TON Grants Program is aimed at providing initial support for ambitious teams to kick off product development or migrate a successful existing product to TON from another blockchain.
Currently, our grant focus is on DeFi projects within TON ecosystem. We’re supporting developers building innovative DeFi solutions like decentralized exchanges, lending protocols, and yield farming platforms. This grant offers funding and resources to accelerate growth and adoption. If your project advances decentralized finance, this is your chance to gain support and make an impact. Click here for more details
Apart from that, we always welcome initiatives that help enhance TON overall infrastructure & facilitate the deployment of and interaction across DApps and Telegram Mini Apps, bring a unique value to the ecosystem and attract users and financial value from outside of TON.
It is important to note that we do not support products that do not have an MVP or fail to show the unique value proposition and are identical to the ones that already exist on TON. Instead, we focus on novel innovative business cases, even if within the same product vertical, but that promise to disrupt the landscape and have a clear marketing strategy to deliver that.
Applicants are thus invited to carefully study TON Ecosystem map as the first obligatory step in the application process.
While TON boasts strong and successful DeFi protocols, DApps and Telegram Mini Apps, there is always space for new innovative solutions in the ecosystem.
- traction on another chain (TVL > $10M / Monthly Trading Volume > $50M - whichever is more relevant to your protocol) and/or deep proven experience in DeFi
- Funding: Up to 520k
- up to $300k in grant support
- up to $200K in user rewards
- up to $20K in Telegram ads
- support with smart contract audits
- potential LP rewards after token launch
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Collateralized Debt Position (CDP) / Synthetic Assets. Teams are welcome to explore innovative mechanisms for over/partial collateralization, soft liquidation, and stability in the form of tools, services, or entire CDP platforms.
References: https://makerdao.com/, https://crvusd.curve.fi/, https://www.liquity.org/, https://youves.com/.
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Yield Farming. This category entails creating innovative farming strategies, boosting liquidity pools, or developing separate tools that automate and optimize yield generation. The use of auto-compounding and multi-asset farming is welcome.
References: https://beefy.com/, https://app-v2.acryptos.com/, https://app.kamino.finance/
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Algorithmic Stablecoins. Teams are invited to explore new stabilization mechanisms, peg maintenance strategies, and governance models to ensure resilience against volatility.
References: https://frax.finance/, https://overnight.fi/
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Concentrated Liquidity Market Maker. Builders can focus on developing advanced market-making algorithms, optimizing liquidity pools, or creating tools that allow users to maximize returns while minimizing capital exposure. Please consider that Uni V3 Implementation wouldn’t work on TON because it is impossible to implement CLMM architecture with Ticks.
References: https://uniswap.org/, https://pancakeswap.finance/, https://traderjoexyz.com/
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New DeFi Primitives on TON. This broad category invites team to explore new financial instruments, decentralized protocols, or smart contract solutions that enhance TON ecosystem's functionality, scalability, and sharding. It is recommended to thoroughly study TON’s architecture and propose something new and unique.
This category focuses on B2C or B2B2C applications within Telegram, aiming to harness the social potential of the platform to onboard Web2 users, achieve virality, and ensure user retention. It includes subcategories such as SocialFi, Utility Apps, Community & Brand Management Tools, E-commerce, and others.
Teams applying to this category are encouraged to experiment with:
- Leveraging existing Telegram features (e.g., channels, boosts, giveaways, gated chats/content, stories, reactions) and enhancing them by integrating Web3 elements.
- Combining the functionality of Telegram with other social platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Twitch, YouTube, etc.
- Introducing new communication methods within Telegram using TON Blockchain.
- Implementing sharing and referral mechanics to drive engagement.
- Focusing on group mechanics (competitions, squads, challenges) to onboard and engage entire communities rather than individual users.
Inspiration from Open League Summer Hackathon finalists:
Examples include: t.me/boosteambot | t.me/overleap_bot | t.me/tontch_bot | t.me/inone_me_bot
Funding: Up to $50K in TON.
This category is dedicated to Web3 games that emphasize easy onboarding, viral social mechanics, referral programs, competitive elements (squads, leaderboards, group challenges), and engaging gameplay. While the primary focus is on games in the form of Telegram Mini Apps, standalone games for PC or mobile are also welcome.
Note: The Grants Program does not support clicker games that merely replicate the functionality of Notcoin or similar apps. It prioritizes games with innovative mechanics and engaging gameplay.
Funding: Up to $50K in TON.
This grant category supports educational initiatives that train developers to build on TON Blockchain. We prioritize courses that are both informative and engaging, using languages like Tact and FunC. Additionally, courses that cover Mini Apps and social mechanics will be considered to help expand developer expertise and application possibilities on TON.
Requirements:
- Initial Research: Applicants must demonstrate a solid understanding of the TON Blockchain and Telegram Mini Apps ecosystem, including its unique features.
- Use of Fundamental Concepts: Educational programs should incorporate core principles of TON Blockchain architecture.
- Detailed Curriculum: Proposals must include a comprehensive curriculum outlining clear learning objectives and modules.
- Go-To-Market Strategy: A clear go-to-market strategy should be presented, with a plan to achieve over 1,000 enrollments.
- SBT for Completion: Course creators will issue Soul-Bound Tokens (SBTs) to users who successfully complete the course, using the provided tools and framework.
Funding: Up to $20K in TON.
This category encompasses a wide range of projects, including open-source technical projects and commercial initiatives that enhance TON infrastructure. This can include solutions that improve deployment, interaction across DApps, and Telegram Mini Apps, as well as projects in other verticals such as infrastructure, trading bots, NFT tooling, AI, etc.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to conduct thorough research on the current TON infrastructural and business landscape before submitting a proposal. Solutions must be technically feasible and offer a unique value proposition that significantly enhances TON ecosystem.
Funding: Up to $20K in TON.
🚫Note: The program does not fund simple integrations of TON into existing solutions (e.g., wallets, portfolio trackers, DEXs, or NFT marketplaces). It prioritizes projects that provide unique value specifically for TON ecosystem.
- It presents a clear description of the problem and your solution to it, and the proposed concept is well-researched and tested by the team. Priority will be given to projects that are able to demonstrate some early user traction (commercial use cases) or at least some technical work conducted (infrastructural cases).
- Your team has proven business experience in the respective field as well as the technical knowledge of relevant languages and technologies. Please note that we prioritise backing established teams with a proven track record of working together, and not solo developers. When describing your team, focus on the relevant achievements and numbers, showcasing the commercial traction that your previous products have.
- There is an early MVP or prototype for the Grant team to assess.
- You effectively explain your user acquisition plan. Applications without a clear go-to-market strategy will NOT be considered.
- The application includes enough details on the functionality of your DApp / tool.
- You break down your project into specific milestones with reasonable timelines and expected outcomes and deliverables for each phase. Note that we do NOT provide grants for research, so please make sure not to include research activities among your milestones.
- A detailed and reasonable budget breakdown is provided. Justify each expense and ensure it aligns with industry standards - otherwise the proposal will be rejected. Please note that the requested budget in your proposal must not exceed $50K (except for the DeFi category).
- You can demonstrate that the project will be maintained after the completion of the grant, be it through additional funding sources or an existing business model.
- You can clearly present how your project stands out among competitors and implements the technology that doesn't exist in the ecosystem yet. Thoroughly think about your unique value proposition for the users of TON and explain how your solution is better than any product that exists either on TON or on other chains (please feel free to mention specific projects). We highlight again that a necessary step before submitting your application is to explore the TON Ecosystem Map. We are happy to support multiple solutions in the same product vertical, but your differentiation must be clear.
For more information please explore How to apply for a TON grant page
Note - We do not provide support for marketing the projects. Funds are deployed to assist development of the project only. Please do not add that to funding request. We however do provide support to market your project in TON Ecosystem along with various other support mechanisms for founders.
Please explore the Founder support doc to understand more
- Grant recipients must sign an agreement and adhere to its provisions.
- Recipients are required to act in good faith and communicate effectively with the Grants team.
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Teams must strictly adhere to the deadlines for each milestone as outlined in their Questbook grant proposal. The entire project must be completed within 6 months of grant approval.
- If a delay is anticipated, teams must notify the Grants team at least 2 weeks in advance, providing a clear justification. Upon approval, deadlines may be adjusted.
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Funds are disbursed upon completion of each milestone. No advance payments are provided.
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Throughout product development, teams developing mini apps must adhere to the Telegram App Standards and Best Practices: Guide for TON teams.
- Upon submission of the final milestone, teams must demonstrate full compliance with these standards.
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The content of milestones may be adjusted based on circumstances, but only with an exhaustive explanation and explicit approval from the Grants team.
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Upon completion of the last milestone, teams must demonstrate:
- Full compliance with the Telegram App Standards and Best Practices: Guide for TON teams (for mini apps);
- Completion of the grant scope as outlined in the original Questbook proposal;
- Ideally, some early product traction, such as first app users (B2C) or client commitments (B2B).
The final payout will not be made until all these conditions are met.
A grant may be cancelled or terminated under the following conditions:
- Failure to Meet Deadlines: If teams fail to meet the deadlines set in the original proposal, without prior notification and approval from the Grants team, the grant may be cancelled.
- Non-compliance with Standards: If the team fails to comply with the Telegram App Standards and Best Practices and refuses to make necessary improvements, the grant may be revoked.
- Changes to Milestones: Teams that change the content of milestones without approval, and refuse to deliver the original scope, risk cancellation of the grant.
- Misuse of Funds: Any evidence of funds being used for unapproved purposes will result in immediate revocation of the grant.
- Lack of Progress: Consistent failure to meet key milestones or show progress without valid reasons may lead to termination. Regular progress reports are essential for assessment.
- Inaccurate Application Information: Providing false or misleading information during the application process or throughout the project will result in grant revocation. Transparency is critical.
- Legal or Ethical Violations: Any legal or ethical breach, including intellectual property violations or other unlawful actions, will result in grant termination.
- Voluntary Withdrawal: If a team discontinues the project, they must notify TON Foundation, and the grant agreement will be terminated.
- Grant cancellation is a last resort. The Grants team typically first recommends improvements and sets a deadline for corrections. If teams fail to cooperate or improve the submitted work, cancellation may be initiated.
- In the event of cancellation, the proposal will be marked as ‘cancelled’ on Questbook, and no further payouts will be made.
Click here to Apply now
Click here to explore the Grant Program site