Economic sustainability

Currently, the Decidim Association is highly dependent on public funding. Specifically, it receives two subsidies from Barcelona City Council (100k) and the Generalitat de Catalunya (50k). This income allows it to support the Technical Office and pay for other minor expenses. In addition, there is a contract from Barcelona City Council through which Decidim's maintainers are hired.

However, depending so much on public funding and so few institutions is a risk. As we have already seen, we can lose that money for bureaucratic reasons - as happened to us with the 50k from Barcelona City Council last year - or because of changes in governments, which could lead to the withdrawal of institutional support. This is why it is imperative to work to diversify the Association's sources of funding, both qualitatively and quantitatively.

This debate seeks to discuss what strategies to follow in order to ensure the long-term sustainability of the project.

Questions for the debate

• How can the Association obtain resources from all the economic activity generated around Decidim?
• How can we expand the number and type of actors that can support the project, beyond Catalan institutions? In particular, would it be possible for public institutions, NGOs, etc. that are users of the Decidim SW to support the project?
• What kind of services can the Association offer?
• What other sustainability strategies should we explore?

*It is necessary to take into account those aspects that are already defined in the Statutes of the Association:

Article 4.3. Defines services as an activity of the Association.

Article 20. The management of public and private subsidies corresponds to the coordination committee.