also that public entities looking to create their internal OSPOs can refer to the list, identify existing models for inspiration, and find direct contacts within other public entities.
After its presentation last June, the Network received a lot of attention and positive feedback. But now, Boris Baldassari calls on the community to act: “please feel free to send us a description of your public sector OSPO, so it can be displayed on our website, and we can start working together on our shared assets”.
