NGI Commons is inviting Digital Commons practitioners, policymakers, and stakeholders across Europe to participate in a comprehensive survey to help shape the future of the Open Internet Stack (OIS), the successor programme to the Next Generation Internet (NGI).
The survey seeks community input on digital infrastructure building blocks that will support European digital sovereignty and the transition from the NGI programme to the proposed OIS. More context on the transition can be found here.
As the European Commission prepares to launch the OIS – described as “a curated set of interoperable, open-source digital building blocks designed explicitly for ease of use and rapid deployment” – this survey represents a critical opportunity for those working in Digital Commons ecosystems to influence its development. The initiative builds directly on an NGI Commons’ deliverable submitted to the European Commission last year, which proposed a comprehensive taxonomy to help identify Digital Commons Building Blocks across foundational, intermediation, access, and non-technical layers.
The survey employs a two-part structure combining inductive and deductive approaches. Part I invites respondents to share their lived experiences with Digital Commons, exploring use cases, governance models, funding challenges, and stakeholder relationships. This section grounds the conversation in real-world practice rather than abstract preferences. Part II then presents the specific Building Blocks taxonomy developed by NGI Commons, asking respondents to assess priorities, identify gaps, and validate whether the framework reflects how communities understand digital infrastructure.
The survey is designed to be completed in 20-30 minutes and employs a mix of multiple-choice, ranking, and strategic open-ended questions to balance accessibility with depth. Responses will directly inform a policy memo to be delivered to the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Communications, Networks, and Technologies (DG-CNECT) by Q2 of 2026, providing evidence-based recommendations for implementing the Open Internet Stack in ways that support, and are supported by, sustainable Digital Commons resources and communities.
The survey will remain open until EOD (23:59) on 8 March 2026, with the possibility of extension depending on response volume.
Digital Commons practitioners and stakeholders interested in shaping Europe’s digital sovereignty agenda – including individual developers, public sector implementers, civil society organisations, academic institutions, and private sector participants – are encouraged to participate.
The survey can be accessed here. Should you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to us at the following address: commons@ngi.eu
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