diff --git a/sharness/__snapshots__/example-github-load/projects/c291cmNlY3JlZC10ZXN0L2V4YW1wbGUtZ2l0aHVi/project.json b/sharness/__snapshots__/example-github-load/projects/c291cmNlY3JlZC10ZXN0L2V4YW1wbGUtZ2l0aHVi/project.json
index 8301ab5..01562ef 100644
--- a/sharness/__snapshots__/example-github-load/projects/c291cmNlY3JlZC10ZXN0L2V4YW1wbGUtZ2l0aHVi/project.json
+++ b/sharness/__snapshots__/example-github-load/projects/c291cmNlY3JlZC10ZXN0L2V4YW1wbGUtZ2l0aHVi/project.json
@@ -1 +1 @@
-[{"type":"sourcecred/project","version":"0.4.0"},{"discourseServer":null,"id":"sourcecred-test/example-github","identities":[],"repoIds":[{"name":"example-github","owner":"sourcecred-test"}]}]
\ No newline at end of file
+[{"type":"sourcecred/project","version":"0.5.0"},{"discourseServer":null,"id":"sourcecred-test/example-github","identities":[],"initiatives":null,"repoIds":[{"name":"example-github","owner":"sourcecred-test"}]}]
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/core/project.js b/src/core/project.js
index d84b31d..7170087 100644
--- a/src/core/project.js
+++ b/src/core/project.js
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 import base64url from "base64url";
 import {type RepoId} from "../plugins/github/repoId";
 import {toCompat, fromCompat, type Compatible} from "../util/compat";
+import {type ProjectParameters as Initiatives} from "../plugins/initiatives/params";
 import {type Identity} from "../plugins/identity/identity";
 import {type DiscourseServer} from "../plugins/discourse/server";
 
@@ -24,17 +25,22 @@ export type ProjectId = string;
  * the future (e.g. showing the last update time for each of the project's data
  * dependencies).
  */
-export type Project = ProjectV040;
-export type SupportedProject = ProjectV030 | ProjectV031 | ProjectV040;
+export type Project = ProjectV050;
+export type SupportedProject =
+  | ProjectV030
+  | ProjectV031
+  | ProjectV040
+  | ProjectV050;
 
-type ProjectV040 = {|
+export type ProjectV050 = {|
   +id: ProjectId,
+  +initiatives: Initiatives | null,
   +repoIds: $ReadOnlyArray<RepoId>,
   +discourseServer: DiscourseServer | null,
   +identities: $ReadOnlyArray<Identity>,
 |};
 
-const COMPAT_INFO = {type: "sourcecred/project", version: "0.4.0"};
+const COMPAT_INFO = {type: "sourcecred/project", version: "0.5.0"};
 
 /**
  * Creates a new Project instance with default values.
@@ -50,6 +56,7 @@ export function createProject(p: $Shape<Project>): Project {
     repoIds: [],
     identities: [],
     discourseServer: null,
+    initiatives: null,
     ...p,
   };
 }
@@ -72,13 +79,28 @@ export function encodeProjectId(id: ProjectId): string {
   return base64url.encode(id);
 }
 
-const upgradeFrom030 = (p: ProjectV030 | ProjectV031): ProjectV040 => ({
+const upgradeFrom040 = (p: ProjectV040): ProjectV050 => ({
   ...p,
-  discourseServer:
-    p.discourseServer != null ? {serverUrl: p.discourseServer.serverUrl} : null,
+  initiatives: null,
 });
 
-type ProjectV031 = {|
+export type ProjectV040 = {|
+  +id: ProjectId,
+  +repoIds: $ReadOnlyArray<RepoId>,
+  +discourseServer: DiscourseServer | null,
+  +identities: $ReadOnlyArray<Identity>,
+|};
+
+const upgradeFrom030 = (p: ProjectV030 | ProjectV031) =>
+  upgradeFrom040({
+    ...p,
+    discourseServer:
+      p.discourseServer != null
+        ? {serverUrl: p.discourseServer.serverUrl}
+        : null,
+  });
+
+export type ProjectV031 = {|
   +id: ProjectId,
   +repoIds: $ReadOnlyArray<RepoId>,
   +discourseServer: {|
@@ -88,7 +110,7 @@ type ProjectV031 = {|
   +identities: $ReadOnlyArray<Identity>,
 |};
 
-type ProjectV030 = {|
+export type ProjectV030 = {|
   +id: ProjectId,
   +repoIds: $ReadOnlyArray<RepoId>,
   +discourseServer: {|
@@ -101,4 +123,5 @@ type ProjectV030 = {|
 const upgrades = {
   "0.3.0": upgradeFrom030,
   "0.3.1": upgradeFrom030,
+  "0.4.0": upgradeFrom040,
 };
diff --git a/src/core/project.test.js b/src/core/project.test.js
index 12e0937..e6dc398 100644
--- a/src/core/project.test.js
+++ b/src/core/project.test.js
@@ -8,6 +8,9 @@ import {
   type Project,
   encodeProjectId,
   createProject,
+  type ProjectV040,
+  type ProjectV031,
+  type ProjectV030,
 } from "./project";
 
 import {makeRepoId} from "../plugins/github/repoId";
@@ -20,12 +23,14 @@ describe("core/project", () => {
     id: "foo/bar",
     repoIds: [foobar],
     discourseServer: null,
+    initiatives: null,
     identities: [],
   });
   const p2: Project = deepFreeze({
     id: "@foo",
     repoIds: [foobar, foozod],
     discourseServer: {serverUrl: "https://example.com"},
+    initiatives: {remoteUrl: "http://foo.bar/initiatives"},
     identities: [
       {
         username: "example",
@@ -45,7 +50,7 @@ describe("core/project", () => {
     });
     it("should upgrade from 0.3.0 formatting", () => {
       // Given
-      const body = {
+      const body: ProjectV030 = {
         id: "example-030",
         repoIds: [foobar, foozod],
         discourseServer: {
@@ -63,15 +68,18 @@ describe("core/project", () => {
       const project = projectFromJSON(compat);
 
       // Then
-      expect(project).toEqual({
-        ...body,
-        // It should strip the apiUsername field, keeping just serverUrl.
-        discourseServer: {serverUrl: "https://example.com"},
-      });
+      expect(project).toEqual(
+        ({
+          ...body,
+          // It should strip the apiUsername field, keeping just serverUrl.
+          discourseServer: {serverUrl: "https://example.com"},
+          initiatives: null,
+        }: Project)
+      );
     });
     it("should upgrade from 0.3.1 formatting", () => {
       // Given
-      const body = {
+      const body: ProjectV031 = {
         id: "example-031",
         repoIds: [foobar, foozod],
         discourseServer: {
@@ -89,11 +97,39 @@ describe("core/project", () => {
       const project = projectFromJSON(compat);
 
       // Then
-      expect(project).toEqual({
-        ...body,
-        // It should strip the apiUsername field, keeping just serverUrl.
+      expect(project).toEqual(
+        ({
+          ...body,
+          // It should strip the apiUsername field, keeping just serverUrl.
+          discourseServer: {serverUrl: "https://example.com"},
+          initiatives: null,
+        }: Project)
+      );
+    });
+    it("should upgrade from 0.4.0 formatting", () => {
+      // Given
+      const body: ProjectV040 = {
+        id: "example-040",
+        repoIds: [foobar, foozod],
         discourseServer: {serverUrl: "https://example.com"},
-      });
+        identities: [],
+      };
+      const compat = toCompat(
+        {type: "sourcecred/project", version: "0.4.0"},
+        body
+      );
+
+      // When
+      const project = projectFromJSON(compat);
+
+      // Then
+      expect(project).toEqual(
+        ({
+          ...body,
+          // It should add a default initiatives field.
+          initiatives: null,
+        }: Project)
+      );
     });
   });
   describe("encodeProjectId", () => {
@@ -130,6 +166,7 @@ describe("core/project", () => {
       expect(project).toEqual({
         id: projectShape.id,
         discourseServer: null,
+        initiatives: null,
         repoIds: [],
         identities: [],
       });
@@ -141,6 +178,7 @@ describe("core/project", () => {
         id: "@foo",
         repoIds: [foobar, foozod],
         discourseServer: {serverUrl: "https://example.com"},
+        initiatives: {remoteUrl: "http://foo.bar/initiatives"},
         identities: [
           {
             username: "example",
diff --git a/src/core/project_io.test.js b/src/core/project_io.test.js
index 5746a3b..9c2cee9 100644
--- a/src/core/project_io.test.js
+++ b/src/core/project_io.test.js
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ describe("core/project_io", () => {
     repoIds: [foobar, foozod],
     discourseServer: {serverUrl: "https://example.com"},
     identities: [{username: "foo", aliases: ["github/foo", "discourse/foo"]}],
+    initiatives: {remoteUrl: "https://example.com/initiatives"},
   });
 
   it("setupProjectDirectory results in a loadable project", async () => {
diff --git a/src/plugins/initiatives/params.js b/src/plugins/initiatives/params.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9f36d9e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/plugins/initiatives/params.js
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+// @flow
+
+/**
+ * Options to add to Project spec.
+ * Assumes we're loading an InitiativesDirectory. We're not including the local
+ * path here, as this is environment dependent. It should be passed as an ENV
+ * or CLI parameter instead.
+ */
+export type ProjectParameters = {|
+  +remoteUrl: string,
+|};