How to start a project

ManIQ is a crowdfunding site targeting talented youngsters aged between 13 and 18. If you belong to this group, you can start projects in 10 various categories, and show your talent to people, who will donate to you if they find your product unique and creative. Furthermore, you can decide to work with a mentor if you require support in realizing your dreams.

Therefore, ManIQ is a site which tries to work for equal opportunities in talent development and give a chance to gifted youth to fund their future with financial resources and by realizing a product they have visualized.

No, it is completely free of charge.

Having posted a project, before it is approved, you will have the opportunity to choose whether you would like to work with a mentor if your project is successful. If you decide on the collaboration with a mentor, you will be kindly asked to reply to an email from ManIQ, accepting the terms and conditions of the collaboration with the mentor. If your project is successfully funded, the mentor will give their best to support you in realizing the project, helping you with action plan, advice, participating in meetings, supporting you in managing your project, being in constant communication with you and your parent.

It is important to verify the project starters’ identity, whether they are aged between 13 and 18, whether their project idea is their own, and to check which country they are from, which is necessary for setting up our mentoring system. Therefore, after you have submitted your project plan, we will send you and your parent an email in which you will be kindly asked to attach photos of your and your parent’s IDs. Please make sure your IDs are valid. You can help this verification process by completing your profile on ManIQ with your social media profiles as well.

Details are the most important when you are planning to start a project. It is important to provide as much info to the public as possible about your product: its features, why it is a novelty, and how you are planning to realize your project. Do not forget to upload photos and videos if possible, they can increase the probability of being funded.

In order to make your project more successful, we would recommend adding media files as well, such as photos and videos. You can upload a featured image, which will appear as the main image of your campaign, and add further photos from your computer. A video in which you present your product, or photos documenting the process of creation, for example, can contribute to the authenticity of your campaign.

We will remove or refuse to approve your project if the idea is not original or it contains hateful, racist, sexual remarks, images.

Currently there is no fee you have to pay to ManIQ, however, in case the project is successfully funded, you are kindly asked to transfer your mentor their fee, valuing their effort and collaboration.

As far as the project costs are concerned, we would suggest you browse the internet, ask friends, enquire at companies regarding the potential costs of your project (e.g. the production of a robot), and having all this information, give your target amount wisely. A lower amount may not be enough for realizing your project, and a much higher amount may sound irrealistic to people, and they might decide not to donate.

Doing your calculation, you should also keep in mind that PayPal charges fees to the person who receives the donation, which varies between 3 and 5% of the donated amount. (For further info please visit the Paypal website: https://www.paypal.com)

After you have calculated your costs realistically, set your target amount, and started your project, there are two possibilities: the funding may be successful or unsuccessful. Successful project funding means you have had numerous backers who believe in your idea, and donated enough to realize your dream. In this case, you will receive the entire amount to the provided PayPal account. If your project is partly funded, you will still receive the donated amount to motivate you to work on your idea, however, you may not be able to carry out the complete project. For further info please read our Mentors page.

If you wish to donate to a project or you are going to receive a donation, you will need a PayPal account. PayPal is a very secure payment system and can be used worldwide. Please note, if you are under 18, you will need to use your parent’s PayPal account, or ask them to set up one for you. If you live in the US, you can also own a Student account. For more info please check the PayPal website: https://www.paypal.com/us/webapps/mpp/student

ManIQ operates with real-time donations, which means we do not withhold the donations, as the transactions happen directly between the donors and the project owners. Therefore, the time when you can withdraw the amount from your account will only depend on PayPal.

In case your project was successfully funded, and you immediately dig into realizing your idea, please start posting updates too. Your backers will appreciate if you keep them updated.

Please do not forget to include the amount earned on ManIQ to your yearly tax return.

On ManIQ you can comment projects, but we do not give out any contact details of project owners. If a company wishes to contribute to a project by offering services, business cooperation etc., please contact us at info@maniq.org.