About Opportunity Types
NEARN has three types of opportunities, with specific rules designed for different use cases:
- Bounties: Host a work competition
- Projects: Hire a Freelancer
- Sponsorships: Support Contributors
Overview
This comparison table presents a quick overview of the different opportunity types, highlighting the key differences between bounties, projects, and sponsorships:
| Bounty | Project | Sponsorship | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Short-term tasks for quick contributions | Long-term collaborative initiatives | Sustained funding/support for initiatives or teams |
| Duration | Days to weeks | Weeks to months | Ongoing (often months or longer) |
| Visibility | Public, private, or geo-limited | Public, private, or geo-limited | Public, private, or geo-limited |
| Team Size | Individual or very small groups | Small to medium teams | Any size (individuals to organizations) |
| Scope | Narrow, well-defined tasks | Broader objectives with milestones | Open-ended support for initiatives |
| Compensation | Fixed reward (one-time payout) | Milestone-based payments or revenue share | Recurring stipend, grants, or resource allocation |
| Ownership | Task ownership remains with poster | Shared ownership (contributors may retain partial rights) | Sponsored party retains full ownership |
| Application | Open submission (anyone can complete) | Proposal-based (team/plan required) | Formal proposal (goals, budget, KPIs) |
| Winner Eligibility | Multiple winners | Only one winner | Multiple winners |
| Best For | Quick wins, micro-tasks, freelancers | Builders, startups, collaborative teams | DAOs, long-term contributors, community leaders |
| Accountability | Proof of completion required | Milestone reviews & deliverables | Periodic reporting (transparency expected) |
| Flexibility | Rigid (fixed requirements) | Adaptable (scope may evolve) | Highly flexible (funding can shift with needs) |
| Community Impact | Solves immediate needs | Creates reusable tools/products | Sustains ecosystems (education, infrastructure) |
| Example | Fixing a bug, creating content | Developing a new protocol feature | Funding a community education program |
- Bounties are transactional (task→reward), while projects and sponsorships are relational
- Projects emphasize collaboration, while sponsorships emphasize support
- Bounties have the clearest success criteria, while sponsorships are most flexible
Bounties
Bounties are listings where everyone completes a given scope of work, and competes for the prize pool.
Bounties can have multiple winners with prize distributions
Contributors are allowed only one submission per bounty
Great for awareness campaigns where you want to reach the most people possible
Get multiple options to choose from
Examples: Twitter Threads, Deep-Dives, Memes, Product Feedback, and more
All participants complete your scope of work, and the best submission(s) are rewarded. Get multiple options to choose from.
Projects
Projects are freelance gigs — people apply with their proposals but don’t begin working until you pick them.
Projects can only have one winner
Contributors are allowed only one submission per project
Perfect for work that requires collaboration and iteration
Single output that is specific to your exact needs
Examples: Full Stack Development, Hype Video Production, Hiring a Community Manager, and more
Get applications based on a questionnaire set by you, and select one applicant to work with. Give a fixed budget, or ask for quotes.
Sponsorships
Sponsorship listings empower you to fund and reward individual contributions by directly sponsoring innovators.
Sponsorships can support multiple people (non-competitively)
Contributors are allowed multiple submissions (each submission is allowed only after approve/reject)
Ideal for initiatives fueling targeted support and growth
Enables tailored expense or payment requests
Examples: open-source support, community content, creative projects
Fund and reward contributions by sponsoring individuals. Share a link to receive expenses or payment requests.