Apply for the Open Source Program

Get sponsorship for the open source you maintain

Developers build on open source that a small number of maintainers keep running. Neon commits a minimum of $200,000 a year to sponsoring those maintainers in cash. Each sponsored project receives a monthly amount from that pool through GitHub Sponsors. In return, your project shows the Neon logo, labeled as a sponsorship, in one place you choose.

Your project doesn't need to use Neon or Postgres to apply.

What you get

  • Monthly cash sponsorship

    Neon sponsors your project through GitHub Sponsors with a fixed monthly amount for a six-month term, paid from its annual sponsorship pool. You set up payouts and tax details in your GitHub Sponsors profile.

  • Renewable terms

    Near the end of each six-month term, we review the sponsorship with you and decide whether to renew it. Sponsorships don't renew automatically.

  • Neon and AI Gateway credits

    Accepted projects can also claim $5,000 in Neon credits and $5,000 in Neon AI Gateway credits, if they want them. The credits are optional and don't affect the cash sponsorship.

  • A relationship if you want one

    We're happy to work with maintainers on content, events, integrations, or product feedback when it makes sense for both sides. None of it is a condition of the sponsorship.

What we ask in return

  • Show the Neon logo with a link in one agreed place: your README, your project homepage, your documentation site, or a sponsors page.
  • Label it as a sponsorship, for example "Sponsored by Neon."
  • Keep the placement live for the full term, and tell us if it moves or if the project's ownership changes.

Neon doesn't ask for exclusivity, product endorsements, editorial control, or a say in your roadmap or license. A shared sponsor grid next to other sponsors is fine.

Eligibility checklist

Before you apply, make sure your project has:

  1. A public open source repository: The project is released under an OSI-approved open source license.
  2. Active development: You're actively working on it, with recent releases, commits, or issue triage.
  3. GitHub Sponsors enabled: Neon pays sponsorships through GitHub Sponsors, so the repository or its maintainer needs an active GitHub Sponsors profile.

How we choose projects

Meeting the checklist makes a project eligible. We then review each application and decide whether it fits the open source community we sponsor. We look at the project's popularity, how unique it is, and the activity on the repository, along with other signals. Based on that review, we decide whether to sponsor the project and the monthly amount.

How to apply

Fill out the application form at the top of this page with your project's website and GitHub repository. We'll follow up by email.

FAQ

Do I need to use Neon or Postgres?

No. The program supports open source that developers rely on, whatever database it uses, if any. If you do want to build on Neon, accepted projects can claim $5,000 in Neon credits and $5,000 in Neon AI Gateway credits.


Is commercial open source eligible?

Yes, as long as the open source project and its community are substantial, developers can self-host it, and the sponsorship supports maintaining the open source project.


How do payments work?

Neon sets up a recurring monthly sponsorship to your GitHub Sponsors profile for the length of the term. If you haven't enabled GitHub Sponsors yet, you can set up a profile at github.com/sponsors before you apply.


How much does a sponsorship pay?

It depends on the project. We set the monthly amount during review, based on the same signals we use to choose projects.


What happens after six months?

We review each sponsorship near the end of its term. If the placement is still live and the project is healthy, we can renew it for another six months.