We've noticed that there are a whole bunch of open source frameworks and applications, but there aren't too many free and open source websites that aren't inundated with ads. One great website that comes to mind is Ajaxload; it's a simple little website that makes those ajax "loading" icons for you.

We're not entirely sure why there's a lack of these websites around, but I suspect a large part has to do with the cost. Software tools aside, a website that generates a reasonable amount of traffic can cost a bit of money to run, and not too many people are eager to commit to spending that in the long term.

We're hoping to change that. The goal of the Open Web Innovation Grant is to remove the cost barriers to creating free and open source web applications. Here's what we'll do as part of the grant:

  • Web Hosting - from ASP.NET to Zend PHP, we'll get a prime space on the web for your project
  • Software Tools - if there's a particular IDE or control suite, we can get that, too
  • Advertising - we'll promote the project to developers through targeted advertising on popular developer sites like this one
  • Cash - up to $500 to get started

All you need to do is tell us your idea, how you would implement it, and what support you'd need to launch. Remember, the goal is to build a project that helps reduce the generation of bad code, even if that means saving developers time.

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