Stellar Community Fund Build Award
By Stellar Development Foundation
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Quick Answer
Up to US$150,000 (about ₹1.43 crore), paid in XLM in milestone tranches, for teams building a product or protocol on the Stellar blockchain.
- Funding amount
- Varies
- Funding type
- Grant
- Provider
- Stellar Development Foundation
- Application deadline
- Rolling
- Location
- International
About this grant
The Stellar Community Fund (SCF) is the open-application awards program of the Stellar Development Foundation (SDF). It funds Web3 teams building on the Stellar network and its Soroban smart-contract platform.
The main door is the SCF Build Award: up to US$150,000 worth of XLM (about ₹1.43 crore), paid in tranches as you hit milestones. It is meant to cover up to about four months of development until your product launches on Stellar Mainnet.
Build has three tracks:
- Open Track – strong teams with a plan to build something new on Stellar. Projects in this track go to a community vote.
- Integration Track – teams with real traction (on Stellar, another chain, or off-chain) that want to add an existing Stellar building block to their product.
- RFP Track – developers building tooling or services that answer one of SCF's open requests for proposals.
You start by filling a short interest form on communityfund.stellar.org. The form is reviewed on a rolling basis, and if your project fits you are invited to submit a full proposal to a specific round, with the round deadline sent by email. A referral from someone in the Stellar community helps a lot, but it is not mandatory.
The award is valued in US dollars and paid in XLM, Stellar's native token, at the CF Benchmarks XLM–USD settlement price on the day of each payment. XLM's value can move, so the rupee value you receive can differ from the figure approved.
Teams that finish all milestones can apply again, up to a lifetime total of US$150,000 across awards (up to US$300,000 case by case). After Build, traction-stage projects can move on to SCF's Growth-Hack, Public Goods and Liquidity awards.
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
The SCF Build Award pays up to US$150,000 worth of XLM (about ₹1.43 crore) to cover roughly four months of development until launch on Stellar Mainnet. It is paid in tranches, each released when you deliver the milestone agreed in your proposal. You must submit each tranche within 90 days of the last payment or the rest of the award can be forfeited. Eligible projects can also get smart-contract audit support through SCF's Audit Bank, and finished projects can apply for follow-on awards.
- Disbursement
- Milestone Based
- Bootstrap friendly
- Yes
Timelines & Process
Applications
Rolling basis
Selection Process
SDF first checks that the full proposal is complete and meets the core eligibility rules. Reviewers then score it, and teams may be asked for small revisions. Open Track projects go to a vote by verified SCF community members; Integration and RFP Track projects are decided by reviewers. Selected teams must complete KYC/KYB before funds are released.
Application Process
- 1
Interest form
Tell SCF what you are building and which Build track you want.
You - 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
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 is eligible to apply for SCF?
Individuals, teams and companies can all apply. The project must be building on Stellar and must not fall within the ineligible criteria in the Official Rules, which exclude US-sanctioned countries and places where holding crypto is illegal.
How much can I get?
A Build Award is up to US$150,000 worth of XLM, paid in tranches. Across all awards a project can receive up to US$150,000 in its lifetime, or up to US$300,000 case by case.
How is the award paid?
The budget is set in US dollars but paid in XLM, Stellar's native token, at the CF Benchmarks XLM–USD settlement price on the day each payment is made.
Is there a deadline?
The interest form is reviewed on a rolling basis. If your project fits, SCF invites you to submit a full proposal to an open round and emails you that round's deadline.
Do I need a referral?
No. A referral from someone in the Stellar community helps SCF prioritise, but projects without one still get an initial review.
Sources
Data on this page is compiled from official program and provider references.
