France Numérique Libre: how french local authority IT managers launched a national initiative.
2025-10-01 , OSPO, governance and business

France Numérique Libre was born in April 2025 when local authority IT managers decided to get together and exchange information on free software solutions and services.

Firmly rooted in the French opensource eco-system, it is supported by national associations and the French government, which is offering more and more open-source solutions to local authorities.

Open to the world and to new developments in the field, France Numérique Libre aims to accelerate the opensource dynamic in France, which is definitively gaining momentum.


France Numérique Libre was born in April 2025 when local authority IT managers decided to get together and exchange information on free software solutions and services.

Firmly rooted in the French opensource eco-system, it is supported by national associations and the French government, which is offering more and more open-source solutions to local authorities. Open to the world and to new developments in the field, France Numérique Libre aims to accelerate the opensource dynamic in France, which is definitively gaining momentum.

France Numérique Libre is a demonstrator: by drawing on existing open-source resources, French local authorities can self-organize and create, without any associated budget or major effort, a network of players serving the residents and agents who serve them.

By positioning itself as a new player, integrated from the outset into an already rich ecosystem, France Numérique Libre nourishes the hope of leading to new initiatives, potential opportunities for mutualization... and fruitful collaborations between local authorities and with economic partners.

See also: FNL presentation (899.7 KB)

After 20 years in the private sector, Nicolas Vivant held various IT management positions in local authorities in the Grenoble region. Since 2009, he has specialized in the digital transformation of public services based on free software.

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