Today, with the help of our partner the Interledger Foundation, we are announcing a new program of grants for multimedia software and creators. In this program, we are asking software developers and publishers to partner to make new and better content on the Fediverse.
Multimedia, such as audio, video, and images, provides an engaging experience for Fediverse users. It can give a more visceral social and media experience than text alone. Multimedia software, however, can be difficult to develop, host, and use, and integrating it with other ActivityPub services takes time.
It’s also challenging to produce engaging media on the Fediverse. It can be hard to develop an audience, work with unfamiliar tools, and understand the different dynamics of a federated architecture.
Our intent with the Fediverse Multimedia Grants program is to bring more, and newer, rich content to the Fediverse for people to enjoy. We want to give creators a chance to get their feet under them, develop an audience, and make a permanent home on the Fediverse. We also want this program to help developers concentrate on creators’ needs — authoring, editing, organizing and publishing rich, engaging content.
For this program, we are offering grants of up to US$20,000 to developer/creator teams to start new publications on the Fediverse. We expect the teams to work in close cooperation, providing mutual support and feedback. Our expected outcome is ActivityPub-enabled software that’s better fitted to the needs of creators, and new publications with a foothold in the Fediverse.
Applications are open today at the Fediverse Multimedia Grants round of our grants portal. Applications are only for developer/creator teams. For publishers who aren’t familiar with Fediverse software, or developers who don’t have a good idea for a publisher to work with, please feel free to contact us and we’ll try to point you in the right direction to make a match.
Important dates for the program:
Please ask questions in the comments and replies for this post, or contact us privately. I (Evan) will also be organizing a session on the grant program at Fediforum today, 7 Oct 2026.
Thanks so much to the Interledger Foundation who generously funded this and other programs at the Social Web Foundation and who have been excellent creative partners in crafting this program.
Social Web Foundation