Joomla, one of the world’s leading content management systems, has received a significant investment from the Sovereign Tech Fund. The 20-month programme, announced by Open Source Matters Inc.(OSM) on Sunday 19 July, 2026, aims to further strengthen Joomla’s position as one of the most accessible CMS available today.
This marks a significant milestone for Joomla, as it becomes the first volunteer-driven open-source CMS to receive a public investment for a comprehensive, independently audited WCAG 2.2 accessibility programme. This programme will support a structured initiative consisting of 20 milestones, with the goal of bringing Joomla into full compliance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 standard. This will be a decisive advantage for governments, public institutions, and organizations subject to the EU Accessibility Act and national regulations, such as Germany’s BFSG.
Joomla has always been recognized for its strong commitment to accessibility, multilingual capabilities, and inclusive design, not just by the open-source community but also by private and public-sector organizations. With this programme, Joomla is taking a significant step by submitting its core platform to a fully independent, externally validated accessibility audit, backed by public funding.
However, the programme goes beyond compliance alone. In addition to the accessibility audit, the 20-month initiative will also include modernizing the design system, creating framework-agnostic templates, enhancing developer documentation, and embedding accessibility testing into Joomla’s development workflows. This will establish accessibility as a sustainable, measurable, and continually improving aspect of Joomla’s future development.
The Sovereign Tech Fund, a program under the Sovereign Tech Agency, invests in open source software to strengthen open digital infrastructure for security, innovation, and digital sovereignty. Their decision to invest in Joomla is a significant recognition of the project’s importance within the global open-source ecosystem and provides a strong foundation for Joomla’s continued growth and sustainability in the future.
For government bodies, municipalities, and public institutions, this investment holds particular weight. Across Europe, the EU Accessibility Act and national regulations, such as Germany’s BFSG, now require public-facing digital services to meet stricter accessibility standards. With the support of the Sovereign Tech Fund, Joomla’s programme directly addresses these requirements, making it one of the most compelling choices for public sector organizations seeking a future-proof, compliant CMS.
Elisa Foltyn, president of OSM, said, “This investment represents a major milestone for Joomla and the wider open-source community. Accessibility has always been a core value of the Joomla project. With the support of the Sovereign Tech Fund, we now have the opportunity to implement a comprehensive programme of improvements that will benefit website owners, developers, organizations, and millions of end users worldwide. We are setting a new standard for what open-source CMS accessibility can and should look like. This is Joomla at its best, and this is Joomla moving ever forward.”
The programme will be structured across nine phases and will cover expert audits, design system modernization, framework-agnostic templates, content and authoring improvements, administration standardization, cross-platform enhancements, automated testing, developer documentation, and independent final validation. Once completed, Joomla will offer an even stronger platform for governments, educational institutions, non-profit organizations, businesses, and individuals seeking to deliver inclusive digital experiences that meet the highest modern accessibility standards.
Throughout the project, the Joomla community will receive regular updates on progress, findings, documentation, and deliverables. This is in line with the project’s commitment to transparency and collaboration.
About Joomla
Joomla is a free and open-source content management system used worldwide to create websites, intranets, web applications, and digital experiences. Built by a global community of volunteers, Joomla is known for its flexibility, multilingual capabilities, security, accessibility, and commitment to digital freedom.
About Open Source Matters
Open Source Matters Inc. is a not-for-profit organization established to support and promote the Joomla project and its global community. OSM oversees the strategic direction, legal protection, and financial sustainability of the Joomla ecosystem, which is built and maintained entirely by volunteers worldwide.
About the Sovereign Tech Agency
The Sovereign Tech Agency is the first government organization in Europe tasked with strengthening critical digital infrastructure. It identifies and invests in foundational open source software components and supports open technologies with broad societal importance.
Media Contact:
Richard Gosler – Outreach Department Coordinator
outreach-dc@opensourcematters.org
+44 7768 631193
