We propose the establishment of an Open Source Developer Grants Program to support individuals and small teams in developing open-source software for the Polkadot ecosystem. This initiative aims to fund up to 15 projects with grants of up to $30,000 each, focusing on those with a proven background in open-source software development. Projects can include proofs of concept, general-purpose libraries, or full-scale dApps that benefit the Polkadot ecosystem.

The primary goal of this bounty is to streamline the grant process for applicants, providing an alternative to the W3F Grants Program and traditional treasury funding. By consolidating the discussion, evaluation, and processing of technical proposals into the hands of curators, we aim to create a more accountable and effective decision-making process. Unlike the W3F Grants Program, which is managed solely by the foundation, this bounty will feature multiple community curators, offering varied perspectives on funding open-source development. The milestone-based payment system ensures continuous feedback, allowing curators and teams to adapt their work to meet community expectations.

Proposed Curator Set

1. Diogo Mendonca from Ditavia
2. Tommi Enenkel from Alice und Bob
3. Otar Shakarishvili from JUST Open Source
4. Luca von Wyttenbach from Polimec
5. Sebastian Müller from Web3 Foundation

For more details on the proposal and to participate in the discussion, please refer to the full proposal here.