@encodeclub.near [Posted on DevHub](https://near.social/#/devgovgigs.near/widget/Post?id=1122) ## Idea: Encode Club - Eth London Hackathon Proposal **Event Introduction** This proposal seeks NEAR’s sponsorship for Encode Club x Eth London Hackathon, creating an opportunity to promote the NEAR protocol to top developers in the city. Our main goal is to foster innovation, talent and community engagement within the NEAR Ecosystem. The grant will cover the silver sponsorship which includes operational costs and prizes, enabling NEAR to set challenges, conduct a workshop, and gain marketing exposure. **Organizer Introduction** Encode Club is a leading web3 education community based in London! With a track record of hosting successful programmes, we have been at the forefront of promoting blockchain education and collaboration. Our online hackathons such as, BNB, Polkadot and Solana and our most recent in-person Wormhole hackathon in Paris helped us support and identify the best developers worldwide. Our team has partnered with Ethereum London, the official community of Ethereum in the capital, to host the first Ethereum hackathon since 2020 to continue driving innovation in the space. We've done many Near events before including our 2022 Near Bootcamp (https://www.encode.club/near-bootcamp), 2022 Near Hack (https://medium.com/encode-club/encode-x-near-hackathon-finale-prizewinners-and-summary-fcf6e409ab07), 2022 Near Accelerator (https://medium.com/encode-club/encode-x-near-accelerator-summary-490e2c6bd129), 2023 Near Bootcamp (https://www.encode.club/near2023) and 2023 Near Education Series - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfEHHr3qexv_stSDzpx3XgSgUmfkeynVO **Event Impact** The Eth London Hackathon holds immense significance in advancing the Ethereum ecosystem and supporting the broader blockchain community. By bringing together developers, entrepreneurs, and creators, the event facilitates the creation of groundbreaking applications that have the potential to reshape industries and drive technological progress. This event also aligns with NEAR's commitment to supporting open-source projects and fostering developer communities, making it an ideal partnership. **Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)** We anticipate attracting over 500 participants, including 200 hackathon participants. The event will showcase a diverse range of projects across multiple categories, with 50 to 100 innovative projects submitted. The hackathon will offer a variety of prizes and recognition across different tracks to encourage creativity and excellence. **Benefits of the silver sponsorship:** - 5x tickets - 1x 15 minute workshop - 30 second slot during the opening ceremony - Up-to £15k in bounty value - 1x invite to our pre-event speakers dinner Evaluation Factors Projects will be evaluated based on technical innovation, impact potential and alignment with the principles of decentralization. Each of our hackathon sponsors can choose an allocated judge(s) that can assess the overall project quality along with the factors above. We aim to ensure that winning projects are not only technically sound but also capable of making a positive contribution to the blockchain ecosystem. **Funding Request** Encode Club is seeking a Silver sponsorship from NEAR for the Eth London Hackathon. We are requesting a grant of £11.25k to cover various expenses. **Additional Information** We appreciate NEAR's commitment to supporting blockchain development and innovation and look forward to the possibility of collaborating on this exciting event. Your sponsorship will play a crucial role in making the Eth London Hackathon a success and driving forward the goals of our community. Link to Encode Club’s Website - https://www.encode.club/ Link to Eth London Hackathon Event Page - https://ethldn.org/