Core Infrastructure Initiative

Discontinued

Last updated 2026-03-15 · Update this page

Historical record. This platform is discontinued and should not be treated as an active option.

A Linux Foundation initiative created after Heartbleed to fund and support critical open source infrastructure projects. The standalone initiative no longer exists because it was absorbed into OpenSSF, but it remains historically important as one of the clearest examples of industry-backed OSS grant funding.

You are viewing: Core Infrastructure Initiative

Goal: Funding. Model: Grants. Status: Historical.

Should you use this?

Best for: Infrastructure, public-good, research, security, or ecosystem work with a clear proposal.
Not ideal for: Projects that need quick cash or cannot match a program's eligibility criteria.
Why choose it: A Linux Foundation initiative to collaboratively identify, fund and support critical elements of the global information infrastructure that are in need of assistance.
Watch out for: Grant cycles are competitive, time-bound, and tied to funder priorities.
Setup effort: Review setup requirements
Fees: CII was a funding initiative backed by industry members, not a paid platform.
Last verified: 2026-03-15
Sources: Source 1
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Goal Funding

Model Grants

Tags

Non-profit Security OSS-specific

Verification	Unverified
Organization	Non-profit
Open source status	Open source mission-driven organization
Platform technology	Linux Foundation security funding initiative
Monetization model	Grants for selected projects
Payment methods	Linux Foundation grant administration
Platform fees	CII was a funding initiative backed by industry members, not a paid platform.
User activity	CII funded multiple security-critical projects and then was folded into OpenSSF in 2020.