The Mina Grants Program recognizes and rewards those working on projects and demonstrating behaviors that further the Mina protocol and community.
zkIgnite is Mina’s main grant program that offers funding, mentorship, and access to industry experts for developers looking to build with zero knowledge proofs. zkIgnite is currently in its second Cohort, and while the deadline for Cohort 2 submissions has passed, there are still many teams looking for teammates. Head to the zkIgnite platform to create an account and consider joining an existing team.
Through zkIgnite, grants and guidance are available to support zkApp businesses and key developer tooling that will push the Mina ecosystem forward. zkIgnite is currently in its second Cohort, but you can sign up to be notified when Cohort 3 launches.
500K USDC and 500K MINA
Each cohort has 3 stages – “Propose”, “Funding”, “Build”. Cohort 2 started on June 14, 2023 and will run for approximately 3 months, with future cohorts planned.
During the program, participants will engage in a series of weekly gatherings and challenges, including:
Ideation, Forming Teams, Proposals → Feedback & Budgeting Workshops → Crowdvoting & Funding → Company Setup Workshops & Mentorship → Monthly Check-Ins & Intro to VCs and Impact Funds
Participants can categorize their submissions between two ‘tracks’: 1) zkApp Track: Funding zkApps that bring the next million users onto Mina Protocol; 2) Developer Tooling & Infra Track: Funding ‘start-ups for start-ups’; developer tooling, services & infra that push Mina Protocol & SnarkyJS forward
Funding will be decided and allocated by a team of community ‘electors’, composed of zkApp developers, zkApp end users, and Mina community members.
Create an account on the zkIgnite platform to follow week-by-week program updates and next steps. You are also encouraged to join the zkIgnite channels on the Mina Discord to follow weekly updates, meet other builders, ask program questions, and get technical support while building.
Here are different ways to participate in zkIgnite. In addition, the Mina community is invited to join each cohort to provide feedback to projects throughout the proposal development process, even if you are not associated with a team or an elector or mentor.
zkApp Track - Form teams around zkApp ideas to solve real-world problems
Dev Tooling & Services Track - Create tooling that will make building in the Mina ecosystem easier and more efficient for other developers
Electors - Experienced builders, community members and zkApp users who decide on and allocate the available funding to zkIgnite projects
Mentors - Experienced zkApp devs who offer guidance and support during the ‘Build’ phase of the program.
Anyone can participate in zkIgnite. Whether you’re a developer, founder, designer, marketer, or just someone interested in building infra for zkApp developers, there’s a place for you in the program.
Track is another word for ‘path’ or ‘journey’ within zkIgnite. The zkApp track is for zero-knowledge applications, written using SnarkyJS and deployed on Mina Protocol. User personas will vary, and won’t just be developer-focused. The Dev Tooling track is aimed at funding ‘start-ups for start-ups’. The end users of these applications or services will be developers who are building zkApps and need these primitives to build successfully. If you have any questions about which track your proposal belongs to, please ask the Mina Foundation (MF) community team. Please note the MF community team reserves the right to move proposals to the correct track, and will contact you to discuss if that’s the case for your proposal.
The gatherings during Weeks 1 – 4 will be focused on ideation and proposal writing. We’ll do group ideation sessions, panels, and ‘AMA’ sessions where you’ll have the chance to brainstorm ideas and get immediate feedback from builders and experts.
There is no limit to the number of team members.
Builders will be proposing their own funding tiers and milestones. The recommended funding range is varied depending on the scope of the proposal, but the proposed work should cover a period of 3 months.
Yes. If you have an existing zkApp business, you can participate as long as your proposal details exactly how the funding will be used, and what milestones you plan to hit over a 3-month time period.
Yes, however you will be required to share what progress you have made on your project, and your proposed milestones for Cohort 2 must be a progression from the proposed milestones for Cohort 1. Cohort 1 milestones will be presented on August 2nd, and the final proposal revisions are due on August 16th. If you are submitting for follow-on funding, electors will review your Cohort 1 milestones before allocating further funding. If you are submitting a proposal for a new project, your previously funded project will still be reviewed.
Yes! You will be required to submit a new proposal and go through the process again, but it’s recommended that you link out to your previous cohort’s proposal so previous comments and feedback can be referenced.
A team of electors allocates funding for each track.
For each cohort, after the funding stage, there will be workshops that cover setting up a business, refining a go-to-market strategy, and more. In addition to the gatherings, you’ll be paired with a mentor who will work with you to provide technical guidance, give feedback, and help you prepare for the final ‘milestones’ presentation. Funded projects will be required to present their work at the 3 month mark to a panel of investors in order to receive the final tranche of funding + MINA bonus. There will also be opportunities to connect with potential investors as part of the final pitch.
The criteria for how proposals will be evaluated is listed in the zkApp Track and Dev Tooling & Infra Track descriptions on the zkIgnite platform (please create an account to access).
