From the perspective of a grantee and applicant, one of the most difficult aspects of the SPP program, both in the past and looking ahead, has been the unpredictability of the timeline. While there may still be time to make changes to the program, significant changes at this point could be disruptive. In my view, they would likely add to the overall lack of clarity and predictability around the SPP process.
Last year the discussions began in November 2024. Many people felt that the way the process unfolded created a fair amount of confusion for both grant applicants and delegates. I would like to avoid repeating that situation this year if possible.
For that reason, I continue to propose a straightforward approach for running SPP3 this year. We announce the funding opportunity, publish a clear timeline for applicants, and then stick to the deadlines that are set. My suggestion is that we focus on incremental improvements to the program rather than making major structural changes. Larger changes, by their nature, would likely increase uncertainty and make the funding round harder for applicants and delegates to navigate.
In a previous post I suggested simplifying the program this year so that it looks more similar to the first year of SPP, including allowing smaller grants in the $100k to $300k range. I think this funding level serves two clear purposes. First, it allows the DAO to support new teams that may not yet be well known in the ENS community, giving them a year to demonstrate whether they can become meaningful contributors. Second, it provides a way to fund services to the DAO that are more administrative or governance related. DAO tooling is one example. Another idea I have proposed is funding a small team to organize events for the DAO, which could move that responsibility out of the Ecosystem Working Group.
As a current grantee, I want to emphasize that I deeply appreciate the support that the ENS DAO has provided to independent teams like ours. I look forward to continuing to work with everyone in the community to make the SPP3 program a success!