UPD’22: Get Paid for Building the Blockchain Ecosystem: An Up-to-Date List of Grants (2021)
About the author: Denys Andrushchenko is an owner at WTFBit, copywriting services for IT firms. He explores technologies around Web 3.0 and helps companies translate technical ideas into compelling and engaging stories.
Are you an on-demand blockchain developer or just learned how to program distributed ledger systems? Get real practice and financial support with these blockchain development grants. Almost all blockchain projects need developer support so some of them are practicing a grant approach to engage with the community and deliver on their promises. This could be your chance to participate.
Topl’s $1 Million Inaugural Grant Program for Impact-Driven Blockchain Building
Finally, SDG folks have a party on their street! Before the end of 2022, Topl is looking to fund an initial round of designers, visionaries, and changemakers aiming to make radical changes to the way business is done and how markets operate — with impact as the key driver.
The projects can be at any stage; they only have three requirements:
- Your project will be built on Topl’s unique L0 blockchain protocol but can incorporate other web3 technologies.
- Grant funds will be used to drive toward concrete development milestones, ideally resulting in the launch of your MVP, at the minimum.
- The world will be a better place if you succeed.
There is a special focus on:
- Mobile Accessibility;
- Sustainability;
- Impact NFTs;
- Proof of Identity;
- Interoperability.
Funding: the total grant amount for 2022 is $1 million: $500,000 in cash and $500,000 in tokens (which can be usable in Q4, 2023).
For eligibility criteria and other details, please refer to the official announcement.
Deadline: two rounds — Sep 30 and Nov 15, 2022.
Application form: https://topl.typeform.com/to/u1gCxpFe
Kadena Technical Grants
Technical Grants fund projects that support the growth of Kadena’s ecosystem by lowering barriers to entry, providing novel uses, opening new markets, and more. The Grants encourage innovation through prompted and unprompted grant categories, and they reward participants that deliver results.
How to submit a proposal for a grant?
Kadena’s Technical Grant process is divided into 2 phases: Grant Application and Grant Delivery.
PROCESS SUMMARY
- Determine focus area
- Submit application
- Review and decision
- Mutual agreement
- Grant Delivery
- Milestone progress reporting
- Completion and reward distribution
Funding: Maximum funding for a single project is set at USD $50,000, with smaller requests receiving faster approval.
Deadline: ongoing.
Aragon’s Nest program [closed]
The Aragon project is a community with a mission to empower freedom by creating tools for decentralized organizations to thrive. Aragon community is always looking for individuals who want to help fight for freedom.
How to submit a proposal for a grant?
- Read the public announcement Introducing Aragon Nest
- Browse the current proposals for grants
- Browse the current requests for funding
- Make sure the proposals for grants don’t have an existing proposal for something similar to your idea or project
- See the Guide for submitting a new request for funding
- Create a Pull Request to merge your submission into the Nest repository
Note:
At the stage of the proposal, the company determines whether to implement the idea and whether it should be considered for a grant. In the request for funding stage the project focuses on determining if the team will be able to deliver and the feasibility of the timeline, milestones and deliverables.
If there is a proposal close to your idea or project, join the discussion of that proposal to see if your idea or project could be integrated into the existing one, or if you should create a new proposal.
Funding: Up to $150,000 in DAI, split into chunks paid out over achieved deliverables. Up to 30,000 ANT, given out when all deliverables are ready and the project is successfully finished.
Deadline: the grant phased out.
Ethereum’s DEVgrants [UPD: now an ESP]
DEVgrants was a program that offered funding for contributions to both the Ethereum platform, and projects based on Ethereum. Now it has been rebranded into Ecosystem Support Program or ESP. It provides developers interested in contributing to the Ethereum ecosystem the opportunity to spend significant time on their project and bring it to completion.
How to submit a proposal for a grant?
- Make an inquiry and outline the intended work
- Show a project plan that details timelines and estimated working hours
- Proffer a methodology for reporting on the progress and outcomes of the project
- Contact the DEV grants administrator (grants@ethereum.org) if you still have questions
Note:
Grants focus exclusively on giving a boost to efforts already in progress. In other words, if you have not already begun work on your project, you should do so before attempting to apply.
Funding: DEVgrants (ESP)is targeting needs ranging from USD $1,000 to $10,000 per project.
Deadline: ongoing.
IPFS Innovation Grant Program [currently closed]
To continue the advancement ofthe decentralized web, the Unstoppable Domains team announced The IPFS Innovation Grant program to support groundbreaking projects that utilize IPFS.
Requirements:
- Your product uses IPFS technology
- You are a developer (or a group of developers) that can launch the product (by March 15th, 2021)
- You have a live product, a working prototype, or an MVP
Funding: up to USD $2,500 + additional benefits:
- Eligibility for free .crypto or .zil domains
- Marketing your product to 200k+ potential users through Unstoppable Domain’s social channels and users
- Mentorship from top-tier blockchain entrepreneurs, such as our co-founder Brad Kam
Deadline: apply before February 28th, 2021; the product must launch by March 15th, 2021.
To apply, go to https://unstoppabledomains.com/grants and enter your info. Be sure to mention “IPFS Projects Program” in the description.
Chainlink grant programs [New]
There are several types of grants you can find on Chainlink’s website:
- Community grants
- Integration grants
- Bug bounty program
- Research program (email research@chainlinklabs.com)
- Social impact grants
Deadline: ongoing.
ConsenSys Grants (currently closed)
ConsenSys is a global blockchain technology company building the infrastructure, applications, and practices that enable a decentralized world. ConsenSys Grants will fund projects that are building the foundational infrastructure, tools and components required to improve the developer and user experience of Ethereum.
How to submit a proposal for a grant?
- Choose grant category
- Browse the current grant criteria
- Submit your Grant Application (check if it’s available now)
- Expect acceptance notice
Note:
Projects must benefit the whole ecosystem rather than one single entity. Projects that ship software must eventually be open-sourced under a suitable OSI approved license and must have a collaborative community governance model or a well-defined path to implementing one.
Funding: Throughout 2019 ConsenSys gave away $550,000 worth of grants dispersed in amounts of $10,000 and $25,000 via GitCoin.
Deadline: the last was of January 14th, 2020.
EOS VC (currently not accepting)
Early stage projects and established companies are welcome to apply for funding through the EOS VC program. EOS VC focuses on developing the eos.io ecosystem and making venture investments in projects that utilize eos.io blockchain software.
How to submit a proposal for a funding?
- Browse the vision for the VC partnerships
- Submit your project with apply for funding
- Use a template for mapping out your idea
Note: Provide a short executive summary and a pitch deck of your proposal covering the problem you have identified and how it can be solved with the eos.io blockchain software. Fund managers will use their own selection criteria for deciding which innovative blockchain technology projects will receive support.
Funding: Just enough.
Deadline: ongoing.
UNICEF (deadline approaching)
The UNICEF Innovation Fund is a pooled funding vehicle to quickly assess, fund, and grow open-source solutions that have been developed in new and emerging markets. While it does go beyond the blockchain technology, it is one of the tools that teams — both developers and entrepreneurs — can use.
How to submit a proposal for a funding?
- Check out information about the latest announcement of funds
- Check all the eligibility requirements
- Read the full Request for Expressions of Interest (REI) document to understand the submission process
- To apply for funding for your tech start-up, visit submit page
- Submit your expression of interest by completing the form
Note: Submissions will be reviewed on a regular basis. Shortlisted companies will be notified within three months after submission. Only shortlisted vendors will be contacted and thereafter included in the next stage of the process.
Funding: The Fund has raised $17.9 million so far and focuses its investments on three portfolio areas: products for youth, infrastructure, real-time information.
Deadline: ongoing (the latest is January 1st, 2022).
Aion’s Bounties and Grants
The Aion network is a multi-tier blockchain network designed to support a future where many blockchains exist to solve unique industry problems and to power the services of the modern world.
How to participate in the current Bounties & Grants?
- Learn more about AION mission, how the process works, different categories of funding, and others
- Check out the bounty page or open grants to view current proposals that are available to the community
- If you don’t see something you’d like to take on, feel free to submit a proposal
- Payments will be processed after the project has been evaluated. You will be notified of your application status
Note: The mission of the incentive program is to fund projects and initiatives that will grow a healthy open-source community that focuses on mainstream adoption. Here are some of the key principles:
- Directly benefit the Aion ecosystem and broader community as a whole
- Co-create on projects that help unblock developers building dApps
- Promote open-source
- Collaborate with other projects within the community
Bounties fall under but are not limited to the following categories: new features; documentation; bug hunting; translations; research (both technical and non-technical); test coverage.
Funding: $5,000+
Deadline: ongoing.
Stellar Partnership Program
Stellar is a platform that connects banks, payment systems, and people. Stellar.org is accepting proposals from leading organizations that are building on the Stellar network to improve the global financial landscape and promote financial inclusion.
How to submit a proposal for a funding?
- For review with a list of past grant recipients, click here
- For consideration, fill out this application form
- Grants administrator will select the most promising proposals and schedule a phone or in-person interview
- Applicants will be notified within 15 days
Note: Grant size is determined based on the value that the partnership adds to the ecosystem. Grant vesting is subject to the eventual completion of certain milestones and requirements. The primary focus of the program is currently on anchors and exchanges.
Funding: Stellar Development Foundation has allocated 25 billion lumens (XML) in total to this program to incentivize institutions who make an exceptional impact.
Deadline: ongoing.
Waves Grants
Waves Labs is an initiative for supporting talented developers and promising startups focused on building the decentralised technologies that will form the backbone for Web 3.0. Waves Grants is a program aimed at startups and individual developers interested in building new products based on Waves technologies.
How to participate in the current grants program?
- Fill out an application form, describe your experience in as much detail as possible
- Attach a resume and a portfolio of work samples
- An interview may be required as part of the application process
- All applicants will be informed about decisions by email
Note: Waves Labs looks for solutions for several specific use cases crucial for the mass adoption of blockchain:
- Crypto and token payments
- Regulated Tokens
- Escrow
- Loyalty program research
- Crypto and token payments
Deadline: ongoing.
The European Commission [active, check new deadlines at ngi.eu]
In partnership with the Next Generation Internet (NGI), the EU awards a series of grants via its Horizon 2020 program. Review the open calls on their website: https://www.ngi.eu/opencalls/
[Older]
Under the Horizon 2020 program, the EU combines funding for research and innovation, implemented at the continental level. The program offers a single set of simplified rules and radically minimizes bureaucratic procedures. The program supports a wide range of activities: from research to demonstration projects and innovations that are ready to enter the market.
One of the activities is called “Blockchains for Social Good and assumes five prizes of €1 million each to be awarded to innovators that use blockchain technology to develop decentralized solutions bringing about positive social change.
How to apply?
- Check out the rules of contest
- Use the application template
- The prize will be awarded based on the Jury’s decision after the contest ends
Note: The contest is open to individuals, groups, organizations and companies. Main requirements:
- positive impact on society, environment and/or economics — proven through the adoption by a large community of citizens;
- improvements in transparency, accountability, privacy;
- usability and inclusiveness — a solution for all;
- viability on a large scale — solving technical limitations;
- European added value — more effective and efficient solutions than conventional ones.
Funding: €5 million to be allocated in five awards of €1 million each.
Deadlines: 2 April 2019 — was the deadline for registration of interest.
3 September 2019 — deadline to submit applications.
Similar (USA)
The US Bureau of the Fiscal Service, Office of Financial Innovation and Transformation, has launched two innovative projects aimed at streamlining the government’s financial processes,
- Digital End-to-End Efficiency (DEEE)
- Blockchain for Grant Payments
They aim to save millions of dollars annually in financial management costs. Both projects will re-imagine how the federal government performs its business by strategically using emerging technology.
To learn more contact cindy.good@fiscal.treasury.gov (DEEE) or craig.fischer@fiscal.treasury.gov (Blockchain for Grant Payments). Taken from Treasury.gov.
How to issue a grant yourself using smart contracts?
Gitcoin Grants is a community for developers to collaborate and monetize their skills while working on Open Source projects through bounties. With Gitcoin Grants, you can support exciting projects. Also you can create gitcoin grants in any ERC20 token. Currently, almost 50 Grants are available on Gitcoin Grants.
GivETH is a community focused on making the world a better place through the use of blockchain technology. Its flagship product, the Giveth Donation Application (DApp), is striving to bring new governance models into the nonprofit space. Giveth Galaxy was created to foster a larger network of organizations that will help “build the future of giving, a truly decentralized one.”
Want more grants or you know about other ones? Let me know in the comments. WTFBit Media writes about blockchain and emerging technologies in simple way, with humor. We also work with diverse clients helping them effectively deliver the message to their audience.
