About Digital Public Goods
DPGs are open technology solutions: open-source software, open data, open AI systems, and open content collections. In addition to being openly licensed, they must comply with the DPG Standard to ensure they adhere to privacy and other applicable laws and best practices, do no harm, and help attain the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
DPG Standard
DPGs take form in 4 categories:
Open Software
Open Data
Open AI Systems
Open Content Collections
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Digital Public Goods
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DPGs Decoded
DPGs Decoded is a set of materials that aims to strengthen global advocacy efforts in support of digital public goods. These assets focus on explaining DPGs and their benefits, as well as how countries can adopt and implement them to accelerate digital transformation, improve residents’ lives, and drive economic growth. We hope that these assets are a valuable tool that stakeholders can use in different contexts to build understanding of DPGs and drive their adoption.
Why Digital Public Goods?
Creating a more equitable world
Unlike proprietary solutions, digital public goods are open, and therefore are more accessible for countries to adopt and adapt accelerate digital transformation, and ultimately improve residents' lives, and drive economic growth. From there, they can unlock a wide range of benefits.
Open-source and accessible – meaning that any country can freely adopt and adapt them for their specific contextual needs.
Designed to be secure to use and give countries greater control over their digital sovereignty.
Often cheaper and faster to implement than using proprietary products.
DPGs can help catalyze local tech ecosystems, leading to economic growth, job creation, and multi-stakeholder collaboration on tech development.
DPGs are constantly improving - the more countries that use them and contribute back, the better they get.
Solve wide range of issues
With over 200 DPGs, they have proven applicability in helping to solve a wide range of issues, including:
Why should a digital solution become a DPG?
Being a verified digital public good signals that the solution meets a clear, globally trusted standard. To qualify, solutions must adhere to the DPG Standard—demonstrating openness through licensing, strong documentation, and alignment with best practices around privacy, security, and interoperability. This recognition builds confidence among governments and organisations, making solutions easier to discover, trust, and adopt.
Being recognised as a digital public good means inclusion in the DPG Registry—a trusted, global catalogue of verified DPGs. The DPG Registry is widely used by governments, development partners, implementers, and funders actively looking for reliable digital solutions. By being listed, solutions become significantly easier to find, compare, and assess, increasing their visibility and likelihood of adoption.
Once a solution is recognised as a digital public good, product owners are invited to join the DPG product community, which convenes regularly online and occasionally in person. This provides a valuable space to connect with peers, exchange best practices, and gain insights into relevant opportunities—from implementation to scaling and collaboration.
Recognition as a digital public good increases visibility among funders and organisations actively seeking proven, scalable solutions to support. Many funders and partners look to the DPG Registry as a trusted source when identifying where to invest or collaborate. Being listed helps position solutions within these decision-making processes, opening the door to new funding and partnership opportunities.
Interested in applying to become a digital public good?
DPG Application Toolkit
Below is a collection of links to relevant resources that individuals can look to when preparing their application to receive digital public good recognition, or interested in contributing to the DPGA’s efforts.
DPG Definition
Learn about the definition of digital public goods, including the history, and why they matter.
DPG Eligibility Tool
Answer a few questions to quickly determine if your digital solution is far off from becoming a digital public good.
DPG Submission Guide
Learn the requirements needed for a digital solution to be recognized as a digital public good.
DPG Wiki
Learn about the step-by-step documentation that product owners must provide in order to be recognized as a digital public good.
DPG Review Policy
Read the DPGA Secretariat’s policy that is used by the technical team to review all digital solutions to ensure they meet the DPG Standard’s requirements.
DPG Resources
Visit the official knowledge base for all additional resources, guides, and templates that can help digital solutions with their DPG application and for successful DPGs to continue to improve their project within the focus areas of the DPG Standard.
DPG Applications FAQs
Explore what people have been asking regarding submitting a DPG application—you may find an answer to a similar question there.
DPGs Decoded
Explore a set of materials that aims to strengthen global advocacy efforts in support of digital public goods.
DPG Discussion Forum
Join the public space for the community of DPG product owners and contributors to discuss, collaborate, and share knowledge and opportunities. If you’re considering becoming a DPG, you’re welcome, too!
DPG Standard
Learn about the DPG Standard which establishes the baseline requirements that must be met in order for a solution to earn recognition as a digital public good.
DPG Registry
Explore the list of all approved digital public goods. Click on them to learn how they meet the DPG Standard.
DPG API
Learn how to use our API to fetch the data of all approved digital public goods on the DPG Registry.
DPG Standard (Source)
Contribute to the development and improvement of the DPG Standard.
DPG Newsletter
Sign up to receive the DPGA’s monthly newsletter.
Featured Best Practices
A curated list of best practices for Digital Public Goods — covering community, security, architecture, testing, and usability.
Featured Standards
A curated list of relevant standards for Digital Public Goods — covering interoperability, security, data exchange, and sector-specific protocols.
Propose Standards and Best Practices
Propose additional standards and best practices
