A comprehensive, curated list of active and relevant open source programs, internships, competitions, and university initiatives.
- 🎯 Open Source Programs & Fellowships
- 🏆 Open Source Competitions
- 📅 2026 Timeline at a Glance
- 📊 Programs by Category
- 🚀 First-Time Contributors Guide
- 🔗 Useful Resources
- 📝 How to Contribute
⚠️ Disclaimer
Paid internship/mentorship programs offered by organizations worldwide that help you contribute to open source projects.
| Program | Organization | Timeline | Stipend | Eligibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google Summer of Code (GSoC) | 2026: Org Apps: Jan 19 – Feb 3 • Contributors: Mar 16 – Mar 31 • Coding: May 25 – Nov 2 | $1,500 – $6,600 (dollars) (12–22 week projects) | 18+ years, open to all | |
| Outreachy | Software Freedom Conservancy | Two cohorts annually (Jun–Aug / Dec–Mar) • Check official site for 2026 round dates | $7,000 | Underrepresented groups in tech |
| LFX Mentorship | Linux Foundation | Multiple terms each year • Applications typically open before each term | $1,000 – $6,600 (dollars) | Open to all |
| Igalia Coding Experience | Igalia | Rolling / periodic openings | $7,000 | Open to all |
| Summer of Bitcoin | Summer of Bitcoin | Annual spring/summer program • Check official site for 2026 dates | $3,000 in Bitcoin | University students |
| European Summer of Code (ESoC) | European Summer of Code | 2026: Batch 1 Open: Feb 18 • Batch 1 Close: Mar 18 • Batch 2 Open: Mar 19 • Batch 2 Close: Apr 16 • Starts: Apr 15 / May 15 | Stipends available / Paid internship possible | Open worldwide, especially contributors new to open source |
| Open Source Research Experience (OSRE) | Open Source Program Office (OSPO), UC Santa Cruz | Summer research program • Also participates through GSoC and other outreach/sponsorship cycles | Varies / Sponsored opportunities available | Undergraduate and graduate students interested in open source research |
| Code for GovTech (C4GT) – Dedicated Mentoring Program (DMP) | Code for GovTech | Annual 3-month mentoring program (typically summer cycle; dates vary by year) | ₹1,00,000 stipend | Students, working professionals, and tech enthusiasts |
| MLH Fellowship | Major League Hacking | 12-week remote program • Multiple cohorts/tracks | Educational stipend provided | 18+ years, students/recent grads |
| Season of KDE | KDE Community | 2026: Applications due Jan 14 • Work: Jan 23 – Mar 20 | Non-paid (certificate + swag) | Students |
| Free Software Foundation Internship | Free Software Foundation (FSF) | Rolling applications | Unpaid (educational) | Students |
| LF Decentralized Trust Mentorship | Linux Foundation | Multiple terms yearly (via LFX ecosystem) | $3,000 - $6,600 | Open to all |
| sktime Mentoring Program | sktime Community | Rolling / seasonal mentoring opportunities • Check official page for current rounds | Varies / May be paid depending on program | Open to contributors interested in time series ML and open source |
| Djangonaut Space | Django Community | Free 8-week mentoring program • Multiple sessions yearly | Free / mentorship-based | Open to Django contributors |
| Kubernetes Release Shadow Program | Kubernetes | 13-week remote program | No stipend (community-driven program) | Open to Kubernetes SIG contributors |
| Swift Mentorship Program | Swift Community (Apple Open Source) | Annual (10-week cohort) | Unpaid | Open to everyone interested in contributing to Swift open source |
| KubeStellar IFoS (Interns for Open Source) | KubeStellar | Internship | Unpaid | Open to individuals passionate about open source; graduates receive a certificate, letter of recommendation, and priority consideration for future paid mentorship programs like GSoC or LFX |
| Open Mainframe Project Mentorship | Linux Foundation | Aligns with LFX terms | Stipend available | Open to all |
| Linux Kernel Mentorship Program | Linux Foundation | Aligns with LFX / kernel community cycles | No stipend (community-driven program) | Open to all |
| Nexus Spring of Code (NSoC) | Nexus | 45-day open source program • Dates vary by season/year | No stipend (community-driven program) | Open to contributors interested in real-world open source work |
| FOSSASIA Internship | FOSSASIA | Rolling / project-based | Varies | Open to all |
| FOSSEE Summer Fellowship | IIT Bombay | Annual summer fellowship | Paid / stipend-based | Students (primarily India) |
Removed from active list: Programs that appeared outdated, legacy-only, inactive-looking, or unclear for 2026 without confirmation (e.g., EVoC, older community fellowships with uncertain continuity, etc.).
Challenge-based programs and coding competitions that reward contributions to open source projects.
| Competition | Organization | Timeline | Prizes/Rewards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hacktoberfest | DigitalOcean | Annual: October 1-31 • Registration usually opens in September | Digital badges, swag, recognition |
| 24 Pull Requests | Community | December 1-24 annually | Recognition, badges |
Removed from active list: items that were outdated, no longer clearly active, or not strongly aligned with open-source contribution programs for 2026.
A quick overview of major open source application windows and contribution seasons for programs currently listed in this repository.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Jan 7-20 | LFX Spring 2026 Project Proposal Window (approx.) |
| Jan 14 | Season of KDE 2026 Application Deadline |
| Jan 19 | GSoC 2026 Organization Applications Open (18:00 UTC) |
| Jan 23 | Season of KDE 2026 Work Begins |
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Feb 3 | GSoC 2026 Organization Applications Deadline (18:00 UTC) |
| Feb 19 | GSoC 2026 Accepted Organizations Published (18:00 UTC) |
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Mar 16 | GSoC 2026 Contributor Applications Open (18:00 UTC) |
| Mar 20 | Season of KDE 2026 Work Ends |
| Mar 31 | GSoC 2026 Contributor Applications Deadline (18:00 UTC) |
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Apr-May | Outreachy summer cohort application / contribution period (varies by round) |
| Apr-May | C4GT (Code for GovTech) application / selection cycle (typically announced around this period; verify yearly) |
| Apr 21 | GSoC 2026 Contributor Proposal Rankings Due (18:00 UTC) |
| Apr 30 | GSoC 2026 Accepted Projects Announced (18:00 UTC) |
| May 1-24 | GSoC 2026 Community Bonding Period |
| May | Summer of Bitcoin application / selection period (varies by year) |
| May 25 | GSoC 2026 Coding Officially Begins |
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Jun-Aug | Outreachy summer internship cohort (varies by official schedule) |
| Jun-Aug | C4GT Dedicated Mentoring Program (DMP) (typical 3-month summer cycle; verify yearly) |
| Jun-Aug | FOSSEE Summer Fellowship (annual summer cycle; exact dates vary) |
| Jul | LFX Summer / mid-year mentorship cycles (varies by project) |
| Aug | Summer of Bitcoin program cycle (varies by official announcement) |
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Oct 1-31 | Hacktoberfest 2026 |
| Nov 2 | GSoC 2026 Extended Timeline Final Deadline (18:00 UTC) |
| Dec 1-24 | 24 Pull Requests |
| Dec | Outreachy winter cohort / end-of-year application cycle (varies by round) |
A quick overview of major open source application windows and contribution seasons.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Jan 7-20 | LFX Spring 2026 Project Proposal Window (approx.) |
| Jan 14 | Season of KDE 2026 Application Deadline |
| Jan 19 | GSoC 2026 Org Applications Open (18:00 UTC) |
| Jan 23 | Season of KDE 2026 Work Begins |
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Feb 3 | GSoC 2026 Org Applications Deadline (18:00 UTC) |
| Feb 19 | GSoC 2026 Accepted Organizations Published (18:00 UTC) |
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Mar 16 | GSoC 2026 Contributor Applications Open (18:00 UTC) |
| Mar 20 | Season of KDE 2026 Work Ends |
| Mar 31 | GSoC 2026 Contributor Applications Deadline (18:00 UTC) |
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Apr 1 | SSoC 2026 Registration Opens |
| Apr 21 | GSoC 2026 Contributor Proposal Rankings Due (18:00 UTC) |
| Apr 30 | GSoC 2026 Accepted Projects Announced (18:00 UTC) |
| May 1-24 | GSoC 2026 Community Bonding Period |
| May 25 | GSoC 2026 Coding Officially Begins |
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Jun 1 | SSoC 2026 Coding Begins |
| Jul | LFX Summer / mid-year mentorship cycles (varies by project) |
| Aug 1 | SSoC 2026 Coding Ends |
| Aug | Outreachy / summer programs conclude (varies by cohort) |
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Oct 1-31 | Hacktoberfest 2026 |
| Oct | SWOC registrations typically open |
| Nov 2 | GSoC 2026 Extended Timeline Final Deadline (18:00 UTC) |
| Dec 1-24 | 24 Pull Requests |
| Dec | Winter of Code programs begin (KWOC, DWoC, JWOC, etc.) |
- Google Summer of Code (GSoC)
- Outreachy
- LFX Mentorship
- MLH Fellowship
- Summer of Bitcoin
- Igalia Coding Experience
- FOSSEE Summer Fellowship
- Hyperledger Mentorship
- Open Mainframe Project Mentorship
- Hacktoberfest
- Season of KDE
- 24 Pull Requests
- University Winter/Summer of Code programs
- Open Alliance for PostgreSQL Education (OAPE) - www.oapg-edu.org
| Region | Programs |
|---|---|
| Asia | OSPP |
| Global | GSoC, Outreachy, LFX, MLH Fellowship, Hacktoberfest, 24 Pull Requests |
Note for Indian students: While the MLH Fellowship is a remote global program, recent batches have shown limited or no available matches for applicants residing in India and some other regions. Please verify the current batch eligibility on the official application page before applying.
New to open source? Start here! This section helps you find beginner-friendly opportunities and learn the ropes.
| Program | Why It's Great for Beginners | Getting Started |
|---|---|---|
| Hacktoberfest | No long application process • Wide variety of projects • Beginner-friendly labels | Look for hacktoberfest, good first issue, beginner-friendly tags |
| Season of KDE | Strong community support • Good documentation • Multiple skill levels | Join KDE channels early • Read contributor guides |
| 24 Pull Requests | Encourages small contributions • Very beginner-friendly | Great for making your first PR in December |
| LFX Mentorship | Structured mentoring • Clear project scope • Professional guidance | Pick projects marked beginner-friendly |
| Language | Beginner-Friendly Repositories | Issue Labels to Look For |
|---|---|---|
| Python | Django, Pandas, Matplotlib | easy, newcomer-friendly, good first issue |
| JavaScript | freeCodeCamp, React, Node.js | good first issue, beginner, help wanted |
| Java | Spring Framework, Apache Projects | newbie, starter, good first issue |
| C++ | OpenCV, Godot | junior job, easy, good first issue |
| Documentation | Most projects need docs! | documentation, good first issue, help wanted |
- Documentation: Fix typos, improve README files, write tutorials
- Translation: Help translate software to different languages
- Design: Create logos, UI mockups, graphics
- Testing: Report bugs, test new features
- Community: Help answer questions, organize events
- Week 1-2: Learn Git & GitHub basics
- Week 3-4: Make your first documentation PR
- Week 5-6: Fix your first small bug
- Week 7-8: Apply to beginner-friendly programs
- Good First Issues - Curated list of beginner-friendly issues
- Up For Grabs - Projects looking for contributors
- First Timers Only - Issues specifically for first-time contributors
- CodeTriage - Get daily issues delivered to your inbox
- Awesome for Beginners - List of beginner-friendly projects
- contrib.rocks - Find issues by tech stack and difficulty
- Git Documentation - Official Git documentation
- GitHub Skills - Interactive Git and GitHub tutorials
- Pro Git Book - Free comprehensive Git guide
- Learn Git Branching - Interactive Git visualization
- opensource.guide - Complete guide to open source
- How to Contribute to Open Source - Step-by-step guide
- The Definitive Guide to Contributing to Open Source - freeCodeCamp guide
good first issue- GitHub’s standard beginner labelhelp wanted- Projects actively seeking contributorsbeginner/easy/newbie- Difficulty indicatorsdocumentation- Usually beginner-friendlyhacktoberfest- Participating in Hacktoberfestfirst-timers-only- Exclusively for new contributors
- Dev.to - Developer community with open source discussions
- Reddit r/opensource - Open source community
- Stack Overflow - Technical questions
- Hashnode - Open source articles and discussions
We welcome contributions to keep this list updated! Here's how you can help:
- Fork this repository
- Add new programs or update existing ones
- Verify dates from official sources before editing
- Submit a Pull Request with your changes
- Ensure all links are working
- Include official timeline links where possible
- Remove outdated / closed programs instead of keeping stale entries
- Prefer active 2026 programs over legacy or uncertain ones
- Follow the existing table format
- Keep descriptions concise and accurate
Important: Program dates, eligibility, and stipend details can change. Always verify information on the official website before applying.
This guide prioritizes:
- Active or recurring programs
- Official links
- 2026-relevant timelines where available
- Removal of outdated / inactive / unclear programs
- Follow official program websites and social media
- Join mailing lists / Discord / Slack communities where available
- Star this repository to stay updated
- Open a PR if you find outdated or closed entries