How to Apply
Whether you're working on a specific project, or you're still exploring possibilities, you can connect with our team for guidance.
Office Hours
Office Hours are a chance to connect directly with a member of the EF's Ecosystem Support team for support other than funding, including support with the process of submitting a grant application.
Office Hours might be a good fit if you:
- Need non-financial support such as guidance or help identifying resources.
- Are considering applying for a grant and have questions or want to get feedback before submitting.
- Aren't sure whether your project fits within our scope and want to find out what kind of support might be available to you.
An office hours session is not an application for a grant or other formal support, or a chance to pitch your project. The purpose of these sessions is for us to provide answers or guidance so you can take your next steps with greater confidence - so focus on letting us know what you need, and giving us whatever context will help us understand your goals and challenges.
Process
Request
Submit the form on the next page to request an office hours appointment. We may contact you for clarification if your request appears to be out of scope.
Schedule
If it seems like a fit, we'll get in touch to set up a time, then send you a calendar invite with a call link.
Prepare
The more specific you are about what you need, the better we'll be able to help you! Read through the section below to make sure you understand what we can and can't do in these sessions.
Meet
You'll have an informal 20-minute video call with a member of the ESP team.
Eligibility
Our criteria for office hours are a bit more flexible than our requirements for grant funding. However, the projects we engage with during office hours should still fit within our general scope, and be beneficial to Ethereum in a way that aligns with the EF's mission and philosophy.
We are happy to hear from all kinds of contributors:
- Individuals, teams or organizations.
- Established projects, newcomers to Ethereum, past grantees or applicants.
- Projects at any point in the development process: just an idea, early stages, proof of concept, or with significant progress already made.
- Builders of any age, origin, identity or background.
What we offer
Office hours sessions are short informal calls with a member of the ESP team. Some common call topics include:
Guidance on submitting a grant application
If you're thinking about submitting a grant application, but feeling uncertain - whether about your eligibility, our evaluation criteria or anything else - reach out to us before submitting! The application process takes time (yours and ours) and we would rather get your questions answered before you start so the process goes as smoothly as possible.
Project feedback or guidance
Whether you have a long-term goal of applying for a grant or just want to maximize your impact, we may be able to offer guidance such as idea validation, help thinking through a roadmap, or suggestions for how to refine your approach.
Help navigating the Ethereum ecosystem
We like to think we know the Ethereum ecosystem pretty well. If you're feeling lost, we may be able to help point you in the right direction by identifying resources you might not be aware of, other projects tackling similar problems, communities and events to consider participating in, or even other potential sources of funding.
What we DON'T offer
- Financial or legal advice.
- Advice on creating, structuring, launching, selling, or doing pretty much anything else with a token.
- Help with transactions, wallets or exchanges.
Before submitting
Please check out these resources for answers to common inquiries:
- For information about Ethereum including staking, wallet and transaction basics, and developer resources: click here.
- If you're hiring or looking for employment: click here.
- If you're interested in working at the Ethereum Foundation: click here.
- If you're interested in connecting with others with similar interests or in your local area, check out this page for Meetup groups, upcoming events, and online communities!
- If you're exploring possible sources of funding: click here.
