NEAR Grants
NEAR
Description
NEAR Protocol Grants support developers building on the NEAR blockchain through multiple funding pathways including ecosystem grants, accelerators, community-led DAOs, and regional hubs. The NEAR Protocol Rewards program offers merit-based developer incentives with up to $10K/month during active development, while the Innovation Sandbox at NEARCON 2026 provides a global platform for showcasing working demos across AI, privacy, intents, and account abstraction.
For ZHC builders, NEAR offers unique advantages including human-readable account names, built-in account abstraction, privacy-first architecture, and native AI integration through Shade Agents. The protocol emphasizes chain abstraction, making multi-chain development seamless, and supports the Blockchain Operating System (B.O.S.) for composable Web3 applications. NEAR's focus on 'Private Web' and user-owned AI aligns with next-generation decentralized applications.
Eligibility
Funding Pathways
NEAR Protocol Rewards
- Launch-stage rewards: Up to $10K/month during program
- Merit-based: Rewards tied to traction and progress
- Mentorship: Founder Success Team support
- Community: Access to builders and ecosystem partners
- Selection: Project potential (60%), technical skills (20%), community (20%)
NEARCON 2026 Innovation Sandbox
- Timeline: Jan 26 - Feb 16, 2026 (virtual sprint)
- Showcase: NEARCON Feb 23-24, 2026 (San Francisco)
- Prize tracks:
- Private Web and Private Life
- AI That Works for You
- Open Society (Finance to Real World)
- Only on NEAR (native capabilities)
- Fully virtual: No travel required to participate or win
Ecosystem Grants
- Proximity Labs - DeFi-focused projects
- NF Grants - B.O.S. builders (coming soon)
- Mintbase - NFT and creator economy projects
Accelerators
- NEAR Horizon - Connecting founders, backers, contributors
- MetaWeb - VC and incubator partnership
- OWC - Web3 accelerator program
Community-led DAOs
- NDC - Decentralized governance on NEAR
- NEAR Dev Hub - Development-focused funding
Regional Hubs
- Balkans, Vietnam, South Korea
- Location-specific support and funding
Technology Focus Areas
- AI integration - Shade Agents, private AI, agentic payments
- Privacy - Privacy-first applications and data protection
- Chain abstraction - Multi-chain user experiences
- Account abstraction - Human-readable accounts, easy onboarding
- B.O.S. - Composable Web3 components
- DeFi - Decentralized finance protocols
- NFTs and creators - Digital ownership platforms
Cohort Focus (Protocol Rewards)
- AI-powered DeFi solutions
- Autonomous agent frameworks
- AI/ML infrastructure on NEAR
- Agentic protocols and coordination
- Distributed AI systems
ZHC-Specific Fit
✅ Excellent for:
- Privacy-first applications and user-owned data
- AI agents and autonomous systems
- Chain-abstracted multi-chain apps
- User-friendly onboarding with account abstraction
- DeFi automation and intelligent protocols
- Cross-chain coordination and intents
- Real-world integration with blockchain
❌ Poor fit if:
- Not building on NEAR or B.O.S.
- No clear differentiation or innovation
- Privacy/AI not core to value proposition
Application Process
Protocol Rewards Application
| Step | Timeline | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Application | Rolling cohorts | Submit via NEAR Protocol Rewards site |
| Evaluation | 2-4 weeks | Project potential, technical skills, community |
| Selection | Cohort-based | Accepted into active cohort |
| Onboarding | Week 1 | Meet mentors, set milestones |
| Building | 3-6 months | Active development with support |
| Rewards | Monthly | Up to $10K/month based on progress |
| Demo Day | End of cohort | Pitch to ecosystem investors and partners |
Innovation Sandbox Timeline (2026)
| Phase | Dates | Activities |
|---|---|---|
| Virtual Sprint | Jan 26 - Feb 16 | Build working prototype independently |
| Submission | Feb 16 | Demo video, repo, documentation, narrative |
| Judging | Feb 16-19 | Virtual evaluation and selection |
| Winners | Feb 19 | Announced at virtual closing ceremony |
| NEARCON | Feb 23-24 | Showcase, workshops, networking (optional) |
Sandbox Judging Criteria
- Working demo - Functional prototype required
- NEAR leverage - Use of native capabilities
- Product clarity - Clear value proposition
- Technical quality - Code quality and architecture
- Future potential - Roadmap and scalability
General Grant Application
- Identify program - Choose best fit from funding pathways
- Check eligibility - Review specific requirements
- Prepare materials - Pitch deck, demo, team info
- Submit application - Via program-specific portal
- Follow up - Engage with community, iterate on feedback