Up to $100,000 in funding on top of invaluable resources
As the Lisk ecosystem transitions towards becoming a Layer-2 network built on top of Ethereum as part of the OP Superchain, the Lisk team launched the new Grant Program. This initiative is meant to support developers to build great dapps and tools on Lisk by providing funding and resources.
Initially announced in March, the Lisk L2 Grant Program has been designed to nurture a community of developers and creators, and to support them in building an open and accessible technological landscape. Therefore, this grant is meant to support everybody, ranging from people just getting started to advanced builders.
Tiers of the Lisk L2 Grant Program
The Wave 1 of the Lisk Grant Program consists of a couple of tiers. Each of these tiers supports builders in different stages of their project development.
Tier 1 – The Bootstrap Grant
With the Bootstrap Grant individuals or teams can apply for up to $4,000 in funding to lay the groundwork of their project. This is for projects building on Lisk that are in their earliest stages of development. This tier is ideal for innovators and entrepreneurs looking to turn ideas into tangible projects, and who may require foundational funding and resources to get started.
Tier 2 – The Builder Grant
With the second tier in the Lisk Grant Program, builders can receive funding and support as their projects are ripe for expansion and evolution. Thanks to the Builder Grant, they can receive up to $16,000 to develop a robust minimum viable product (MVP), establish initial branding elements, and cultivate a growing community. This grant sets a project up for engagement and longevity.
Projects who already have an MVP can directly apply to Tier 2, without the need to go through Tier 1.
Tier 3 – The Booster Grant
The third and final tier is the The Booster Grant, offering up to $80,000 USD. This tier signifies the highest level of achievement within the Lisk L2 Grant Program. Therefore this tier represents a significant milestone for participating projects. The Booster Grant requires hard work and dedication, and it provides essential support and resources to projects to excel in the blockchain landscape. Within this tier, projects will be able to participate in investor pitching events, and they can get legal assistance. The Booster Grant means to scale projects towards self-sufficiency.
To qualify for the Booster Grant, a project must meet one of the two following conditions:
- Successfully completed either The Builder Grant or a qualified Lisk incubation or acceleration program,
- Have a mature MVP or live application with an active user base and community
Retroactive public goods funding
While the Lisk L2 Grant Program provides upfront funding to jumpstart projects, builders have the opportunity to apply to retroactive funding as well. Teams that are building projects in the Lisk ecosystem, and add value to the community, can apply to two distinct programs.
Because Lisk is part of the Optimism Superchain, builders on Lisk can apply for Optimism’s Retroactive Public Goods Funding for certain types of developments. This program is already live, and has allocated over 40 million OP tokens across three funding rounds, with more to come.
In addition, Lisk has its own retroactive public goods funding, which the team will announce at a later date. The idea of these retroactive funding is that it incentivizes the creation of valuable projects, and fosters a community-driven funding model. In other words, build something people love to use, and you will be rewarded through this program.
Closing words
With the Lisk L2 Grant Program, the team wants to provide funding to bootstrap the Lisk ecosystem over the coming 1 to 3 years. In addition, they want to add more funding through retroactive public goods as the ecosystem matures. Applications for Wave 1 of the Lisk L2 Grant Program opened mid-April, and will close on 31 May 2024.
