Our first public Call from proposals was open from April 30 - June 22, 2020. Judging will take place throughout July and August. We hope to announce successful applicants beginning in September 2020. Sign up to learn about future opportunities.
Supporting technology, tools, and infrastructure that innovate around the Web Monetization standard and the Interledger Protocol.
Supporting experiments in the creation, distribution, and discoverability of content monetized using the Web Monetization standard and the Interledger Protocol.
We aim to build monetization natively into the web by funding the innovation and growth of an open technology stack featuring the Web Monetization standard and the Interledger Protocol – tools that allow money to stream in real-time as you browse the web.
Projects submitted under the Foundational Technology track should innovate around the technology itself: i.e.building plugins, APIs, and templates for monetizing the web, etc.
Projects submitted under the Creative Catalyst track should use existing Web Monetization technology to explore the creation, distribution, and discoverability of content online. Funds can be applied to content production specifically intended for monetization experiments, for example: how to deliver, use, segment, and channel content.
Prototypes must be manageable experiments, but they are not required to succeed – we recognize that we don’t know the limits of the technology and are enthusiastically open to boundary-pushing ideas.
We’re looking for web-based experimentation with strong potential for further innovation beyond the life of the grant. Our goal is iterative learning in order to build a healthy, vibrant ecosystem of web monetized tools, content, and resources.
Applicants must request a specific amount required to achieve clearly-defined outcomes. We currently offer three buckets for funding in both the Foundational Technology and Creative Catalyst tracks of the open Call for Proposals:
$5,000-$15,000
We expect to award Spark Level grants for research and planning, event participation, community engagement, documentation, and smaller-scale content monetization experiments.
$15,000-$50,000
We expect to award Mid Level grants for the design, prototyping, and building of plugins, APIs, and other monetization tools, research and development including whitepapers and academic research, larger-scale content creation, and community activations.
$50,000-$100,000
We expect to award Flagship Level grants for the operational and technology costs related to comprehensive tooling and platform innovation, and large-scale community activations.