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Funding pathways

Each pathway suits a different stage and effort level. Most projects run several at once.

Crowdfunding​

  • What it is: many small contributions through a campaign, often with reward tiers.
  • Scale and timing: modest-to-mid sums; weeks to prepare, weeks to run.
  • Choose when: you have, or can build, an audience to launch to.
  • Trade-offs: public proof and a supporter base; high effort, needs an audience, and all-or-nothing platforms add risk.

Friends and family​

  • What it is: direct asks to people who know you, as gifts or interest-free loans.
  • Scale and timing: the first and most reliable money; rolling.
  • Choose when: always, early. It also seeds a crowdfunding launch.
  • Trade-offs: dependable and personal; a limited pool, with real relationships at stake.

Small grants​

  • What it is: many small foundation, council, and corporate programs.
  • Scale and timing: small awards; apply to many, win some; rolling deadlines.
  • Choose when: you can spend time on applications and fit specific calls.
  • Trade-offs: non-dilutive and credible; admin-heavy with modest hit rates. A funding list is a starting point, not proof of fit, and a worked example helps structure applications (sample grant proposal).

Major grants​

  • What it is: large national or EU institutional funding.
  • Scale and timing: big sums; long timelines, heavy applications, sometimes co-funding required.
  • Choose when: once you have an entity, a site, and a track record.
  • Trade-offs: large amounts and credibility; slow, competitive, and bureaucratic. Not a first move.

Founder capital​

  • What it is: the founders' own savings or income.
  • Scale and timing: available any time; covers gaps.
  • Choose when: to bridge shortfalls and show commitment.
  • Trade-offs: fast and certain; personal financial risk.

Earned income and partnerships​

Research site access, education, and similar income are real but later, and belong with economics/revenue. They build credibility from year one even when they pay little at first.