NumFOCUS Small Development Grants
By NumFOCUS
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Quick Answer
Microgrants of up to US$10,000 (about ₹9.5 lakh) per proposal for work on NumFOCUS-sponsored and affiliated open source scientific computing projects. The 2025 rounds are closed.
Results & next round
Applications for this round closed on 17 October 2025. The organiser has not published a selection list that we can verify yet.
Selections for this programme are announced by NumFOCUS. Official links are listed under Sources below.
We update this page when results are published, and when the next round opens.
About this grant
This round is closed. The latest round shown on the official page, 2025 Round 2, closed for proposals on 17 October 2025, and the page does not announce a date for the next call. NumFOCUS says projects are told about open calls through its internal project mailing lists, so the practical way to catch the next one is to be on those lists through your project.
NumFOCUS Small Development Grants are microgrants of up to US$10,000 (about ₹9.5 lakh) per proposal, run by NumFOCUS for the open source scientific computing projects it sponsors or is affiliated with. This is not a startup grant: it funds community and developer work on an open source project, and only that project can apply. Use this page as a guide to preparing a proposal for the next cycle.
What the program offers
Each proposal can receive up to US$10,000 (about ₹9.5 lakh). The money is meant for work that a project could not otherwise afford, such as improving usability, growing its community or speeding up a major release. The official page lists what funds can pay for: code development, documentation, website updates, workshops and sprints, educational, sustainability and diversity initiatives, other work that directly benefits the project or its community, and travel for community members and developers to project events and conferences.
The work must be achievable within one year. Funds are paid out after applicants are notified, following NumFOCUS financial procedures. For fiscally sponsored projects, NumFOCUS deposits the money in the project's account and expenses are then paid by invoice through the usual channels, such as Open Collective. Anyone invoicing more than US$600 for work on any project signs an independent contractor agreement with NumFOCUS first. NumFOCUS can also pay some grant-related costs directly, such as flights or per diems for workshop attendees, and may give funds to a student or postdoc as a grant or subcontract, depending on the university's rules.
Who can apply
Any NumFOCUS fiscally sponsored or affiliated project can submit one proposal per grant cycle, and a project can receive at most two grants in a calendar year. Proposers may live in any country, and the work may be done at any university, institution or company worldwide, within US export laws and sanctions.
For someone in India this means you can take part as a contributor, as long as the project you work on is a NumFOCUS sponsored or affiliated project and its leaders choose to submit your proposal. An individual developer, a company or a startup that is not part of such a project cannot apply on its own. If several people in a community want funding, the project runs its own review to pick the single proposal it puts forward.
How to apply
Proposals are submitted through the Small Development Grants proposal repository on GitHub when a round is open. A proposal should state clear, concise objectives and deliverables, with timelines where possible, explain the impact on the project and on the wider scientific computing community, and include a detailed budget justification covering contractor hourly rates and hours, equipment or supplies, services and travel. Length guidance is given in the application form. Applicants are told the result at the email address on the application.
How applications are judged and what happens next
A volunteer Small Development Grants Committee, appointed by the NumFOCUS Board, ranks proposals from most to least impactful and tries to award the full funding for the round. The page says it prefers projects that were not funded in earlier rounds, proposals that benefit the scientific computing community as a whole, and resubmissions of proposals that were not funded or only partly funded. For 2025 Round 2 the page gave these dates: call announced 19 September, submissions due 17 October, committee selection by 31 October and notification on 21 November. Recipients file a report on the work, deliverables and outcomes no later than three months after the one-year grant period. The page also describes off-cycle grants for time-sensitive proposals from projects that have not reached their yearly maximum.
About NumFOCUS
NumFOCUS supports open source scientific computing and lists an office in Austin, Texas. Its fiscal sponsorship program lets projects receive and spend money through NumFOCUS, and it also runs the PyData program. The Board of Directors sets the grant funding each year. Past grants listed on the official page go back to 2017 and include well-known scientific Python projects.
Things to check before you apply
- Confirm your project is a NumFOCUS sponsored or affiliated project before you spend time on a proposal.
- Talk to your project's leaders early, because only one proposal per project goes forward each round.
- A practical tip: write the budget line by line, with hours and rates, since the page asks for a detailed justification.
- Plan for the report due after the grant year.
- Payments flow through NumFOCUS and your project's account, so check the project's own process for requesting funds.
Eligibility
See if you're eligible
Full eligibility criteria — entity type, stage, sector, founder profile and registration requirements — plus your fit for this program. Sign up to view.
Grant providers
Benefits & Funding
- Fund type
- Grant
What You Get
Each funded proposal can receive up to US$10,000 (about ₹9.5 lakh). For fiscally sponsored projects, NumFOCUS deposits the money into the project's account and contributors invoice against it; anyone invoicing more than US$600 signs an independent contractor agreement with NumFOCUS. NumFOCUS can also pay expenses such as flights and per diems directly. A report on the work is due within three months after the one-year grant period.
- Bootstrap friendly
- Yes
Timelines & Process
Selection Process
A volunteer Small Development Grants Committee ranks proposals from most to least impactful and tries to award the full funding for each round. Preference goes to projects not funded before, to proposals that benefit the wider scientific computing community, and to resubmissions of proposals that were not or only partly funded. Applicants are notified of acceptance or rejection by email.
Application Process
- 1
Pick a proposal
The project chooses one proposal to submit for the round.
You - 2
- 3
- 4
How to apply
Four steps from draft to disbursement — one action each.
- 1
Draft your application
Answer the form inside the grant tracker — AI drafts each response using your past answers, so you're not starting from a blank page.
- 2
Submit on the official portal
Use the official application link and verify all details before final submission.
- 3
Follow up
Reach out 5–7 days after submitting to confirm receipt and ask about the review timeline.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can apply for the NumFOCUS Small Development Grants?
Any NumFOCUS fiscally sponsored or affiliated project can submit one proposal per grant cycle. Proposers may live in any country, subject to US export laws and sanctions. Individuals or companies outside such a project cannot apply on their own.
Can Indian developers or startups apply for NumFOCUS Small Development Grants?
Yes, if the work is for a NumFOCUS sponsored or affiliated project and that project's leaders put your proposal forward. The page places no limit on where the proposer lives. A startup that is not part of such a project is not eligible.
How much is the NumFOCUS Small Development Grant?
Up to US$10,000 (about ₹9.5 lakh) per proposal. A project can receive at most two grants in a calendar year.
Is it a grant or equity?
It is a grant for project work, not equity. The official page describes it as a microgrant program for sponsored and affiliated projects and does not mention any ownership stake.
When is the next round of NumFOCUS Small Development Grants?
The page does not announce one. The latest round shown, 2025 Round 2, closed on 17 October 2025. Calls are sent to projects through NumFOCUS internal project mailing lists.
How is the grant money paid?
After applicants are notified, NumFOCUS deposits funds for fiscally sponsored projects into the project's account, and expenses are paid by invoice through normal channels such as Open Collective. NumFOCUS can also pay some expenses, such as flights, directly. Anyone invoicing more than US$600 signs a contractor agreement with NumFOCUS first.
What can the money be spent on?
Code development, documentation, website updates, workshops and sprints, educational, sustainability and diversity initiatives, other work that benefits the project, and travel for community members and developers to project events and conferences.
What does a proposal need to include?
Clear objectives and deliverables with timelines, an explanation of the impact on the project and the scientific computing community, and a detailed budget justification covering rates, hours, equipment, services and travel. Proposals are submitted through a GitHub repository.
Is there a fee to apply, and do I have to travel?
The page mentions no application fee and no required travel. Travel is only an allowed use of the funds, for contributors going to project events.
When are results announced?
For 2025 Round 2 the page listed selection by 31 October and notification on 21 November. Future dates are not published yet.
Sources
Data on this page is compiled from official program and provider references.
