Track kube-bind sandbox application

[cnvergence]

This issue is to track the process of applying for CNCF Sandbox status for the kube-bind project.
We will need to fill this form
https://github.com/cncf/sandbox/issues/new?assignees=&labels=New&projects=&template=application.yml&title=%5BSandbox%5D+%3CProject+Name%3E

[cnvergence]

cc @olamilekan000, will sync with you on the next steps

[cnvergence]

CNCF Sandbox Application - Tracker

Status: Draft
Last Updated: 2026-03-05

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📋 Basic Project Information

Project Summary

kube-bind is an open source project that enables Kubernetes service providers and consumers in distinct clusters to share and bind custom API resources across cluster boundaries.

Project Description

kube-bind is an open source Kubernetes project that provides better support for service providers and consumers residing in distinct Kubernetes clusters. It introduces a binding mechanism that allows operators running in one cluster (the service provider) to offer custom APIs and controllers, while consumers in separate clusters can bind to those services and use the custom resources as if they were native to their own cluster.

The project solves a fundamental multi-tenancy and multi-cluster challenge: today, extending Kubernetes with custom controllers requires deploying the controller and its CRDs into the same cluster, making multi-cluster or SaaS-style service delivery difficult. kube-bind decouples the service provider's control plane from the consumer's cluster, allowing a single provider to serve many consumer clusters cleanly and securely.

kube-bind is built on top of standard Kubernetes primitives (CRDs, controllers, RBAC) and is designed to be cloud native from the ground up. It enables use cases such as managed database-as-a-service, managed Kafka, or any custom Kubernetes API offered as a service to multiple tenant clusters—without requiring those tenants to run the underlying controllers themselves.

kube-bind has a native, first-class integration with kcp via a dedicated kcp backend provider (contrib/kcp/). In this mode, kcp workspaces are treated as independent clusters, and kube-bind leverages kcp's APIExport/APIBinding primitives to expose and bind APIs across workspaces — enabling multi-tenant, SaaS-style API sharing with full workspace isolation and RBAC.

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📚 Project Details

Org Repo URL

https://github.com/kube-bind

Project Repo URL

https://github.com/kube-bind/kube-bind

Additional Repos in Scope

N/A

Website URL

https://kube-bind.io

Roadmap

https://github.com/kube-bind/kube-bind/blob/main/ROADMAP.md

Roadmap Context

N/A

Contributing Guide

https://github.com/kube-bind/kube-bind/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md

Code of Conduct (CoC)

https://github.com/kube-bind/kube-bind/blob/main/code-of-conduct.md

Adopters

https://github.com/kube-bind/kube-bind/blob/main/ADOPTERS.md

Maintainers File

https://github.com/kube-bind/kube-bind/blob/main/OWNERS

Security Policy File

https://github.com/kube-bind/kube-bind/blob/main/SECURITY.md

Standard or Specification?

N/A

Business Product or Service to Project Separation

Your answer here

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☁️ Cloud Native Context

Why CNCF?

kube-bind is a Kubernetes-native project addressing a core multi-cluster use case. Contributing it to the CNCF ensures neutral governance, broader community adoption, and alignment with the ecosystem of cloud native projects. CNCF membership provides access to infrastructure, marketing, security audits, and a community of practitioners who benefit most from this technology.

Benefit to the Landscape

kube-bind fills a gap in the CNCF landscape by providing a standardized, open mechanism for cross-cluster API and service binding. It enables a new class of multi-cluster SaaS-style Kubernetes service providers and enriches the multi-cluster story alongside projects like Cluster API, Open Cluster Management, and others.

Cloud Native 'Fit'

kube-bind is entirely Kubernetes-native: it is built using CRDs, controllers, and RBAC, and follows operator patterns. It is deployed as a Kubernetes controller/operator, uses kubeconfig-based authentication, and integrates naturally into any standard Kubernetes cluster. It fits within the "Orchestration & Management" layer of the CNCF landscape, specifically in the multi-cluster and service binding space.

Cloud Native 'Integration'

• Kubernetes: kube-bind is built directly on Kubernetes CRDs, controllers, and RBAC.
  - kcp (kcp-dev/kcp, CNCF Sandbox): kcp provides the multi-tenant control plane and workspace isolation layer; kube-bind provides the cross-workspace API service binding mechanism on top of it. The two projects are complementary — kube-bind is designed to work both with plain Kubernetes clusters and with kcp, gaining significantly more power in the latter case.
  It will complement many other projects, as for helping provider clusters to serve anything as a service to the consumer clusters, here are some examples with Crossplane, cert-manager and kro - https://docs.kube-bind.io/main/usage/integrations/cert-manager/

Cloud Native Overlap

Similar Projects

Landscape

Not currently listed.

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📘 CNCF Policies

Trademark and Accounts

• If the project is accepted, I agree to donate all project trademarks and accounts to the CNCF

IP Policy

• If the project is accepted, I agree the project will follow the CNCF IP Policy

License Exception

No – kube-bind is licensed under the Apache License 2.0.

Project "Domain Technical Review"

Your answer here

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✉️ Contact Information

Application Contact Email(s)

karol.szwaj@gmail.com
mangirdas@judeikis.lt

Contributing or Sponsoring Entity Signatory Information

If an organization:

Name	Signatory name	Email address

If a group of individuals:

Name	Email address

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➕ Additional Information

CNCF Contacts

Mario Fahlandt (@mfahlandt) TAG Operational Resilience Chair - mfahlandt@pixel-haufen.de

Additional Information

Your answer here

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Internal Notes

• All required fields completed
• Links verified
• Reviewed by team
• Ready to submit

[mjudeikis]

TODO:
Review tech
Contributing orgs

[cnvergence]

Application was sent here: cncf/sandbox#464

[xrstf]

What's the state here? The last update on the ticket above is 2 months old by now.

[cnvergence]

Vote has passed, but we are still waiting for Contributor Agreement