Hey Stackers, as the push to bring SIP-031 resources to the ecosystem carries on, we’re bringing you information about grants available for the next few months. These opportunities serve as a bridge to the Stacks Endowment rolling out a comprehensive program in partnership with the broader community (be sure to chime in).

Ongoing work per the Stacks Roadmap, including onboarding of major bridges and other partners, future R&D, etc. continue on, this is a net new funding put aside for builders in the short-term.

To serve varying needs, ensure fast execution, and keep grants impactful, we’re rolling out or supporting three grant options. Two of these programs are available immediately, with one community-led program set to open next week. Applied budgets are flexible, ultimately depending on the quality of applications we receive.

Similar to our previous grant programs, we’ll take applications of all varieties from builders in the community using Github. The program will operate with a strong preference toward known Stacks builders (typically those building open-source) that have indicators of traction or demand. Not only is this is intended to be a recognition of their commitment, it is a de-risked bet on known quantities with the assumption these grants are more likely to be impactful. If you are just starting out or at the idea stage, continue reading to find suitable paths for you!

Traction will be assessed by the Stacks Foundation staff in partnership with community panelists, allowing for a contextual review (i.e. we won’t assess a developer tool with the same lens as a consumer app, and so forth).

Indicators of traction:

• Active users: Indicates some kind of product market fit or general need is being served and that this app is beyond the idea stage because some kind of user interface has been built/shipped.
• Transaction volume: Indicates users are actively using the application or tool
• TVL: Indicates someone has invested capital into the system/application
• Waitlist: Could indicate future demand. This will be considered, but not weighted heavily as it is easy to game and there is often significant fall off between users that say they ‘will’ use an app vs. those that actually do once it is available.

Community Panelists:

• Jackbinswitch, Community Leader
• Jonathan Sadlowe, Gossamer & Signal21
• Diego Mey, Bitflow & Marketing WG Lead

Applications are open now and due by September 30th. However, the sooner you submit, the sooner your application will be reviewed, we are not waiting until applications are closed to disburse awards.

For other grants, we’ve funded a third cohort of DeGrants that the community will dole out how it sees fit. Depending on the demand we see, we have some flexibility on the overall allocation here and will work with the leaders of the program to adjust it if there’s a good reason to. We highly recommend this path for brand new builders as it is a great opportunity to connect with the community, build credibility, and find funding for initial milestones/traction that can open the door to more grants or investment from the ecosystem down the line.

Applications open on September 10th, and will be due October 8th per the Stewards.

In addition to the grant programs outlined above, there are always the ongoing programs that make getting started easy:

• Code4STX: Start coding, start earning. That’s it!
• Stacks Ascent: Build up your app and awareness in the ecosystem through this structured program featuring frequent milestone based grants up to $25k. Be sure to also check out Stacks Ascent’s special season of events and places to engage: Expedition 31.
• Bitcoin Frontier Fund: Have a team and initial traction? Reach out to the Bitcoin Frontier Fund via their website to learn more about what they’re looking for and upcoming opportunities.