Introducing Stellar Community Fund v6.0

The Stellar Community Fund enters its sixth iteration with a renewed focus on strategic ecosystem growth. Leveraging Stellar's new smart contract capabilities, SCF now offers streamlined support for projects from ideation to launch and beyond. This version emphasizes rapid iteration and funding for qualified projects, prioritizing viable solutions with potential for real-world impact. SCF’s goal is to accelerate the development of sustainable, high-impact projects on the Stellar network.

SCF now incorporates Kickstart, a 5-day bootcamp formerly known as Startup Camp. This program guides new teams from initial idea to actionable Proof of Concept. Participants can win a Kickstart Award of up to $15K in XLM to further develop their projects.

• Kickstart Cohort #7 is scheduled for September 30 through October 4! Apply before September 15 to be considered.

The SCF Build Award merges the previous Activation and Community Award structure into a single streamlined process. Eligible projects meeting this award’s validation requirements can apply for up to $150K in XLM, disbursed across tranches to support project launch in the Stellar ecosystem.

• The upcoming award round for the SCF Build Award is SCF #30! Apply before September 18.

Recognizing the need for user traction, SCF will increasingly launch and improve initiatives that support the growth and scaling phases of projects. Starting this fall, strategic connections with accelerator programs such as DraperU aim to support the growth of projects after launch, and a dedicated Stellar LaunchKit is underway to prepare those looking to successfully launch their projects with direct connections and support for audits, infrastructure, marketing, and investments.

• DraperU invites promising startups building on Stellar to participate in its Embark Accelerator, offering US$50K guaranteed investment to startups that complete the Accelerator program! Apply before September 20 to be considered.

To improve efficiency and efficacy while maintaining decentralization, SCF 6.0 will feature Delegate Panels for specific project categories of the SCF Build Award. Each quarter, the top 6 delegates of a given category (as decided by Quorum Delegation) become part of that category’s Delegate Panel. These Panels, consisting of subject matter experts, will provide targeted input for submission criteria and guidelines, as well as provide extensive feedback to projects.

• Nominations for Q4 Category Delegate Panels are open! If you’re an SCF Pilot or Navigator, nominate yourself in #verified-panel in the Stellar Dev Discord to become next quarter’s delegate by September 11.

SCF 6.0 will roll out in phases, starting with immediate enhancements and introducing additional growth and funding avenues, such as SCF Kickstart, SCF Build Award, and our collaboration with DraperU’s Embark Accelerator. Following initial launch, additional components and programs will be introduced in the coming months.

• September 4, 2024: Official launch of SCF 6.0, along with the opening of submissions for SCF #30.
• Mid October, 2024: Releasing SCF 6.1, which will include collaborations with additional new accelerators and features to support growth and connection between developers and companies in the Stellar ecosystem.
• Mid November, 2024: Releasing SCF 6.2, which will include the initiation of new pilots as part of SCF’s Growth track.
• Mid/End January, 2024: Releasing SCF 6.3, which will include the implementation of such pilot programs into the SCF Growth Track.