Implement flexible DOT payments (#2341)

.github/pull_request_template.md

@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 - [x] The [application template](https://github.com/w3f/Grants-Program/blob/master/applications/application-template.md) has been copied and aptly renamed (`project_name.md`).
 - [ ] I have read the [application guidelines](https://github.com/w3f/Grants-Program/blob/master/docs/Support%20Docs/grant_guidelines_per_category.md).
 - [ ] Payment details have been provided (Polkadot AssetHub (DOT, USDC & USDT) address in the application and bank details via email, if applicable).
-- [ ] I understand that 30% of each milestone will be paid in vested DOT, to the Polkadot address listed in the application.
+- [ ] I understand that an agreed upon percentage of each milestone will be paid in vested DOT, to the Polkadot address listed in the application.
 - [ ] I am aware that, in order to receive a grant, I (and the entity I represent) have to successfully complete a KYC/KYB check.
 - [ ] The software delivered for this grant will be released under an open-source license specified in the application.
 - [ ] The initial PR contains only one commit (squash and force-push if needed).

README.md

@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ The Operations Team takes care of legal documents, invoicing, and remittances.
 
 ## :level_slider: Levels
 
-The W3F Grants Program offers different grant levels to help you best, depending on your current stage. 30% of any grant is paid out in vested DOT.
+The W3F Grants Program offers different grant levels to help you best, depending on your current stage. At least 50% of any grant is paid out in vested DOT.
 
 ### :hatching_chick: Level 1 (= InstaGrants)<!-- omit in toc -->
 
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ The W3F Grants Program offers different grant levels to help you best, depending
 
 ## :pencil: Process
 
-> **:loudspeaker:** 30% of each milestone payment is made in DOT (linearly vesting over 2 years). The remaining 70% is paid in_either_ USDT or USDC on the Polkadot [AssetHub](https://wiki.polkadot.network/docs/learn-assets) _or_ fiat (USD, EUR, CHF). Please indicate your preference in the application [as outlined in our application template](https://github.com/w3f/Grants-Program/blob/master/applications/application-template.md?plain=1#L7). If you want to apply in **private**, you can do so [:arrow_right: here](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfMfjiRmDQDRk-4OhNASM6BAKii7rz_B1jWtbCPkUh6N7M2ww/viewform). Note that this is generally a slower process and imposes stricter requirements on applicants.
+> **:loudspeaker:** At least 50% (as defined in your grant agreement) of each milestone payment is made in DOT (linearly vesting over 2 years). The remainder is paid in_either_ USDT or USDC on the Polkadot [AssetHub](https://wiki.polkadot.network/docs/learn-assets) _or_ fiat (USD, EUR, CHF). Please indicate your preference in the application [as outlined in our application template](https://github.com/w3f/Grants-Program/blob/master/applications/application-template.md?plain=1#L7). If you want to apply in **private**, you can do so [:arrow_right: here](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfMfjiRmDQDRk-4OhNASM6BAKii7rz_B1jWtbCPkUh6N7M2ww/viewform). Note that this is generally a slower process and imposes stricter requirements on applicants.
 
 ### 1. Application
 

applications/application-template-research.md

@@ -122,6 +122,7 @@ Below we provide an **example roadmap**. In the descriptions, it should be clear
 - **Total Estimated Duration:** Duration of the whole project (e.g. 2 months)
 - **Full-Time Equivalent (FTE):**  Average number of full-time employees working on the project throughout its duration (see [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Full-time_equivalent), e.g. 2 FTE)
 - **Total Costs:** Requested amount in USD for the whole project (e.g. 12,000 USD). Note that the acceptance criteria and additional benefits vary depending on the [level](../README.md#level_slider-levels) of funding requested.
+- **DOT %:** Percentage of Total Costs to be paid in (vested) DOT (>= 50%)
 
 ### Milestone 1 Example — Literature Review and Data Collection
 

applications/application-template.md

@@ -124,6 +124,7 @@ Below we provide an **example roadmap**. In the descriptions, it should be clear
 - **Total Estimated Duration:** Duration of the whole project (e.g. 2 months)
 - **Full-Time Equivalent (FTE):**  Average number of full-time employees working on the project throughout its duration (see [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Full-time_equivalent), e.g. 2 FTE)
 - **Total Costs:** Requested amount in USD for the whole project (e.g. 12,000 USD). Note that the acceptance criteria and additional benefits vary depending on the [level](../README.md#level_slider-levels) of funding requested.
+- **DOT %:** Percentage of Total Costs to be paid in (vested) DOT (>= 50%)
 
 ### Milestone 1 Example — Basic functionality
 

applications/maintenance/maintenance-template.md

@@ -113,6 +113,7 @@ Our responsibilities:
 - **Total Duration:** Duration of the entire maintenance contract (e.g. 1 year)
 - **Full-Time Equivalent (FTE):**  Average number of full-time employees working on the project throughout its duration (see [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Full-time_equivalent), e.g. 2 FTE)
 - **Max budget per sprint/period:** Requested max budget in USD per sprint/period (e.g. 7,000 USD).
+- **DOT %:** Percentage of Total Costs to be paid in (vested) DOT (>= 50%)
 - **Hourly rate:** Amount of budget per hour, since it’s unlikely that the maintenance of the project requires the exact same workload each sprint.
 
 > ⚠️ *Note that you will need to provide a comprehensive report of the work done at the end of each month, including the list of issues/bugs/pull requests worked on, time spent on each of these, & finally, the associated cost. The time allocation & price will likely vary from month to month, depending on the nature of the project you're contributing to. The report should be in the form of a Milestone Delivery, again like the typical procedure. W3F will make the payments only after the successful merge of each individual report.*

docs/Process/how-to-apply.md

@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ If you want to apply in **private**, you can do so [:arrow_right: here](https://
 
 :::info
 
-30% of each milestone payment is made in DOT (linearly vesting over 2 years). The remaining 70% is paid in _either_ USDT or USDC on the Polkadot [AssetHub](https://wiki.polkadot.network/docs/learn-assets) _or_ fiat (USD, EUR, CHF). Please indicate your preference in the application [as outlined in our application template](https://github.com/w3f/Grants-Program/blob/master/applications/application-template.md?plain=1#L8). 
+At least 50% (as defined in your grant agreement) of each milestone payment is made in DOT (linearly vesting over 2 years). The remainder is paid in _either_ USDT or USDC on the Polkadot [AssetHub](https://wiki.polkadot.network/docs/learn-assets) _or_ fiat (USD, EUR, CHF). Please indicate your preference in the application [as outlined in our application template](https://github.com/w3f/Grants-Program/blob/master/applications/application-template.md?plain=1#L8). 
 :::
 
 

docs/Support Docs/T&Cs.md

@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ The Parties agree that the Grant is a lump-sum payment and that no additional co
 
 The Grant is paid as milestone payments for the accomplishment of the Milestones during several phases of the Development Work as indicated in the main readme file on Github (https://github.com/w3f/Grants-Program).
 
-The Grantee accepts and acknowledges that the Grant is a combination of a lump-sum cash payment (the “Cash Grant”) and a DOT component (the “Locked DOT Grant”), together hereinafter referred to as the "Grant", and that no additional compensation is due for the actual development costs incurred. The Grant is structured as milestone payments for the accomplishment of work during several phases of the Services Delivery as indicated in Annex 1 (the "Milestones").
+The Grantee accepts and acknowledges that the Grant is a combination of a lump-sum cash payment (the “Cash Grant”) and a DOT component (the “Locked DOT Grant”), together hereinafter referred to as the "Grant", and that no additional compensation is due for the actual development costs incurred. We may decide the proportion of the Locked DOT Grant at our sole and absolute discretion, and the Locked DOT Grant may amount to up to 100% of the overall Grant amount. The Grant is structured as milestone payments for the accomplishment of work during several phases of the Services Delivery as indicated in Annex 1 (the "Milestones").
 
 The Locked DOT Grant is subject to a "vested transfer" mechanism, wherein the DOTs will be locked and inaccessible for disposal by the Grantee for a specific period of time. The Locked DOT Grant will be initially locked in the Grantee’s wallet and will vest proportionately over a period of twenty-four (24) months. The full amount of the Locked DOT Grant will be completely unlocked within twenty-four (24) months from the date of the DOT transfer to the Grantee’s wallet address. The Grantee acknowledges and agrees that until the full vesting period is completed, it will not be able to dispose of the entire Locked DOT Grant in any manner. The Grantee acknowledges that, despite the vesting mechanism, it assumes all ownership and risk associated with the Locked DOT Grant from the date of transfer, including compliance with any applicable tax obligations relating to the Grant. The Foundation shall not be responsible for any fluctuations in the value of the DOT during the vesting period. In the event of early termination of this Agreement, the Grantee forfeits the unvested portion of the Locked DOT Grant.
 

docs/faq.md

@@ -15,9 +15,9 @@ title: 🙋 FAQ
 
   Generally, there is no upper limit to grant amounts. However, the higher the requested amount, the stricter the review. For guidance, please refer to the [grant levels section](Introduction/levels.md) in our documentation.
 
-### What does it mean for payments to be 30% DOT?
+### What does it mean for payments to be at least 50% DOT?
 
-  Every milestone payment will have two parts: 70% in the currency of your choice (see the application template for options) and the remaining 30% in DOT, vesting linearly over two years. For this, we need a Polkadot address in the grant agreement. It has to be a native Polkadot address as this is the only way to receive vested DOT that can be staked. This wouldn't be possible with DOT paid on AssetHub. For the milestone payment, please submit two invoices: one for the currency part, one for the DOT part. Since the grant agreements are denominated in USD, we ask for invoices denominated in USD; we will convert the 30% to DOT at the day of payment based on the previous day's closing price on [CoinMarketCap](https://coinmarketcap.com). Our [invoice form](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/18BdmYEt8gvcC-5f7TMHdJftBr9dEeA2_lUfIqkH7it8/viewform) will walk you through the process.
+  Every milestone payment will have two parts: one in DOT, vesting linearly over two years. The percentage of your grant paid in DOT ranges from 50 to 100% and will be negotiated during the application phase. For this, we need a Polkadot address in the grant agreement. It has to be a native Polkadot address as this is the only way to receive vested DOT that can be staked. The remaining percentage of the payment is in the currency of your choice (see "Payment Details" in the application template for options). For the payment, please submit two invoices: one for the currency part (if applicable), one for the DOT part. Since the grant agreements are denominated in USD, we ask for invoices denominated in USD; we will convert the agreed upon percentage to DOT at the day of payment based on the previous day's closing price on [CoinMarketCap](https://coinmarketcap.com). Our [invoice form](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/18BdmYEt8gvcC-5f7TMHdJftBr9dEeA2_lUfIqkH7it8/viewform) will walk you through the process.
 
 ### What activities/positions do you fund?