Warning: With effect from 1st September 2023, the Mozilla Reps program was closed and activities ended.

This FAQ is specific to Reps-sponsored participation in the 2014 edition of the Mozilla Festival.

Mozilla Festival - Reps Selection FAQ

How many Reps were selected to attend?

Out of over 150 applications, 29 were selected. The demand was around 3 times more than last year. More details...

Who voted to the Reps that would get sponsorship to go to MozFest?

It was a mixed team comprised of:

• Mozilla Reps Council
• Mozilla Foundation Webmaker Leads

What were the selection criteria used to determine which reps would be sponsored?

Each person with a vote equal value, with instructions to focus on the following values and their awareness of the person's background contributing to Webmaker and other projects:

• Webmaker Experience
• Session Proposed (optional)
• Reasons for applying (answers from the application form)
• Whether or not they had attended before
• Experience with Firefox OS
• Community Building experience

More details...

Each member of the selection committee proceeded to do a range vote on how likely each of the applicants matched the previous criteria, the final results consist of the top 29 applicants with most votes.

Why were no Reps from my country/region selected for sponsorship?

The selection was not based on region, but on the selection criteria listed above and answers from the application form.

There are Reps who attended MozFest before, why are they selected to participate again?

The current ratio is approximately 50% veterans and 50% newcomers. There was no intentional policy on this, it is the results of voting. However, Reps who participated in previous editions of MozFest have gathered a lot of experience and also they have become incredible super mentors in their region. They have organized amazing events and activities and as a result of their experience, they can share their knowledge with the new Rep participants and mentor them.

I had my session proposal accepted for MozFest, but I was not selected for sponsorship

We decided to start our selection process before the decision of the MozFest team on which sessions would be approved. While it was one criteria considered, having your session proposal accepted for MozFest didn't guarantee your sponsorship from the Reps Program. However, it doesn't mean you can not attend MozFest and give your session, but you would require to cover transportation/accommodation expenses by yourself or seek sponsorship elsewhere.

Separately from this process, can I submit a Reps budget request to get sponsorship to go?

Unfortunately no. We have a fixed number of places and budget. There are limited travel stipends available from the Mozilla Foundation (see below).

How does the Mozfest Stipends Sponsorship work - I hear Reps are being sponsored in other ways? Is there still an opportunity for that?

The MozFest program team offers limited travel stipends to facilitators whose sessions were accepted. Not all accepted sessions receive travel stipends. The stipends are granted at the discretion of each track's "Space Wrangler", the person who is curating it. Travel stipends are given based on quality level of the session proposal and assumed need (traveling far distance, student, etc.).

The MozFest team fully supports participants who are seeking third-party funding to attend MozFest. They can provide letters of support and other documentation to assist you applying for funding from other organizations. Possible funding sources include NGOs, the British Council, exchange programs between your country and the UK, local companies, etc.