The Metis Accelerate grants program is designed to attract projects that are in a fast user acquisition stage, whether they are already on Metis or expanding from other blockchain ecosystems. With a total budget of $250,000, the program offers 5 initial grants of up to $25,000 each, focusing on user acquisition, transaction growth, and DAU impact. Up to 3 projects that demonstrate rapid growth will be eligible for a follow-up grant of $25,000 each, and one exceptional project will receive a final follow-up grant of $50,000. Using a milestone-based approach, funds are released only when projects prove measurable progress, ensuring that the grants effectively drive ecosystem growth and innovation on Metis.

The Metis Accelerate program is structured into three levels of funding:

• Level 1: Offers 5 grants of $25,000 each, primarily focused on user acquisition and onboarding new users to the Metis ecosystem.
• Level 2: Provides 3 grants of $25,000 for the top-performing projects that successfully meet the Level 1 metrics. This stage emphasizes user retention, ensuring that the acquired users remain active and engaged.
• Level 3: Awards a single grant of $50,000 to the most promising project from Level 2. The focus at this stage is on continuous improvement in user activation, acquisition, retention, and revenue generation from the user journey, maximizing the project's long-term impact on the Metis ecosystem.‍

Key Clarifications and Definitions:

• User Acquisition: Defined as a new wallet address that interacts with the project and performs at least one transaction. Simply creating a wallet or connecting to the project without any transaction will not count as a successful acquisition.
• Engagement Factors: Beyond creating new wallets, user acquisition includes transactions and on-chain interactions that reflect actual use. Success will be defined not just by wallet creation but by sustained interaction with the project.
• DAU (Daily Active Users): The number of unique users interacting with the project on a daily basis through transactions.
• Retention: For the purpose of L3, retention will be defined by the percentage of users who continue to engage with the project after an initial onboarding period (through transactions).‍

Level 1 (L1) Grant Milestones: Initial User Acquisition and Marketing

Objective: Focus primarily on user acquisition, transaction growth, and basic marketing to create awareness of the project.

• Total Grant Amount: Up to $25,000 per project.
• Timeframe: Each project has 60 days to meet all milestones.

 Initial Payout

• Payout: $5,000 upon project approval based on proof of traction data provided in the application form: Metis Accelerate Program Application Form.

Milestone 1: Initial User Acquisition & Marketing

• Payout: $10,000 for achieving user acquisition and a moderate marketing push:
  • New Wallets: A total of 5,000 new wallets.
  • Transaction Volume: 10,000 transactions.
  • Marketing: Execute a simple campaign that targets 25,000 impressions across at least one Web3 platform.
• Community Engagement: Conduct 1 AMA or Twitter Space to share updates.
• Register as a CVP on the Metis Governance Forum and participate in 1 AMA or Twitter Space.

‍Milestone 2: Final User Acquisition Push and Community Engagement

• Payout: $10,000 for achieving advanced user growth and transactions:
  • New Wallets: Achieve 10,000 wallets.
  • Transaction Volume: Reach 25,000 transactions.
  • DAU: Demonstrate that the project can maintain 300 DAU during the last 2 weeks.
  • Marketing: Create a 5 marketing campaign targeting 50,000 impressions across Web3 platforms (can include educational content).
• Timeframe: Must be achieved within 60 days.

Level 2 (L2) Grant Milestones: User Scaling, Retention, and Marketing Push

Objective: Expand the project’s user base and DAU while scaling moderate marketing efforts and increasing community engagement.

• Total Grant Amount: Up to $25,000 per project.
• Timeframe: Each project has 60 days to meet all milestones.

Milestone 1: Sustained User Growth & Marketing Expansion

• Payout: $10,000 for sustaining user growth and marketing expansion:
  • New Wallets: Achieve an additional 5,000 wallets (total 20,000 wallets).
  • Transaction Volume: Reach 40,000 transactions.
  • DAU:  Demonstrate that the project can maintain 500 DAU during the last 2 weeks.
  • Marketing: Execute 2 marketing campaigns (at least 50,000 impressions each) to focus on user onboarding and engagement.
• Community Engagement: Host 1 AMA or Twitter Space to share progress and key insights with the Metis community.

Milestone 2: Expanded User Growth, Community Engagement & Targeted Marketing

• Payout: $15,000 for expanding user growth and integrating deeper marketing and community strategies:
  • New Wallets: Achieve 25,000 total wallets.
  • Transaction Volume: Reach 60,000 transactions.
  • DAU: Demonstrate that the project can maintain 1000 DAU during the last 2 weeks.
  • Marketing: Run a targeted marketing campaign for 100,000 impressions, focused on user activation (retargeting previous users or engaging new ones).
  • Cross-Platform Engagement: Conduct 1 more AMA and collaborate with another Metis-based project for cross-promotion.
• Timeframe: Must be achieved within 60 days.

Level 3 (L3) Grant Milestones: User Retention, High DAU, and Strong Marketing

Objective: Reward projects that demonstrate exceptional user retention, sustained DAU, and high levels of community engagement and visibility.

• Total Grant Amount: $50,000 for the top-performing project.
• Timeframe: The project has 75 days to meet all milestones.

Milestone 1: High DAU, Retention, and Strong Marketing

• Payout: $20,000 for sustaining a high DAU, achieving strong retention, and executing a final push in marketing:
  • DAU: Maintain 1,200 DAU for at least 14 consecutive days.
  • User Retention: Retain 10% of the users acquired during Level 2, with transaction activity.
  • Marketing: Execute a marketing campaign targeting 150,000 impressions, leveraging cross-promotion, content creation, and influencer partnerships to attract further users.
• Community Engagement: Provide 2 updates through community AMAs or Metis events.

Milestone 2: Final Retention, DAU, and Community-Driven Marketing

• Payout: $30,000 for achieving final retention milestones:
  • DAU: Maintain 2,000 DAU.
  • User Retention: Achieve 15% retention rate.
  • Transaction Volume: Reach 150,000 total transactions.
  • Marketing: Final community-driven campaign targeting 200,000 impressions across multiple platforms, focusing on long-term retention and user engagement.
• Community Engagement: Collaborate with at least 2 other Metis ecosystem projects for joint events or marketing initiatives.

‍Additional Information:

1. First-Come, First-Served (FCFS) Application Process:
   The program follows a First-Come, First-Served review process, meaning projects will be assessed and approved in the order they apply. The application window remains open until all grants are allocated. This is an important detail to communicate so that projects understand the urgency of submitting their application early.
2. Flexibility on Milestones:
   Projects that complete a large percentage of the milestone requirements but fall slightly short will have the opportunity to enter discussions with the Thrive and Metis teams. There will be flexibility in evaluating such cases to ensure that near-completion still results in recognition and potential payout, provided the project shows good faith and effort. This will keep the process fair but realistic.
3. Milestone Submission and Payment Review:
   Once a project submits proof of milestone completion, Thrive will review and provide feedback or approve the milestone within two weeks. Payments will be processed immediately after approval to ensure the project continues to scale without financial delays. Projects should know that the review time won’t exceed 14 days, keeping the process efficient.
4. Open to All Web3 Verticals:
   The program is not restricted to any specific project type or vertical. Whether the project is DeFi, NFTs, SocialFi, GameFi, or any other Web3 category, all are welcome to apply. The focus is on meeting user acquisition and transaction goals, and the type of project is less important than its ability to meet the milestones outlined.
5. Transparent Criteria for Milestones:
   The milestones have been designed to ensure there’s a clear progression from L1 (user acquisition) to L3 (user retention and DAU growth). However, it’s critical that projects understand the definitions and expectations of each milestone:
   • User Acquisition: Defined as a new wallet that performs a transaction, not just wallet creation.
   • Transaction Volume: Actual on-chain interactions that reflect real engagement.
   • DAU (Daily Active Users): Real daily users performing on-chain interactions.
   • User Retention: The percentage of users who continue interacting with the project after onboarding. The retention rate will be calculated based on transactional activity, not just wallet existence.
6. Encouraging Community Engagement:
   Projects must be actively engaging with the Metis community, as shown by holding AMAs or participating in Twitter Spaces. This is important for visibility within the ecosystem and helps to promote the project while providing updates on progress.
7. Incentive for Collaboration:
   The final milestone encourages projects to collaborate with other projects in the Metis ecosystem, which can increase visibility, user acquisition, and cross-promotion opportunities. Collaboration with Metis-native projects will be viewed positively and can strengthen the chance of successfully achieving the final milestone.

The Metis Accelerate Program is structured to bring rapid user acquisition and engagement to the Metis ecosystem. With a milestone-based grant system, the program incentivizes projects to prove user growth, transaction volume, and retention through measurable metrics. Projects from any vertical within Web3 can Apply, and milestones are flexible enough to accommodate projects that nearly meet the criteria but need adjustments.