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SoulForge Grant Program Guidelines

Introduction​

The SoulForge grants program is part of our commitment to the zero-knowledge (zk) landscape. We are excited to offer a comprehensive grants program focused on supporting development, research, and education efforts related to Plonky3 and circom, supported by Polygon Labs 💜.

Program Focus​

While applications are open to all, we prioritize:

  • Projects with a strong technical focus
  • Initiatives that demonstrably add value to the Plonky3 or circom ecosystem
  • Applicants with a solid and compelling long-term roadmap
  • Work that shows clear significance to the community

Project Types​

Research-oriented projects​

  • Demonstrate potential impact through academic publications
  • Show community engagement metrics

Open-source projects​

  • Prove experience in building strong communities
  • Provide evidence of user adoption and active development contributions

Evaluation Criteria​

Your project has a higher chance of acceptance if it:

  1. Presents a well-researched or tested concept with prior work
  2. Demonstrates clear benefits to the zk ecosystem and its users
  3. Shows commitment to long-term maintenance after grant completion
  4. Has a team with proven experience in relevant technologies
  5. Provides an application rich in technical details
  6. Implements technology that's unique or doesn't exist in the ecosystem yet
  7. Stands out among competitors or implements novel technology

Requirements​

All projects must:

  • Open-source all code produced (Apache 2.0 preferred; GPLv3, MIT, or Unlicense acceptable)
  • Not rely on closed-source software for full functionality
  • Not have been the object of a successful token sale
  • Focus on software implementation/research, not specific tokens or ventures
  • Complete KYC/KYB checks for all beneficiaries

Documentation​

  • All projects must create clear, written documentation explaining how the project works
  • Tutorials or videos are encouraged as supplementary materials to help new users

Restrictions​

We do not fund projects that:

  • Have ongoing grants (finish current before applying for new)
  • Encourage gambling, illicit trade, money laundering, or criminal activities
  • Actively promote tokens or specific cryptocurrencies

Licensing and Attribution​

  • We take licensing and attribution seriously
  • Using others' work without proper attribution will lead to immediate termination
  • Contact us if you have questions about license compliance

Review Process​

  1. The SoulForge Grants Committee will review applications
  2. Committee members may request changes or clarifications
  3. Applicants should address feedback by modifying their application
  4. Applications inactive for 2 weeks may be closed, but can be reopened
  5. Accepted applications will be merged within 14-20 days of being marked 'ready for review'

Delivery and Payment​

  • Milestones are monitored via the project's GitHub account
  • Upon milestone completion, a 30-minute review call will be scheduled
  • Grants are distributed in milestones, with payments made after 85% completion
  • Funds are distributed in USDT or USDC to KYC/AML verified wallets
  • Grants must be used for development, testing, and open-source contributions only

Support​

While we don't provide hands-on support, we will try to direct you to the correct resources if you face specific issues during development. We encourage you to join the community for help and updates.

Remember: The goal is to create valuable, open-source contributions to the zk ecosystem that explore and build with Plonky3 and circom!