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.
ESP Grants and Support Overview
Mission and Scope
As the public facing allocation arm of the Ethereum Foundation, ESP provides funding and other forms of support to eligible projects working to improve Ethereum. We focus on work that strengthens Ethereum's foundations and enables future builders, such as open source tooling, building blocks and libraries, research, community building, educational resources, open standards, infrastructure and protocol improvements.
ESP support is generally directed toward enabling builders rather than end-users: strengthening Ethereum's infrastructure, expanding the range of tools available to those building on Ethereum, gaining a deeper understanding of cryptographic primitives, and growing the builder ecosystem through education and community development. We're open to supporting work from people and teams of all kinds.
Software and protocol developers
Researchers
Academics
Community organizers
Designers
Other grant programs and public goods funding platforms
We don't often fund dapps or front-end platforms, although this is not a hard rule and there are exceptions - for example, where an application serves as a research or educational tool, or a reference implementation of a new standard.
How we support
Grants are direct funding, awarded following a formal application, evaluation, and input from technical advisors. Grants are not donations or equity investments. We give grants to support recipients in building things that are vital to Ethereum's success, without the need to commercialize their work, so that these resources remain free and open to all. ESP grants are separated into two categories, small grants and project grants, each with a different process and criteria.
ESP also provides non-financial support. The Ethereum Foundation has many valuable resources in addition to funding: visibility; access to a massive collective knowledge base; a creative and dedicated team; connections to leading developers, researchers and community members. Our goal is to deploy these resources as impactfully as we can. If funding isn't what's needed, builders can also book an office hours session for non-financial support such as project feedback or help navigating the Ethereum ecosystem.
Application types
There are several ways to request support from ESP. Choose an application type to see which one might be a fit for you and learn more about the process.
Before submitting, please take time to understand the criteria and expectations for each type of application, as well as ESP's mission and scope in order to make sure you provide the appropriate information and context for us to make an informed decision on how to proceed with your application.
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.
Small Grants
Small grants, capped at $30,000, have a streamlined application and evaluation process to deliver a decision around two weeks after submission.
Project Grants
Project grants have no specific funding cap, and undergo a more intensive process of review and potentially rescoping. Timelines vary widely depending on scope and complexity.
