Why contribute to Jakarta EE

Grow your network and opportunities.

Open source is one of the best ways to meet and collaborate with Java mentors, community experts, and future employers. Many careers have taken off because someone’s contributions caught the proper attention.

Future-proof your career.

Jakarta EE is not “old Java EE.” It’s actively evolving to meet cloud native demands, including microservices, containers, and Kubernetes integration. Contributing means staying ahead of the curve, learning directly from experts, and keeping your skills sharp.

Shape the technology you already use.

Jakarta EE defines standards adopted by frameworks and runtimes across the Java enterprise ecosystem. By contributing, you influence how APIs, persistence, and cloud native features evolve, decisions that will ripple into the tools you work with every day.

Stand out as a recognised expert.

Unlike company-driven projects, Jakarta EE is vendor-neutral and backed by industry leaders. Your name and contributions, big or small, become visible to a global audience of developers, architects, and employers.

Recognition & rewards for your contributions

Your contributions help shape the future of Jakarta EE, and we want to make sure they don’t go unnoticed. Here are some of the ways we celebrate and showcase your impact:

Career-advancing connections

Build visibility with working group members, project leads, and industry influencers, opening doors to collaborations, internships, and job opportunities.

Speaking and presentation opportunities

Get considered for speaking slots at Jakarta EE webinars, livestreams, and community events, where you can share your knowledge with peers and potential employers.

Community recognition

Earn a spot as a featured contributor on our social channels and newsletters, celebrating your contributions to the project.

Exclusive contributor rewards

Our top contributors receive a special edition of “I Make Jakarta EE” Limited Edition swag as a token of appreciation for their outstanding contributions.

Showcase your expertise publicly

Get your blog posts, tutorials, or technical articles featured on the Jakarta EE website, blog page, newsletters, and social media channels, helping you reach a global developer audience.

How to contribute

Whether you are contributing as an individual or on behalf of your employer, Jakarta EE welcomes your participation.

Start by choosing a Jakarta EE project of interest, joining the project's mailing list and start communicating with the team. Next steps depend on whether you're contributing as an individual or via a member organisation.

If you are an individual contributor:

Create an Eclipse Foundation account
If you don't already have one, sign up at accounts.eclipse.org
Sign the Eclipse Contributor Agreement (ECA)
Log in to your account and digitally sign the ECA, which ensures you retain rights to your contributions while allowing them to be used in the project. Visit the Eclipse Contributor Agreement page to learn more about the agreement.
Get involved in a project
Reach out via mailing lists, Slack, or GitHub to collaborate with project teams and submit contributions.

If you're contributing through a member organisation:

Good news, you're already covered!
If your employer is a member of the Jakarta EE Working Group, they have signed the Member Committer and Contributor Agreement, which covers all employees.
No additional agreements are needed; you can start contributing directly.

Find a mentor to get started faster

New to Jakarta EE and not sure where to begin? Our Jakarta EE Community Mentor Program pairs you with an experienced contributor who can guide you through onboarding, answer your questions, and help you make your first contributions with confidence.

Meet a Mentor