Checkmate and UpRock are excited to announce a USD 5,000 grant prize funding opportunity to support the development of the next-generation distributed uptime manager. UpRock, a DePIN platform with over 2 million devices worldwide, provides the foundation for Checkmate to monitor server uptime from across the globe effectively.
This grant funding aims to empower developers to contribute innovative solutions to enhance Checkmate's functionality and usability for distributed uptime management, powered by UpRock.
What we are looking for
Participants are encouraged to submit ideas and features that:
- Enhance Checkmate & UpRock's distributed uptime monitoring capabilities.
- Simplify deployment for businesses and scale effectively.
- Deliver innovative value-adds to Checkmate and UpRock platform.
- Improve UI/UX consistency, performance, and monitoring reliability.
Example projects
Here are some of the ideas you can select from, or come up with your own:
DePIN Sourced Intelligence
Build a global internet speed survey using 3M devices. implement Checkmate & UpRock infrastructure to build maps and tables for upload speed, download speed, and ping numbers.
Notification System
Build a notification system that will cover Discord, Slack, Telegram and webhooks.
i18n Implementation
Implement an i18n library for Checkmate, including source code modifications and an open source translation manager to enable community contributions.
Plugin System
Create a plugin system for Checkmate to add more UpRock platform functionality and enable easy feature additions.
Checkmate CLI
Develop a CLI tool installable via brew/curl for admins to manage monitoring setup, handle users, and control monitors directly from the command line.
Monitor Tagging System
Implement the ability to tag or group monitors for better organization and management.
Responsive Dashboard
Make Checkmate dashboard responsive so it works flawlessly with smaller screens.
Documentation & Marketing
Deploy Checkmate and write a blog post on dev.to, Hackernoon, or Hashnode. . Top 5 blog posts will receive $75 each. Bonus points for social media marketing.
Security scanner
Build a security monitoring tool that can detect vulnerabilities and misconfigurations on Linux servers. Features should include system hardening checks, rootkit detection, and security best practices validation.
Other ideas you might find useful: Keyword checking, Proxy support, 2FA support, Automatic addition of multiple sites (many people want to migrate from other products), DNS checking, Server security plugin
Rules
Cap enforcement
All projects submitted to the Checkmate & UpRock grant program will be subject to a strict funding cap of $1000 per project. This ensures fair distribution of funding among contributors. Proposals exceeding this amount may be revised or considered for partial funding.
Multiple submissions
Contributors can submit multiple projects, provided each submission adheres to the specified funding cap and size criteria. Each project will be evaluated independently, ensuring fair consideration.
Partial funding
For proposals exceeding budget limits or including additional features beyond core requirements, partial funding may be offered. Contributors will receive feedback to adjust project scope to align with funding guidelines.
Feedback process
Contributors receive constructive feedback on submissions, focusing on code quality, design patterns, documentation and usability. Use this input to refine proposals or enhance future contributions.
Final review and recognition
$500 (10%) is reserved for the "Best Overall Contribution" prize, awarded to a project demonstrating exceptional innovation, technical quality, and impact on the Checkmate & UpRock ecosystem.
Grant Tiers
Small Projects
Usability fixes, UI enhancements, updating test cases, writing command line interfaces or documentation updates.
Medium Projects
New monitoring modules/additions, API enhancements, performance improvements or feature additions.
Large Projects
Integrations with 3rd party tools, major scalability enhancements, advanced analytics features, complex monitoring capabilities, better graphics/charts.
Evaluation Criteria
Innovation30%
Uniqueness and creativity of the solution.
Contribution value30%
Impact on usability, performance, or scalability.
Code quality & design40%
Clean, documented and tested code with working examples showing screenshots and/or videos.
Grant Timeline
Submission Period
Submit your proposal through our online form
January 9 - January 20, 2025
Review Process
Proposals are reviewed by the core team and community
January 20 - January 24, 2025
Prewinners Announced
Selected projects and prewinners will be announced
January 25, 2025
Development Phase
Work on your approved contribution with mentorship support
Starting January 26, 2025
Final PR Submission
Last date to submit your final pull requests
February 13, 2025