OpenUK and UKRI collaborate on sustainable open source software for the UK public sector
OpenUK has announced plans to collaborate with UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) to shape new recommendations for sustainable software development across the UK public sector. The work will improve how government and public bodies create, release, and maintain open source software, and also make sure that software funded through public money can be reused and improved long term.
The collaboration focuses on practical implementation as much as policy. OpenUK describes the initiative as an effort to move from goal-setting to action -- so that open source development and reuse become a central part of how the UK public sector approaches digital transformation.
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The guidance is divided into two main areas: how public sector organizations release and curate the software they fund as open source; and how they can adopt, contribute to, and procure open source solutions within projects.
OpenUK reportedly developed its guidance for UKRI via a competitive tender process, and the two organizations are now holding workshops to tweak the recommendations with representatives from government departments, local authorities, and other public bodies.
Open Source leads
Open source software is already the dominant foundation for digital systems worldwide. According to the 2025 Black Duck Open Source Security and Risk Analysis report, open source components appear in 97 percent of applications, with 64 percent of those components forming the dependencies that other programs rely on to function.
Harvard Business School research values the global open source economy at $8.8 trillion, estimating that companies would need to spend more than three times as much on software if open source code did not exist. OpenUK’s own data shows that the UK remains the top contributor in Europe and that open source activity contributes 27 percent of the nation’s digital gross value added.
Amanda Brock, CEO of OpenUK, said the new work with UKRI is intended to position the UK once again as a leader in open source policy and practice. “At this stage we want to give the world a heads up on the work done so far, why it is important and what we are working on now,” she said. “The UK led with the world’s first open-source-first policy for its public sector but we haven’t kept up with change or recognized the pace of adoption. The work we are doing would be visionary and enable the UK, Europe’s open source leader, to again be an exemplar by putting a well managed open source ecosystem at the heart of sustainable software infrastructure.”
The recommendations also cover community engagement and the role of maintainers, encouraging government-funded projects to plan for governance and lifecycle management beyond the initial launch.
Richard Gunn, Programme Director at UKRI, said, “UKRI recognizes its dual role as both a funder and user of open software and is committed to strengthening the sustainability of the open software ecosystem that underpins Digital Research Infrastructure. OpenUK’s recommendations highlight exciting opportunities for the UK to lead globally in supporting the development and maintenance of open source software by building on national strengths and international best practice to drive innovation and impact.”
OpenUK and UKRI say they will continue their workshops through 2026, developing next-stage frameworks and case studies.
What do you think about the UK’s push to make open source central to public sector sustainability? Let us know in the comments.
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