Beyond Grants Ventures #168
Description
Abstract
Leveraging experience across blockchain ecosystems like NEAR this initiative focuses on restructuring grant programs to create sustainable, impact-driven ecosystems. With a proven track record 90% of funded projects showing real progress, over half accepted into accelerator programs, and all successfully launching on mainnet—the goal is to diversify blockchain foundations' revenue streams and reduce reliance on token reserves. By scaling grant programs, even on smaller budgets, the initiative supports protocols in achieving long-term growth and sustainability.
TLDR;
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Many blockchain foundations deplete their token reserves over time.
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Most Web3 and crypto startups die off even after receiving grants.
We are here to solve this
Proposal Information
Description
This proposal outlines an initiative designed to support and scale the Neo ecosystem by establishing a streamlined, independent grants and investment management process. Led by a seasoned team with extensive experience in blockchain venture funding and ecosystem growth, the initiative aims to attract, evaluate, and support high-quality developers, startups, and open-source contributors building on Dfinity.
By operating as an external contributor team, we will take over the operational heavy lifting of managing grants from pipeline development and contributor onboarding to milestone tracking and demo day execution. This frees the foundation to focus on strategic goals such as partnerships, regulatory compliance, and advancing core technology.
Over an 8-week execution window, we will implement a grants pipeline, revise the grant handbook, launch a public-facing website, and onboard community contributors. In doing so, we aim to improve the speed, transparency, and impact of funding efforts across the ecosystem while attracting serious builders and long-term contributors.
Motivation
- Many founders perceive grants as free money.
- This perception often reduces their incentive to continue building after receiving funding.
- Some founders treat grant applications and airdrops as their primary revenue source, exploiting them like an infinite money glitch.
- Others use grants as a substitute for venture capital funding, rather than a catalyst for long-term growth.
- We want projects to live beyond grants
Goals
Main Goals and Why
- Professionalize NEO Grants & Investment Process:
To streamline and scale how promising projects are selected, onboarded, and supported—improving efficiency, transparency, and outcomes across the ecosystem.
2. Reduce Operational Load on the Foundation:
By managing grants and investments independently, we free up the core team to focus on protocol development, partnerships, and compliance.
3. Improve Project Success Rates:
We aim to reduce post-funding failure by setting clear milestones, offering technical guidance, and ensuring projects are aligned with ecosystem goals from the start.
4. Foster a High-Quality Pipeline of Builders:
Through outreach, Demo Days, and community engagement, we will attract mission-aligned developers and projects to build on Neo.
Deliverables & Roadmap
Got it! Here’s the detailed 8-week roadmap with key milestones, deliverables, and budget allocation totaling $50,000, with 1 FTE dedicated full-time:
Week 1-3: Grants Pipeline Setup & CRM Integration
Budget: $18,000
- Define and document clear stages of the grants pipeline
- Select and configure CRM system tailored for grants management
- Automate key workflow processes and test integrations
- Initial outreach to potential contributors for involvement
- Milestones:
- Grants pipeline framework finalized
- CRM system selected and partially integrated
- Workflow automation tested and functional
- List of potential contributors identified
Week 2-4: Grants Handbook Revision and Publication
Budget: $12,000
- Conduct comprehensive review of existing grants handbook
- Draft updates focusing on streamlined processes and clarity
- Develop FAQ and onboarding guidelines for grantees
- Publish finalized handbook online and share with stakeholders
- Milestones:
- First draft completed by end of week 3
- Finalized and published handbook by end of week 4
Week 4-6: Website Design and Launch for Grants Program
Budget: $10,000
- Create wireframes and design website aligned with ecosystem branding
- Develop core pages: About, Grants Pipeline, Handbook, FAQ, Contact
- Launch website and collect initial user feedback for improvements
- Milestones:
- Website wireframes and design approved by week 4
- Core pages developed by week 5
- Website live and publicly accessible by week 6
Week 7-8: Contributor Onboarding and Demo Day Preparation
Budget: $10,000
- Onboard and train contributors on grants management tools and workflows
- Finalize contributor agreements and support materials
- Plan and execute Demo Day event to showcase funded projects
- Gather feedback and conduct post-event review
- Milestones:
- Contributors fully onboarded and trained by week 7
- Demo Day event successfully organized and held by week 8
- Post-event review and stakeholder report completed
Summary:
- Total Duration: 8 weeks (2 months)
- Full-Time Equivalent: 5 FTE
- Total Budget: $50,000
If you want, I can also help draft a timeline chart or a Gantt view for this plan — just let me know!
Deliverables Verifiability
- # of Projects Onboarded: Total number of teams/projects successfully funded or supported.
- % of Projects that Launch: Projects that go live on testnet or mainnet within 3 months of funding.
- % Open Source Contributions: Share of grantee projects that publish open-source code repos.
- User Growth (MAUs/DAUs): Growth in unique active wallets or users tied to funded projects.
- TVL Growth: Increase in total value locked (TVL) across Neo ecosystem due to funded protocols.
🔹 Operational Efficiency KPIs
- Average Grant Processing Time: Time from application to fund disbursement.
- Grantee Milestone Completion Rate: % of funded projects that meet agreed deliverables on time.
- Post-Grant Engagement Rate: % of grantees that continue engaging with Neo (e.g., integrations, contributions).
- Internal SLA Compliance: % adherence to internal turnaround timelines (e.g., reviews within 7 days).
🔹 Quality & Impact KPIs
- % of Projects Accepted to Accelerators/VCs: Number of funded teams that receive follow-on investment.
- Developer Retention: # of developers who stay active in the ecosystem beyond the grant.
- Ecosystem Contribution Score: Number of integrations, protocol improvements, or educational resources contributed by grantees.
🔹 Community & Brand KPIs
- Demo Day Attendance: Number of attendees at demo or pitch days hosted quarterly.
- Contributor Applications: Growth in contributors helping with reviews, technical support, etc.
- Grant Portal Traffic: Web traffic and form submissions to the grant/contributor platform.
Budget PlanWe are requesting a total budget of $50,000 over a 2-month period to execute the first phase of this initiative. This amount is designed to ensure a lean yet high-impact rollout that covers both strategic execution and operational groundwork.
Why This Budget is a Good Fit
- Proven Efficiency: Our team has previously managed similar programs on budgets as low as $30–50K, delivering 90%+ project success rates and accelerating ecosystem growth in NEAR
- High ROI: The proposal is designed to save time and internal resources for the foundation by outsourcing grant operations to a specialized, experienced team—freeing core contributors to focus on protocol development, partnerships, and compliance.
- Immediate Value: Within just two months, we will set up and automate a functioning grants pipeline, revamp core materials (handbook, CRM, onboarding), launch a rebranded contributor portal, and organize a Demo Day—all measurable, tangible deliverables.
How the Budget Will Be Used
- Operations & Execution ($20,000): Setting up the grants CRM, pipeline automation, building operational workflows, milestone tracking systems, and contributor onboarding.
- Grants Handbook + Process Design ($6,000): Reviewing, revising, and publishing a user-friendly handbook that clarifies requirements and milestones.
- Website & Branding Revamp ($8,000): Wireframes, contributor portal redesign, UI/UX improvements, content strategy, and implementation.
- Demo Day Planning & Execution ($10,000): Event logistics, builder recruitment, promotion, presentation coordination, and post-event reporting.
- Data, Analytics & Reporting Tools ($6,000): KPI dashboards, grantee tracking, and tools to measure ROI and ecosystem growth metrics.
About You / Your Organization
- Individual/Entity Name:
Edson Kipkirui - Website:
https://gamma.app/docs/BEYOND-GRANTS-VENTURES-ofvalhq9ybdwshg
Short-Bio
Few sentences about you or about your organization.
Portfolio of Projects / Past Experience
Our team comprises experienced professionals with a strong track record in venture capital, grant program management, and blockchain engineering—particularly across leading ecosystems like NEAR Protocol .Together, we bring a powerful combination of technical expertise, strategic insight, and operational excellence that has consistently delivered measurable impact across ecosystems.
🧭 Edson Kipkirui – Team Lead | Venture Capital & Grants Strategist
- Former lead for grants and investments at NEAR Protocol and NXT Chain across Africa.
- Helped launch 40+ Web3 projects, with 90%+ demonstrating traction post-grant.
- Deep experience in ecosystem design, investment pipelines, and grants infrastructure.
- Former business development lead at major crypto exchanges before pivoting to L1/L2 ecosystems.
- Supported multiple projects that joined top accelerators like Alliance DAO and Outlier Ventures.
- Currently advising blockchain foundations on how to diversify revenue streams beyond token reserves.
⚙️ Kenn Kamau – Technical Grants Evaluator | Senior Blockchain Engineer
- Former technical reviewer for NEAR Protocol’s grants program.
- 7+ years of experience in blockchain and full-stack development.
- Proficient in Solidity, Rust, and protocol-level development.
- Designed automated systems for milestone tracking and grantee progress reporting.
- Conducted audits, code reviews, and led training for early-stage developers.
🛠️ Paul Otieno – Rust & Smart Contracts Lead
- Rust engineer and smart contract specialist for NEAR-based projects.
- Built secure, scalable, and audited smart contracts that transitioned from testnet to mainnet.
- Regularly consulted to optimize grant evaluation workflows and address dApp bottlenecks.
- Focused on building developer-friendly infrastructure to accelerate ecosystem growth.
📊 Gabriel – Business Analyst & Grants CRM Manager
- Led data operations and CRM for the NEAR Africa team.
- Specialized in grantee onboarding, milestone tracking, and performance evaluation.
- Built internal systems that tracked KPIs, measured product traction, and monitored TVL growth.
- Ensures all grant activities are data-driven, scalable, and aligned with ecosystem priorities.
📈 Collective Impact
- ✅ 90%+ of funded projects demonstrated tangible progress or shipped MVPs.
- 🚀 50%+ of projects secured follow-on funding or joined top accelerators.
- 🔗 100% of supported projects launched on testnet or mainnet within the grant timeline.
- 🛡️ Achieved 90%+ reduction in post-funding failures and rug pulls.
- 💸 Successfully optimized grants infrastructure even with budgets as lean as $1M.
Proposal Info 📋
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Proposal Type:
request-for-funding -
Amount Requested:
5000 -
Token:
0xef4073a0f2b305a38ec4050e4d3d28bc40ea63f5(NEO) -
Receiver Address:
NMUMeKST3FYppiuTJRzsbMz8Es9XqjENad(0xb9ec72fbb1f8880b27b1ee1c70c82454fc2e1811) -
Created by: @Edson988 🚀
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Proposal :
https://grantshares.io/app/details/8d347628b85dad9dc55bf2483a640db2 -
Raw Intents: 👀
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