The Gitcoin Grants Program champions the development of Open-Source Software (OSS) across the wider Web3 ecosystem.
Our eligibility criteria aims to ensure that all participating grantees adhere to the highest standards of ethical conduct, community values, and the ethos of OSS. This framework is designed to nurture innovation and facilitate meaningful contributions to the open-source community.
The eligibility criteria for the upcoming GG20 are as follows:
Ethical and Community Standards
- No Hateful Content: We firmly stand against discrimination and hate speech.
- Deceiving Users: Prohibited is any content that could harm users or lead to unintended consequences.
- Falsification: Attempts to falsify contributions, including Sybil attacks or other manipulative practices, are strictly banned.
- Fraud & Impersonation: Projects must accurately represent their affiliation and intentions to maintain transparency and trust.
- No Quid Pro Quo & Bribery: Incentives in exchange for donations are disallowed, maintaining the integrity of the contribution process.
- Advertising Restrictions: Utilizing grants for direct promotional activities or sales is prohibited.
- Funding Caps: Projects with significant external funding may be reconsidered to ensure equitable distribution of resources.
- Legal Compliance: Mandatory is the adherence to all applicable laws and regulations for participation.
Open-Source Principles and Project Activity
- Licensing Requirement: Projects must be fully open source, offering “source available” for anyone to fork, modify, and redistribute, embodying the essence of open-source collaboration.
- Activity Metrics: Demonstrated established and ongoing development activity as evidenced by GitHub commit history.
This eligibility framework is devised to ensure that the projects we support are aligned with the foundational values of the Gitcoin Grants Program and actively contribute to the growth and integrity of the OSS ecosystem. Projects that violate these guidelines will face disqualification from consideration, underscoring our dedication to maintaining the highest standards of ethical conduct and community engagement.
Projects fulfilling the licensing requirements and displaying sufficient activity metrics will be directly approved. Those partially meeting these standards will be subject to a manual review process, while projects failing to satisfy any of the criteria will be deemed ineligible.
OSS Rounds
When applications open, the program will feature four rounds within Grants Stack. Each round will feature eligibility requirements tailored to that segment’s unique objectives and needs. These include the following:
- Hackathon Alumni
- dApps & Apps
- Web3 Infrastructure
- Developer Tooling and Libraries
The allocations for the rounds are as follows:
- Hackathon Alumni: $100K
- dApps & Apps: $300K
- Web3 Infrastructure: $300K
- Developer Tooling and Libraries: $300K
Applicants are limited to submitting their projects for a single round of funding. It is recommended that grantees choose the round that most closely matches their project’s primary mission and goals. By doing so, we aim to provide focused and impactful support and ensure resources are directed where they can achieve the greatest effect.
Hackathon Alumni
Objective: To support projects emerging from recent hackathons, showcasing the potential for significant OSS contributions.
Target Areas for Funding:
- Innovative solutions or prototypes developed during hackathons.
- Initiatives addressing clear needs within the OSS or tech ecosystem.
Round Specific Criteria:
- Participated in a recognized hackathon last year.
- Evidence of development progress post-hackathon.
- Must provide proof of participation in a hackathon in the last 18 months where the output aligns with Open-Source Principles and Project Activity criteria.
dApps & Apps
Objective: To accelerate the adoption and development of dApps & Apps offering novel utilities or services within the ecosystem.
Target Areas for Funding:
- User-centric dApps & Apps enhancing Web3 accessibility and usability.
- dApps & Apps contributing to financial inclusion, education, and social impact are encouraged to apply.
Round Specific Criteria:
- Demonstrable user interface design and positive user experience.
- Innovative application use cases expanding the OSS ecosystem’s reach.
Web3 Infrastructure
Objective: To strengthen the Ethereum ecosystem’s foundational infrastructure by supporting projects crucial for its development, scalability, and security.
Target Areas for Funding:
- Core Client Teams & Development: Support for teams behind essential Ethereum clients (e.g., Geth, Nethermind) and projects enhancing core network functionality.
- Staking Infrastructure and Diversity: Initiatives improving staking processes and promoting client diversity to strengthen network security and resilience.
- Decentralized Identity and Cross-Layer Solutions: Projects focused on decentralized identity solutions, cross-layer interoperability, and seamless token transfers, enhancing user experience and network efficiency.
- Security and Scalability Innovations: Research and development aimed at bolstering the network’s security through EIPs and scalability solutions like sharding and rollups.
- Wallet Security and Privacy Technologies: Innovations in wallet security, recovery solutions, privacy pools, and zero-knowledge proofs, aiming to protect users and advance voting mechanisms.
- Standardization and Future-Proofing: Efforts to standardize crucial technologies and develop forward-thinking solutions, such as account abstraction and statelessness.
Round Specific Criteria:
- Infrastructure Impact: Projects must demonstrate a significant contribution to the Ethereum network’s infrastructure, addressing both foundational needs and innovative solutions to current challenges.
- Engagement in Pioneering Development: A focus on pioneering technologies or approaches that promise to elevate the Ethereum ecosystem, particularly in enhancing privacy, interoperability, and user experience.
Developer Tooling and Libraries
Objective: Improve developer efficiency in the OSS and Web3 ecosystems through supportive tooling and libraries.
Target Areas for Funding:
- Development environments, frameworks, and testing tools for Web3.
- Libraries that enable secure, efficient smart contract development.
Round Specific Criteria:
- Significant reduction of development barriers or enhancement of project efficiency.
- Demonstrated support and usage within the developer community.
Evaluation Process
Our evaluation process combines quantitative measures, such as adherence to open-source licensing and active development indicators, with qualitative assessments, including the project’s contribution to the OSS ecosystem, community engagement, and innovation.
Conclusion
By establishing clear criteria and specific targets for each funding round, the GG20 OSS funding initiative aims to foster innovation, enhance community engagement, and promote a transparent and inclusive selection process across the OSS ecosystem. This approach ensures support for diverse projects, contributing to the growth and sustainability of open-source and Web3 technologies.
