The Open Horizons Scholarship helps active WordPress contributors travel to flagship WordCamp events — WordCamp US, WordCamp Asia, WordCamp Europe, and (starting in 2027) WordCamp India — when budgets might otherwise keep them home.
The program was launched in May 2025 thanks to an $18,000 founding gift from Automattic and an additional $28,000 from several of the company’s Employee Resource Groups (read the original announcement).
As of April 2026, 15 contributors from 8 countries have been recipients of Open Horizons funds — and they’ve kept showing up for the WordPress community ever since.
Who should apply?
You’re a great fit if you:
- Are an active contributor to the WordPress open source project — with activity within the last 12 months
- Have a track record of impact or leadership in the WordPress community
- Have a clear plan for how you’ll continue contributing
- Have a confirmed role at a flagship WordCamp as an organizer or speaker (volunteers are welcome to apply, but will be selected only if budget remains after organizers and speakers)
We give particular preference to contributors from underrepresented or underserved groups and regions, including people from areas with limited access to global tech opportunities, LGBTIQ+ communities, neurodivergent contributors, and people with disabilities.
Heads up: You can apply for any flagship, even one outside your home region. Past recipients of the Open Horizons scholarship are welcome back, though new applicants, and people who haven’t been selected within the past year, will be prioritized.
What does the scholarship cover?
Each scholarship covers up to $3,000 USD and is meant to make the trip work end-to-end:
- ✈️ Travel — flights, trains, buses
- 🏨 Lodging
- 🎟️ Event registration
- 🛂 Visa application fees
- 🍽️ A $60/day stipend for meals and local transport (folded into the $3,000 cap)
- 👶 Childcare related to attending
- ♿ Accessibility needs (mobility support, interpreters, and similar)
Funds cover the period from one day before the event to one day after.
When to apply
Application windows will open 4 months before each event and close 2 months before the event starts. That gives ample time for review of applications and the potential recipient time to apply for a travel visa, if required.
| Window | Timing |
|---|---|
| Applications open | 4 months before the event |
| Applications close | 2 months before the event |
| You’ll hear back | Within 2–3 weeks of the close date |
How to apply
Lock in your role with the WordCamp organizing team. (We can’t review applications without a confirmed role, so apply once it’s official.)
- Fill out the application form – linked here
- Submit the application before the close date which is at least 2 months before the event.
- Sit tight. We review everything together after the window closes, so applying earlier doesn’t move you up the queue (other than giving you more visa runway).
- Hear back within 2–3 weeks. If selected, someone from the WordPress Community will reach out with funding instructions and a small ask: tell the community about your experience after the event.
What we’re really looking for: ongoing contributions, demonstrated impact, alignment with the program’s mission, and a healthy mix of geographies and backgrounds across each cohort.
If you’re picked
Recipients agree to:
- Show up to the flagship and play your part – be the organizer/speaker/volunteer you signed up to be
- Attend the event in full
- Represent WordPress with respect – under the WordPress Community Code of Conduct
- Tell your story in a short post-event blog post that mentions the scholarship
- Check back in a few months after the event with notes about how you’ve been contributing since
We love sharing what recipients do next, both because it’s genuinely cool and because it shows the program is doing what it’s supposed to do.
Funding partners
Big thanks to the partners making this possible:
- Automattic — founding donor and primary funder
- Cocoamattic, Neurodiverseomattic, PDARG, and Queeromattic — Automattic Employee Resource Groups
Want to support the next cohort? If your company believes in a more diverse, open, and accessible web, we’d love to talk. Support a scholarship, sponsor a contributor, or help us grow the program — email us at scholarships@wordpressfoundation.org.
Common questions
Do I need my role confirmed before I apply? Yes — we can only review applications with a confirmed role from the organizing team. If you apply early without it, we’ll ask you to come back once it’s locked in.
Can I apply for an event outside my region? Yep, no regional restrictions.
What if I need a visa? Apply as early as you can in the open window. The 4-month timing is meant to leave room for visa processing, but we can’t promise visa outcomes. If you’re awarded, we can provide a support letter for your application.
Can I apply again if I’ve already received a scholarship? You can — but new applicants and people who haven’t won within the past year get first priority.
How does the review process work? Several independent reviewers read every application and recommend, approve, or reject. Applications with three recommendations go to a final decision-maker. Impact, ongoing contribution, alignment with the program’s goals, and the overall cohort’s geographic and demographic mix are all considered during the review process.
What if I’m not picked? The two most common reasons we say no: under 12 months of documented contribution history, or no confirmed event role. Both are fixable — please apply again next round.
Get in touch
✉️ Email: scholarships@wordpressfoundation.org