This article is part of the RootstockCollective 101 series dedicated to guiding developers and community members through the ecosystem. From getting and staking RIF, to submitting and voting for proposals, you’ll find what you’re looking for in this series.
If you’ve been following the news, then you already know that Asami became the first recipient of a grant through RootstockCollective, setting a precedent for builders to receive the support needed to bring their vision to life.
And with the RootstockCollective Grants Wave 2 kicking off soon, it’s vital for builders to know how they can be part of this journey.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through the step-by-step process of submitting a grant proposal, from preparing your idea and staking RIF to securing community votes.
But first,
Why should you apply for a grant through RootstockCollective?
Submitting a proposal to the RootstockCollective DAO allows you to directly influence and contribute to the future of the Rootstock ecosystem while being rewarded for your efforts.
By participating, you’re not only accessing financial support through the community-led Treasury, but you’re also becoming part of a collective mission to drive innovation on Bitcoin.
Whether you’re building new applications or contributing to ecosystem growth, your proposal helps shape Rootstock’s future and strengthens its long-term vision to bring Bitcoin to the next billion users.
Steps to submitting a proposal
Step 1: Draft your proposal
Before submitting a proposal, ensure your project aligns with the goals of the Rootstock ecosystem and that you’ve clearly outlined your idea.
Your proposal draft should include:
- Description of your company/project
- Mission of your company/project
- Product details
- Team information
- Progress so far in your project
- Roadmap for the future
- Summary
Here’s an example of the proposal submitted by Asami.
Step 2: Submit the proposal off-chain on Discourse
To submit your proposal off-chain, you will need to create an account, log in to the governance forum on Discourse, and post your proposal. Once submitted, you’ll be able to engage with the community, understand their feedback, and potentially modify and refine your proposal before submitting it on-chain.
Step 3: Submit the proposal on-chain
Once your proposal has gone through the Discourse discussion and is ready for formal submission, you’ll need to submit it on-chain through the RootstockCollective dApp.
- Go to https://app.rootstockcollective.xyz/
- If you haven’t already, stake a minimum of 1,000 RIF into stRIF. [See the guide to staking RIF here]
- Go to https://app.rootstockcollective.xyz/proposals and click “Create Proposal”
- Ensure the format of the Proposal Name and Proposal Description aligns to the Discourse posting
- Include all formatting guidance you have been given from the forum discussion with the community experts
- Included the correct URL to your forum post
- Once submitted, this will be on-chain forever and visible in the dApp, you’ll want your proposal to look good and make sense to voters
Once submitted, your proposal will now be available for voting by the community for a specific voting window.
Step 4: Wait for the results
After submission, your proposal will enter a voting window. Here’s what to expect:
- Voting Window: Community members will vote YES, NO, or ABSTAIN. This window will remain open for a fixed period, allowing ample time for participation.
- Quorum Requirement: A minimum level of participation (quorum) must be met for your proposal to pass. You’ll be able to track the participation under “Quorum Votes” in the app.
- Outcome: If the proposal meets quorum and receives enough YES votes, it will pass. If the proposal is rejected, no further action will be taken.
While you wait for the results, you might want to engage with the community by posting about your project and inviting community members to vote for it on your socials.
Step 5: If approved, your grant will be distributed
If your proposal passes the vote, it enters an execution phase:
- Timelock: Passed proposals are queued for a set number of blocks (around 3 days) before they can be executed. This delay serves as a security measure.
- Activation: After the timelock period, anyone can execute the proposal on-chain to trigger the grant funding and move forward with your project.
Once activated, the funds will be disbursed according to the terms outlined in your proposal, and you can continue implementing your project!
Don’t miss your opportunity!
Recommended reading
If you’re just getting started with RootstockCollective, you’ll find these resources helpful: