The Next Generation Internet (NGI) initiative is a European effort to redesign the Internet around core human values in line with the European digital rights. It aims to create a secure, interoperable, and decentralised platform ecosystem by funding open-source projects across all layers of internet infrastructure. NGI supports compliance with European legislation, advances digital commons, and fosters an innovation-driven ecosystem aligned with European digital rights and principles. NGI Localforlocal is one of the projects that fall under NGI

LocalforLocal puts the vision of the Next Generation Internet into practice by supporting local currency projects with a shared, sovereign technological foundation. Across Europe, there are around 300 such initiatives, each operating on its own technology stack. This fragmentation limits performance, scalability, and collaboration. At the same time, turning to standardized platforms often means dependence on large foreign tech providers, which undermines the principles of digital sovereignty. NGI LocalforLocal addresses this challenge by building a community and movement around local currencies, enabling them to co-develop and share open-source components. This approach empowers local initiatives to strengthen their independence from Big Tech while fostering a resilient and collaborative ecosystem.

Timeline

The local for local project has two main phases: software development and application. The application occurs throughout the currency ecosystem.