To lift off, we need a second stage!
Yesterday we made it public: We are continuing with the Prototype Fund! We have already written about the most important changes in the blog. All but one: the Second Stage funding. We will clarify the why, what and how here.
Why?
There is a fundamental problem in technology funding and especially in FOSS funding: innovations are readily financed, but it often remains unclear how to proceed afterwards. Few technologies are ready to go live and sustain themselves after the initial funding.
We have seen this in many projects in the Prototype Fund. The idea is good, the code is good, but in six months the team could not build a community, promote the project at conferences or develop a business model alongside the technical work. When the funding period ends, many of the grantees them have to go back to paid work or university, and so on. However, there is rarely time to continue developing the (now former Prototype Fund) project on the side. As a result, the prototypes often receive too little attention, are not used enough and no community is formed around them to support maintenance or user testing, for example.
We want to counteract this with the Second Stage funding phase.
What?
Regular funding will continue to consist of six months with (new!) funding of up to €95,000, coaching, networking and advice. After that, funding for selected projects will be extended by four months. During this time, the funding amount is capped at €31,667 for individuals and €63,333 for teams.
In the second stage, the focus lies no longer on the technical work. The explicit goal of this funding is to bring more projects into sustainable operation. Therefore, it is less about the technical development of the software and more about improving and expanding usability or securing the financial future of the project.
In this second phase, the funding recipients take part in business coaching, do public relations work, carry out user tests or take care of the documentation of their work – depending entirely on what the individual project needs.
How?
Applicants can (and should) indicate in their original application that they want to further develop their project in the second stage. Three months after the start of the funding phase, the projects interested in funding submit their application for the second stage. A few weeks later, there is an online presentation in which the applicants present their project progress and future plans to a committee consisting of jurors, representatives of the Prototype Fund and the DLR Projektträger. On the basis of the submission and the pitch, the committee decides which projects (maximum 15) will receive Second Stage funding.
The selected projects present their work at Demo Day, just like all the others, but for them the funding period continues directly afterwards. At the end of the second stage, they present their results in detail in a semi-public workshop, which is attended not only by the funded parties and program participants but also by invited guests.
Apart from the second application within the regular funding phase and the fact that the funding period and amount are more, the second-stage funding differs very little from the six-month funding phase in administrative terms. We make a point of ensuring that the application and admission process is not overly complex here either.
And as always, we have to say: we know we’re not perfect, and learning by doing is probably one of our most important mottos. So minor adjustments may well still occur, and we are very excited and also rely on the feedback from the first grantees to go through the process. But we are sure of one thing – we are really looking forward to this new adventure!
If you think that the second stage sounds like exactly the right plan for you: the application phase for class 01 starts on November 11, 2024 and runs until January 2, 2025 – you can find all further information at new.prototypefund.de.
