Solana says its grants and funding programmes have supported more than 500 projects across six continents, with over $100m in total ecosystem funding.
For AI-focused teams, that can include projects working on autonomous agents, model-integrated applications, on-chain data tooling, and open-source infrastructure. But the programme is not limited to AI: Solana frames this as a broader funding pathway for builders creating public goods and practical ecosystem products.
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What funding looks like
According to Solana Foundation guidance, support is typically delivered in three forms:
- milestone-based grants for public goods
- milestone-based convertible grants where a commercial component exists
- Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for specific ideas the Foundation wants to fund
The Foundation says it prioritises projects that contribute to the ecosystem in the spirit of open-source collaboration, or provide a meaningful free community offering.
Evaluation and timing
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Solana says:
- initial review can begin in around one week
- deeper diligence may include technical and market review
- decisions are typically communicated in around three weeks for applications that proceed
Successful applicants are contacted by the Foundation and move into agreement finalisation with the legal team.
Not only foundation grants
Solana also points to wider ecosystem funding routes beyond direct Foundation grants, including:
- hackathons run with Colosseum
- accelerator pathways for selected winners
- vertical-specific grants programmes run by ecosystem teams
For builders in AI, that means the funding landscape can extend from early prototype support through to acceleration, depending on stage, use case, and community impact.