We’re happy to share that Retro Funding Round 6 is officially live and open for applications! 🎉

This latest round, organized by Optimism, is part of their ongoing commitment to rewarding impactful contributions that drive the success of the Optimism Governance ecosystem. It’s all part of Optimism’s more focused approach for 2024, with each Retro Funding round zeroing in on a specific area of impact.

And the excitement doesn’t stop here, there’s still one more round on the way later this year, which will spotlight Dev Tooling. But for now, let’s dive into what Round 6 has in store!

🔍 What is Retro Funding Round 6 About?

This time around, the spotlight is on contributions to Optimism Governance that have been made between October 2023 and September 18th, 2024. Optimism is rewarding efforts that have strengthened the governance infrastructure, enhanced decision-making through analytics, and demonstrated exceptional governance leadership. Projects and individuals who have gone above and beyond to support the governance process are encouraged to apply!

🛠 Categories for Retro Funding Round 6

Optimism has broken down the eligible contributions into three core categories for this round:

Governance Infrastructure & Tooling
This includes technical infrastructure that powers governance processes or tools that make governance participation more accessible for Delegates and Citizens.
Examples:
- Optimism Governor contracts
- Governance voting clients and interfaces
- Tools for the Grants Council or Retro Funding sign-ups

Governance Analytics
Analytics that provide transparency into governance operations, enable better decision-making, or promote accountability. These contributions help the community stay informed and keep governance processes in check.
Examples:
- Governance performance reports
- Finance and grant-related analytics
- Delegate/Citizen activity analysis

Governance Leadership
Recognizing individuals or groups that have gone above and beyond in governance roles, councils, commissions, and boards. These leaders help facilitate critical governance processes, contribute to decision-making, and drive initiatives that shape the future of Optimism Governance.
Examples:
- Leadership roles in councils like the Security Council or Grants Council
- Hosting governance calls, proposal review sessions, and deliberations
- Leadership within newly established commissions and advisory boards

🔍 Who’s Eligible?

To be considered for this round, your contributions must have taken place between October 2023 and September 18th, 2024 and fall within the scope of the categories listed above. Note that contributions already rewarded in previous rounds, like Governance Season 4, are not eligible for Round 6.

Projects that are not directly related to Optimism Governance, as well as general governance onboarding resources, are also ineligible.

🗓 Important Dates to Remember

Sign-up Period: October 1st - October 14th
Application Review: October 14th - October 28th
Voting Period: October 28th - November 7th
Results Announced: November 19th

💰 Funding Allocation and Voting Design

The Optimism Foundation has set a minimum allocation of 1.1M OP and a maximum of 3.5M OP for this round. Citizens will decide on the final allocation through a community-led median voting model, based on the perceived impact of the contributions.

This voting design is part of an ongoing experiment in community-driven budgeting and will help shape the evolution of future Retro Funding rounds.

Voting will follow the structure used in Round 5, where voters are grouped to evaluate specific applications. New guest voters will also be introduced to test how different voter selection methods impact funding decisions.

🚀 Ready to Participate? Sign Up Today!

If you believe your project has made a meaningful impact on Optimism Governance, now’s the time to step up and showcase your contributions. The sign-up window is open until October 14th, so be sure to submit your application before the deadline.

For more details and to sign up, visit the Retro Funding Round 6 Page.

Good luck to all the applicants - let’s keep building a brighter, more decentralized future together! 🌟

Retro Funding Round 6 is Now Live: Optimism’s Focus on Governance Impact!