Neo Foundation has introduced three new grant programs to attract experienced developers and researchers. The new initiatives target the areas of research, tooling, and core development, adding to a total of six support tracks backed by a combined US $200M treasury.

The Eco Support initiative was established as a commitment to developers who contribute to the Neo blockchain and ecosystem. Until now, three Eco Support channels have been available: the EcoBoost, EcoFund, and Early Adoption programs.

EcoFund is a standard investment fund, intended to generate sustainable returns for the Neo ecosystem by acquiring private equity. The EcoBoost program is an incubation scheme designed for small to mid-sized teams that connects budding projects with a broad partner network. Projects may receive assistance with outreach and publicity in media organizations and dApp directories, token listings and liquidity on exchanges, connection with security firms, etc.

Over the last few months, the Early Adoption Program has been the most prominent initiative. Intended to jump start the pioneer projects during the initial launch months of Neo N3, the program has seen the launch of numerous dApps, including GhostMarket, Humswap, and ToTheMoon.

New initiatives

General Grants are aimed at development teams who help build tools and generalized infrastructure, such as SDKs, node implementations, or Layer 2 protocols. Funding typically ranges from US $5,000 to $50,000, and selected teams can receive further project funding, guidance from core developers, and access to other community events such as the Neo Community Assembly.

The new Core Developer grants program is for outstanding contributors to core Neo repositories. Core developers carry much influence over the project’s technical architecture, project management, and roadmap design. These contributors receive a one-year fellowship with monthly stipend plus quarterly grants based on contributions to select repositories.

For research-oriented individuals and teams, the Research Grants program has been established to sponsor applied research in the blockchain industry. Standard grant funding ranges from US $10,000 to $100,000, covering a broad spectrum of topics.

In particular, Neo Foundation looks preferably towards research with promising real-world applicability to the Neo ecosystem. Provided examples include cryptography, economic model optimization, interoperability solutions, and catalysts for large-scale enterprise adoption.

Interested parties are recommended to explore the neo.org/eco page to find the most appropriate support track. In the short-term, Neo Foundation has also noted that priority will be given to project submissions centered on applications for the built-in oracle, NeoFS, and NeoID.

The full article can be found at the following link:
https://neo-blockchain.medium.com/f196fd2d9f01

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