# How to find Web3 grants that fit your project

> How to find Web3 grants that are still open: where programs announce funding, how to filter 99 verified programs, and six checks that spot a dead one.

Last reviewed 2026-10-31. Dates are UTC.

How to find Web3 grants that fit, in short: start from your chain and the kind of work you do, shortlist programs from foundation sites, governance forums and a verified directory, then confirm each one is still active. Look for a working application link, recent awards and recent replies. Lists go stale fast: of 222 programs we checked in October 2026, 123 didn't make our directory.

## Key takeaways

- web3grant checked 222 candidate programs between October 1 and 29, 2026. 99 are in the directory and 123 are not, including 26 discontinued and 23 paused.
- Programs announce funding on their own channels: grant pages, governance forums, RFP and wishlist pages, and GitHub. Only those channels are reliable for dates.
- As of October 31, 2026, 80 of the 99 programs in the directory are always open, so most of your search is about fit rather than deadlines.
- Six checks show whether a program is alive: a working application link, recent awards, replies to new proposals, current dates, money left and no wind-down notice.
- Third-party lists, including GitHub "awesome" lists, are leads to verify, not sources.

## Where are Web3 grants announced?

Web3 grants are announced on each program's own channels: its grants page, its governance forum, its RFP or wishlist page, its GitHub repository, and sometimes at hackathons. Each channel tells you something different, so check more than one.

### Grant pages on foundation and project sites

Most programs have a grants page with eligibility rules and an application form, and that page is the source for what the program funds. Pages can outlive programs, though. Chainlink's grants page has returned a 404 since mid-2025, and TON's grants page returned a 404 after the TON Foundation paused applications in May 2026.

### Governance forums

DAO-run programs post their calls, proposals and results on forums, so the forum shows whether money is moving. Rocket Pool's Grants Management Committee opens a call thread each month, CoW DAO and Conflux take applications in forum categories, and Zcash Community Grants require every application to be posted on the Zcash Community Forum. Read the last few weeks of a category before you apply.

### RFP and wishlist pages

Some programs fund only what they ask for. The Ethereum Foundation's Ecosystem Support Program (ESP) accepts applications only against its [Wishlist and RFP items](https://esp.ethereum.foundation/applicants/wishlist), and as of October 2026 none are open. The Solana Foundation, the Canton Development Fund, DoubleZero and the Walrus Foundation also publish RFPs, and BNB Chain keeps a grant wishlist on GitHub, though its last winner announcement is from 2023.

### GitHub and GitLab

Some programs take applications in public repositories, which makes their activity easy to check. Filecoin Open Grants take GitHub issues (though no proposal filed since April 2026 has had a reply), the Canton Development Fund takes pull requests, and the Monero CCS takes merge requests on GitLab. A program's own repository is an official source; a third-party list on GitHub is not, as [Web3 grants GitHub lists](https://www.web3grant.com/guides/web3-grants-github-lists) explains.

### Hackathons and builder programs

Several programs favor builders they have already met. Starknet Seed Grants look for teams active in the Starknet community or a past Starknet hackathon, TRON Builders League counts prior HackaTRON work, and 1inch's Aqua incubator welcomes hackathon teams with a proof of concept.

## How do you search web3grant's directory?

The [Web3 grant directory](https://www.web3grant.com/grants) lists 99 programs, each checked against its own site, forum or docs in October 2026, and lets you filter them by chain, category and status.

- **Ecosystem and category menus** narrow the list to your chain and field.
- **Status filters:** "Open now", "Closing soon", "Opens soon" and "Always open".
- **Sorting** by grant size, time left or name.
- **Program pages** show eligibility, the application process, funding, the date we last checked the program and the sources we used.

Landing pages group programs by chain and field, such as [Bitcoin grants](https://www.web3grant.com/ecosystems/bitcoin) (13 programs) and [public goods grants](https://www.web3grant.com/categories/public-goods) (32 programs). The [Web3 grant deadline calendar](https://www.web3grant.com/deadlines) shows every round that opens or closes in the next four months and can be added to your calendar. [Deadline alerts](https://www.web3grant.com/#alerts) send one email when a round opens and one when it has three days left. If a program is missing, [suggest it](https://www.web3grant.com/submit).

## How do you tell if a grant program is still active?

A grant program is still active when it passes six checks: the application link works, it has made recent awards, reviewers reply to new proposals, its dates are current, it has money left, and it has posted no wind-down notice. Each check below comes with an example from our October 2026 research.

| Check | What a live program shows | Example from our research |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Application link | The form loads and accepts submissions | TON's grants page returned a 404 after its May 2026 pause |
| Recent awards | Grantees announced in recent months | BNB Chain's last winner announcement is from 2023 |
| Replies | Reviewers answer new proposals | Filecoin Open Grants: no replies since April 2026 |
| Current dates | A dated round, or a current page saying "rolling" | Flow's grants page unchanged since August 2025 |
| Money left | Recent spending or a stated budget | Rocket Pool's Round 41 declined every application |
| No wind-down | No sunset, pause or "coming soon" post | Uniswap Foundation is spending down its budget |

If two or more checks fail, ask the program before you write: post in its forum or use the contact on its grants page. Flow's directory entry says the same thing in its notice: ask before you build.

## Why do grant lists go out of date?

Grant lists go out of date because programs open, pause and close faster than anyone edits a list. Of the 222 candidates we checked between October 1 and 29, 2026, the 123 left out of the directory break down like this:

| Finding | Programs |
| --- | --- |
| No way to apply could be found | 48 |
| Discontinued | 26 |
| Paused | 23 |
| Active, but left out (credits, prizes, too little verified information) | 22 |
| Replaced by something else | 2 |
| Closed | 2 |

Many of these still appear on older lists. Aave Grants DAO stopped new grants in August 2024, the Interchain Foundation spun down its funding program in December 2024, the Web3 Foundation discontinued its Grants Program in early 2026, and Optimism's Grants Council was dissolved in July 2026. See [Web3 grant programs closed in 2026](https://www.web3grant.com/guides/web3-grant-programs-closed-2026) for the full record.

Stale lists also make room for fakes. A real program never asks for a fee to process an application; read about [crypto grant scams](https://www.web3grant.com/guides/crypto-grant-scams) before you send anything to an unfamiliar form.

## A search routine you can repeat each quarter

1. Write one line about your project: chain, category, stage and the amount the work needs.
2. Filter the directory by ecosystem and category, then by "Open now" and "Always open".
3. Open five program pages, read eligibility and any notice, and drop the ones you don't fit.
4. Run the six checks on the rest.
5. Read two recently funded proposals for each survivor, on its forum or grantee list.
6. Add round deadlines to your calendar and sign up for alerts.
7. Take the best two or three to [how to choose a Web3 grant program](https://www.web3grant.com/guides/how-to-choose-a-web3-grant-program), then follow [how to apply for Web3 grants](https://www.web3grant.com/guides/how-to-apply-for-web3-grants).

## FAQ

### Where can you find Web3 grants that are open right now?

You can find open Web3 grants in web3grant's directory by filtering for "Open now" and "Always open", then confirming on each program's official site. As of October 31, 2026, 80 of the 99 listed programs are always open and 7 have an open round, including OpenSats until November 30 and the Stellar Community Fund's SCF #46 until November 8, 2026.

### Are there Web3 grants you can apply for at any time?

Yes. Most Web3 grants accept applications at any time. In web3grant's directory of 99 programs, 78 use a rolling model, meaning you can apply whenever you are ready, and 14 run fixed rounds. Rolling programs include Zcash Community Grants, the Solana Foundation's grants and the Canton Development Fund. Always-open status does not guarantee a fast reply, so check recent activity first.

### How often do Web3 grant programs close or change?

Web3 grant programs close or change often. When web3grant checked 222 candidate programs between October 1 and 29, 2026, 26 had been discontinued, 23 were paused and 2 had been replaced. Even listed programs change: several in the directory carry notices about pauses, slow reviews or spending down, so check each program page's verified date before you apply.

### What should you do if a Web3 grant program says it is open but nobody replies?

If a Web3 grant program says it is open but nobody replies, look for evidence of recent awards and forum activity, then ask once in its public channel. Filecoin Open Grants, for example, still lists an open process, but proposals filed since April 2026 have had no reply. If nothing has moved for several months, spend your time on a program that is visibly funding work.

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From web3grant: https://www.web3grant.com/guides/how-to-find-web3-grants. Program details change often: confirm on each program's official site before applying.