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Propose a New Top‑Level Project (TLP)

If you’re exploring a home for a project under Linux Foundation Decentralized Trust (LFDT), welcome—you’re in the right place. This page is written for founders, maintainers, and community stewards who want neutral governance, a durable brand, and a path for their project to grow in the open. We’ll keep this conversational and point straight to the official documents so you don’t have to read the same things twice.

A Top‑Level Project (TLP) is a community with a clear scope and its own technical steering, hosted under LFDT’s neutral umbrella. New projects normally start in Incubation and graduate when they meet the criteria in the lifecycle policy. Rather than restating those rules, we’ll simply link you there when needed.

Is a TLP right for you?

Think about the journey you’re on. If your codebase is public, you have a defined problem space, and there’s interest from more than one organization, a TLP can provide the neutral ground to grow. If you’re earlier—maybe a single‑org prototype or a promising idea looking for its first contributors—LFDT Labs is a terrific starting point that keeps your path to a TLP wide open: https://www.lfdecentralizedtrust.org/projects/labs.

If your work is a focused component of an existing LFDT project, you may be better served as a sub‑project within that community. When in doubt, reach out; the TAC and existing maintainers are happy to help you find the right home.

What makes a strong proposal

Successful proposals tell a clear story:

They explain the problem and the scope in plain language. Readers should immediately understand why this work matters and how it fits within LFDT’s mission. If there’s overlap with existing projects, acknowledge it and describe how you’ll collaborate or differentiate.

They show there’s a community, not just code. Name the initial maintainers and organizations involved, and share early signals of adoption—proof‑of‑concepts, pilots, or users who intend to build on your work. Multi‑organization participation is a strong signal of project health and neutrality.

They sketch a near‑term roadmap. No grand treatises required—just enough to show how you plan to release, document, test, and engage contributors during Incubation. The lifecycle page outlines how maturity is evaluated over time and what “graduation‑ready” looks like.

They embrace open governance and good hygiene. Use a permissive, Apache‑compatible license, make contribution expectations explicit (e.g., DCO/CLA approach), and show that security and quality (testing, CI, signed artifacts) are part of your plan. You’ll find the policy details in the lifecycle; link above.

When you’re ready, use the official template rather than free‑form prose. It keeps everyone on the same page and speeds up review: https://github.com/LF-Decentralized-Trust/project-proposals.

How evaluation works

The Technical Advisory Council (TAC) reviews proposals against the lifecycle policy. In practice, they’re looking for a good fit with LFDT scope, a community that can grow under neutral governance, and a path to meet the maturity signals over time (releases, docs, testing, security practices, healthy contributor dynamics). Entry is typically to Incubation, where you’ll build momentum and report progress; graduation comes later, when the criteria are met. Full policy here: https://lf-decentralized-trust.github.io/governance/governing-documents/project-lifecycle.html.

The journey: socialize → submit → present → incubate

Great proposals don’t appear out of nowhere—they’re socialized. Start by introducing your intent to the TAC and related project communities. Share a short summary, ask for feedback, and listen for signals about overlap and collaboration opportunities. This early conversation often sharpens your scope and strengthens your team.

When the shape feels right, fill out the proposal template and open a pull request in the proposals repository. Request time on a TAC call to present, answer questions, and incorporate any final feedback. If the TAC approves, you’ll enter Incubation and work toward graduation with the community cheering you on.

Stay connected

LFDT thrives on friendly, ongoing conversation. If you’re still deciding on the right path—or you simply want to meet your future collaborators—join the community spaces and say hello. You’ll find people eager to help with naming, scope, governance questions, and technical fit.