Build, Engage, Launch, and Grow

How the SCF works

The SCF is open to all kinds of submissions, from post-hackathon projects that are just getting started to full-fledged products with real-world users that are looking to scale. It gives builders an opportunity to present projects to the broader Stellar community for feedback; it gives the broader Stellar community an opportunity to weigh in which projects deserve lumen grants.  

There are five phases to each round: preparation, submission, panel selection, community discussion, and community vote.

Preparation

Between SCF rounds, would-be participants have a chance to learn more about Stellar and the vibrant community that supports it.  It's a perfect time to see what other people are up to and to get inspired!
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Dig into stellar.org or the developer docs to see what you can do with Stellar. Check out the projects and partners directory and previous SCF winners to see what others have already done.

Submission

During this phase, visit the current round to request an SCF worksheet and submission form. The worksheet will guide you through the application process and give you tips on the best way to present your project to the Stellar community. Make sure you select a reasonable budget!  Spend some time to make your application shine! This is your chance to wow the judges and win over the community.

Once you're done with the worksheet, copy the answers to the submission form, which is what we'll use to generate project pages for judges and the community to evaluate.  Don't forget to submit that form before the deadline!

Panel Selection

During this phase, a panel of verified community members selects the strongest entries to advance to final discussion and vote. It's critically important for ensuring that the best projects rise to the top and gain valuable feedback and expert advice from a dedicated group of Stellar supporters.

Community Discussion

This phase encourages engagement, participation, and learning. In many ways, it's the most important part of the Stellar Community Fund because it gives participants valuable feedback and allows them to advocate for their proposal and for the growth of the ecosystem overall.  
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Community members should take this time to research and test drive projects, to ask participants questions about their proposals, and to submit suggestions. To join the discussion, leave comments on a given project's page, or look for the project channel on the SCF Discord server. Anyone and everyone can chime in!  The more discussion, the better!

Community Vote

Once the entries are in, the panel has narrowed down the field, and discussion has concluded, all qualified Stellar community members are invited to cast their votes. To vote, visit the current round, go through the projects and approve any you think deserve their requested budget.  Then, rank your top three.  Those rankings are what we'll fall back on to break any ties.
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Once the votes are in, we will order projects from highest number of votes to lowest. We'll start from the top, fully fund the first project with the XLM equivalent of its USD request, then the second, then the third, and so on.  We'll keep going until we run out of XLM, run out of projects to fund, or are unable to fully fund the next project in the vote-sorted list. Any leftover XLM will roll over into the next round of SCF.