Say Hello to the Lisk L2 Grant Program

We're thrilled to introduce the Lisk L2 Grant Program, an initiative aimed at driving innovation and empowering developers. Our Grant Program provides developers with access to up to $100,000 in hard funding, as well as a wealth of invaluable resources.

By Lisk

26 Mar 2024

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Grant Program Structure

We designed the Lisk Grant Program to nurture a community of developers and creators within the Lisk ecosystem and empower innovation towards a more open and accessible technological landscape. To do so in the most efficient way, We've structured our grant program to be accessible to everyone, whether you're just starting out, at a turning point, or already advanced.

We offer three tiers designed to provide top-notch resources while always aiming at your independence and self-sufficiency.

Tier 1 - The Bootstrap Grant: Building the Foundation

The Bootstrap Grant (up to $4,000 USD) lays the groundwork for your project. Directed towards individuals or teams who are at the earliest stages of developing their projects within the Lisk ecosystem, it is tailored for those seeking initial support to establish proof-of-concept applications.

This tier is ideal for innovators and entrepreneurs who are looking to turn their ideas into tangible projects and require foundational funding and resources to get started. The Bootstrap Grant acts as a crucial starting point, providing essential support to safely lift projects off the ground and begin their journey towards success within the Lisk community.

Tier 2 - The Builder Grant: Setting you up for Success

The Builder Grant (up to $16,000 USD) constitutes the second tier within the Lisk Grant Program. It stands as a formidable cornerstone in the realm of funding and support for projects primed for significant expansion and evolution, ensuring the robustness of the entire ecosystem before it embarks on its journey towards greatness.

With a focus on fortifying the foundation of budding ventures, the Builder Grant sets forth a set of requirements that serve as markers of readiness and commitment. These include the development of a robust Minimum Viable Product (MVP), the establishment of initial branding elements to delineate identity and purpose, and the cultivation of a burgeoning community, essential for enabling engagement and longevity.

Projects who already have a POC or MVP can directly apply to Tier 2, without the need to go through Tier 1.

Tier 3 - The Booster Grant: Accelerating Growth

The Booster Grant, offering up to $80,000 USD, signifies the highest level of achievement within the Lisk Grant Program, representing a significant milestone for participating projects.

The Booster Grant, which requires hard work and dedication, provides essential support and resources for projects to excel in the competitive blockchain landscape. Beyond financial aid, it enables grantees to engage in activities like investor pitching events and legal assistance, ensuring their projects are thoroughly prepared for success. This tier is geared towards scaling up projects towards self-sufficiency and ensuring meticulous readiness in all aspects, both technical and beyond.

To qualify for the Booster grant your project must meet one of the two following conditions:

A. Successfully completed either:

  • The Builder Grant, or
  • a qualified Lisk incubation / acceleration program

B. Have a mature MVP or live application with an active user base and community

And There’s More! 2x Retroactive Public Goods Funding

While the Lisk L2 Grant Program provides upfront funding to jumpstart grantees projects, ALL builders on the Lisk L2 have the opportunity to apply for retroactive funding as well. Through not one, but soon two distinct programs!

1. The Optimism Superchain's Retroactive Public Goods Funding. 2. Lisk’s own Retroactive Public Goods Funding (to be announced at a later date)

Unlike traditional grants, RPGF programs reward projects based on their demonstrated impact, meaning projects are funded after they've successfully delivered a public good. This approach incentivizes the creation of valuable projects and fosters a community-driven funding model.

The OP RPGF Program is already live and has allocated more than 40 million OP Tokens across three funding rounds to date (with a total fund amount of close to 800m OP tokens!).

Our initial focus with the Lisk L2 Grant Program is to provide preemptive funding to bootstrap the ecosystem over the coming 1-3 years, however, we will also move towards having more and more funding come via retroactive public goods as the ecosystem matures.

Note: Applications will be reviewed in Waves within three weeks of receipt, according to the following dates:

Application Wave 1 - April 15th - May 31st Application Wave 2 - June 24th - August 5th Application Wave 3 - September 25th - October 25th

Ready to embark on this transformative journey? Apply here!

Additional Rules Info and Frequently Asked Questions

What is the purpose of the Lisk grant program?

The purpose is to attract experienced builders/entrepreneurs to build out their ideas/concepts within the Lisk ecosystem. Who is eligible to apply for the grant, and what kind of projects are eligible for funding?

The ideal candidates are:

Start-up teams with an idea they are committed to pursue for the next couple of years at least; Projects that take advantage of the Lisk tech stack (That benefit from Smart Contracts on the EVM);

What is the application process, and what materials are required to apply?

To apply to the Lisk grant you will need some of the following things:

Going through the online typeform application which includes some of the following:

  • Answering the questions on the typeform;
  • Pitch Deck;
  • Business Plan;;

Are there any restrictions or requirements on how the grant funds can be used?

We’ll work together to help develop a plan so that the desires of the grant participant’s are in alignment with the Lisk development timeline, but there is flexibility in what is allowed.

Are there any milestones or deliverables that grant recipients must meet to receive funding?

Yes, the grant is milestone based, and inside each milestone will be additional pre-planned goals in order to receive funding intermittently. Projects need to be approved for each when the one they are working on is complete.

Is there any ownership, IP, or licensing requirements for the projects that receive funding through the Lisk Grant Program?

Lisk Grant Program is designed to build out the ecosystem and we don’t require any ownership or equity from the projects. Projects will however need to eventually deliver their code in open source with the Apache 2.0 or similar license. Additionally, we are organizing a network of venture partners who may want to participate in public sales beyond the grant, but the potential appropriation of ownership shares is decided by the projects themselves.

Can grant recipients use the Lisk logo or branding in their project materials, and are there any guidelines or restrictions on their use?

Projects enrolled will have access to a Lisk branding kit giving guidelines of how to use the Lisk branding. Can applicants submit multiple proposals for different projects or stages of development?

If your team has received the feedback to propose a new idea, then yes.