Frequently Asked Questions

Overview

The Nest program exists to help teams innovate with governance at the speed of software and build unstoppable organizations.

We do this in 3 ways:

Ideation: we will help you validate and refine your ideas. This includes feedback on initial proposals as well as help understanding the Aragon stack so that you can realize your dreams on the platform.
Funding: we will provide you with capital to develop your ideas. For software projects, this be delivered in 3 phases: ⅓ up front to start work, ⅓ upon the delivery of a successful prototype, ⅓ upon shipment of a production ready product to mainnet. If you are working on a non-software related project, we will tailor the funding milestones to your specific case.
Operational Support: Shipping a product is hard. Whether you're looking to make a new hire, successfully pass a security audit or market your product, we'll do our best to point you in the right direction. Whenever possible, we think you should learn from folks who have been there before and the Aragon forum is a great place to start. You can candidly ask about worries and problems, ask questions and help others with their learnings. Our incentive and remuneration model ensures that Nest teams have the weight and experience of the Aragon network behind them.

We are dedicated to helping humanity organize, coordinate, and collaborate at scale. Join us in fighting for freedom. Let’s buidl the future together.

Eligibility

Is my project eligible?

We are interested in supporting teams who want to build developer tooling, Aragon applications, and Aragon ecosystem services that enable the network to expand and flourish. Check the Requests For Proposals for more information.

Do you fund for-profit initiatives?

Absolutely and these are generally our preferred types of projects to fund. A project that has a clear path to profitabilty is more sustainable long-term and will be less likely to require repeat funding from Nest. Overall what matters is that projects deliver value to Aragon and ANT token holders. Software projects must also be completely open source which can be challenging to monetise but there are numerous effective ways to do it. If you feel that your project qualifies, please apply.

Do you fund non-profit initiatives?

Yes. We recognise that some projects are critical to the Aragon ecosystem despite not having a clear way to monetise. Such projects are however often viewed as higher risk due to the greater challenges of sustaining the project when grant funds have been depleted.

I don't have a team yet. Can I still apply as a single founder?

While we prefer to fund teams, overall what matters is that projects deliver value to Aragon and ANT token holders. We want to encourage all individuals with brilliant ideas to apply for Nest. The fact that you don't have a team yet shouldn't stop you. If you feel that your project qualifies, please apply. If you're looking to find people to join your idea, introduce your idea in the Aragon Forum.

Do you provide grants to non-technical projects?

Absolutely. Whilst most of the grants we make are technical in nature, we are equally excited to support non-technical projects that meet our grant requirements. If the project you are requesting funds for is technical however, then we would be unlikely to fund it without the relevant core technical competency within the Nest team.

When is the right time to approach Aragon for a Nest grant?

We encourage projects and teams of all sizes and stages to apply for Nest. This can include prototypes that are pre-launch to fully established organisations and projects that want to integrate with Aragon.

Our team has multiple ideas. Can we submit all of them?

Yes, but you need to submit each idea individually so that it can be assessed on it's individual merit.

Would you fund multiple projects working on the same idea?

Generally not. Although there may be a limited number of edge cases where the gravity of the problems the projects are intending to solve are so important for the Aragon ecosystem that we deem it necessary to fund competing ideas and projects. We recommened that you take a look at the Nest portfolio to check if there are any overlaps.

My project is not a typical Nest grant. It has to do with providing goods or services to the Aragon ecosystem. Can I still apply?

We are looking for projects that deliver value to Aragon and ANT token holders. If you feel that your project qualifies, please apply. If you have a project that does not fit into the framework provided, perhaps a service based proposal, we will work with you to create a custom funding roadmap.

Do you fund research?

No. But the Aragon Community Fund DAO (CFDAO) does.

My project will be used across other platforms in addition to Aragon. Can I still apply?

We are looking for projects that deliver value to Aragon and ANT token holders. If you feel that your project qualifies, please apply.

Logistics

How do I submit a Nest grant application

Applying for a Nest grant is as simple as opening a new Issue in this repo.

What if I’m working on something that has already applied to or been funded by the Nest program?

If there is an existing proposal for a grant or funded project that is close to your idea, join in the discussion of that proposal to see if your proposal could be integrated into the existing one. If not, feel free to create a new proposal.

How much are the Nest Grants?

The minimum grant size is USD 5,000 and the maximum grant size is 150,000. In addition, grantees are able to apply for a success bonus of up to 50,000 ANT. The average size of an Aragon Nest grant is USD [insert] and [insert] ANT. If the amount of funding you are looking for is under USD 5,000, your project may be better suited to the Aragon Community Fund DAO (CFDAO).

Does Nest work in batches/recurring programs like Accelerators?

No. Nest accepts and funds applications on an ongoing basis all year round. There are no deadlines you need to meet to apply so just apply when you are ready.

My idea is expensive to build and the Nest grant won't be sufficient.

In this case, you can still get funding from Nest and we will work with you to instead build a great proof of concept instead of a launched product. We can also often help secure funding in other ways such as through multiple Nest grants and/or Aragon Fundraising.

Can we apply more than once?

Absolutely. If you already applied but the application was rejected, we strongly encourage you to apply again if you think your project has evolved materially since you last applied. Taking onboard community feedback and adapting your project and application accordingly is a strong signal.

Timing

How long until I get feedback on my application?

We aim for a Nest team member to respond with questions, comments, and suggestions within 72 hours of your submission.

How long does the entire grant process to take.

The process from application to approval takes about 1 month.

Terms

What does Aragon get for supporting projects via the Nest program? Does it get tokens/equity from the grantees?

In the case of non-profit projects, we ask for nothing in return from the grantees outside of delivering the promised solution. If the project is for-profit or at any point turns into a for-profit from a non-profit initiative, the Aragon grant will be converted into tokens equity should a corporate structure be incorporated.

Are Nest grants paid up front in a lump sum or distributed over milestones?

1/3 of your grant will be delivered when your grant is approved
1/3 of your grant will be delivered when you ship a prototype
1/3 of your grant will be delivered when you ship a production ready product

If your project is non-technical in nature, we will amend the funding milestones to suit your project.

Do you require us to make monthly updates?

Yes. In order to best support projects we require relevant information concerning the ongoing status of your project. Your Nest lead will work with you to put together this information each month. It's designed to be non-burdensome, comprised of information that you should be tracking any way. Your Nest lead will publish this information on the Nest blog at the end of each month to create transparency with the Aragon community.

Are there any other requirements to recieve funding besides just building our project?

You will need to sign a legal agreement with the Aragon Association, use an Aragon DAO to transparently manage your funds, create a Keybase chat for your project, create a logo for your project (we can help with this), and create documentation for your project (we have templates for this), and (if your project handles private keys or has solidity code) get a security audit for your project (we will help you with this).

How will the funds be released to the grantees?

All payments will be made in cryptocurrencies. The grants will be paid in DAI and released in portions according to the agreed roadmap (and deliverables) that the team has submitted in their proposal. A possible reward depending on total project completion will be given in ANT to reward value created for the Aragon Network and to enable the participation in the governance of the project.

Do you have standard legal documents that you use between Aragon Association and the Nest team?

Yes, you will receive a standardised grantee agreement that you will be expected to sign. You can click here to view a template of this legal agreement.

Do I need a legal entity to receive the Nest grant?

Yes, Aragon Asssociation can only make grants to legally recognisied entities, according to the accounting and tax regulations of Switzerland. If using a DAO, this DAO will therefore require a legal wrapper such as an LLC.

Post-funding

What if I can’t finish the project as expected?

If you are blocked please reach out to your NestDAO lead to explain the situation and get help.

I'm not happy with the support I am getting from Aragon.