Grants:Project/Rapid/Tech

Guidelines for Rapid Fund technical projects

The Rapid Fund program provides grants to small software development projects that support movement goals and community needs. This page provides guidelines for technical projects applying for Rapid Funds.

Application process

Projects must follow the general process and eligibility requirements for Rapid Funds. When applying, select "Tech project" as the project type on the Rapid Fund form. Complete the form following this guidlines. Rapid Fund tech projects will be reviewed by Wikimedia Foundation staff from the Community Resources and Partnerships team and the Product and Technology department. Applications that closely align with the ongoing work at the Wikimedia Foundation may take longer to review, as they require more internal coordination.

Implementation

Rapid Fund technical projects should focus on a specific technical component, such as an on-wiki gadget or a tool on Toolforge. Remember that improving existing code can be as impactful as creating something new. Avoid larger projects that depend on review from Wikimedia Foundation engineering, such as creating a MediaWiki extension or changing MediaWiki's core code. Focus your project on a small, achievable goal.

If the project depends on the involvement of other individuals, including Wikimedia Foundation staff, the applicant is expected to consult with them and obtain confirmation before submitting the application.

Demand, community, and impact

Before you apply, discuss your project on-wiki with the relevant Wikimedia communities. Projects must show that they meet community needs and support Wikimedia's mission and strategy, such as the Movement Strategy and the Wikimedia Foundation's strategic direction. Projects aimed at improving third-party tools must demonstrate clear and direct impact to Wikimedia projects.

Security and safety

Projects must follow the Wikimedia Foundation privacy policy, security guidelines for developers, and API usage guidelines. Projects hosted on Wikimedia Toolforge or Cloud Services must follow the Cloud Services terms of use. On-wiki gadgets must follow any local wiki policies for user scripts and gadgets. Projects should not require a security review from the Wikimedia Foundation's Security team.

Code license

All project code must be licensed under an open-source license approved by the Open Source Initiative. On-wiki code must follow the local wiki's licensing policy.

Documentation

Projects must include a documentation plan. For resources to help you write documentation, see the documentation toolkit.

Project tracking

Projects must include clear milestones and a plan for tracking progress. We recommend using Wikimedia Phabricator for project tracking.

Maintenance

Projects must include a plan for maintaining their code in the long term without relying on additional Rapid Funds or the Wikimedia Foundation's resources.

Experience

Applicants must show that they have the skills and experience to complete the project.

Budget

Projects should be cost-effective and be aligned with local costs and rates. Budget breakdown should list all personnel costs with the number of hours and the hourly rate.

Examples

Funded projects

Not funded projects

Development of an external spellchecker without clear impact on Wikimedia projects and demand from the Wikimedia community.
Development of a new iOS app.