Cardano Forest [blocktree.asia] - Foster Trust & Trackability in Reforestation

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

Ky Tong - ky.tong@blocktree.asia

[GENERAL] Are you delivering this project as an individual or as an entity (whether formally incorporated or not)

Entity (Incorporated)

[GENERAL] Please specify how many months you expect your project to last (from 2-12 months)

4

[GENERAL] Please indicate if your proposal has been auto-translated into English from another language.

No

[GENERAL] Summarize your solution to the problem (200-character limit including spaces)

By providing a holistics toolset (miniERP, app) for Planter , we collect verified data then use NFTs on Cardano Blockchain to help the Sponsors track progress, learn & share the reforestation impact.

[GENERAL] Does your project have any dependencies on other organizations, technical or otherwise?

Yes

[GENERAL] If YES, please describe what the dependency is and why you believe it is essential for your project’s delivery. If NO, please write “No dependencies.”

It's technical dependency. Our goal is to utilize dNFTs in our solution, which allows metadata updates based on rules within smart contracts. This technology enables donors and sponsors to track the progress of planted trees and the impact through their life span via a only one NFT. However, Cardano has not supported this technology yet.

While we wait for Cardano to support dNFTs officially, we are watching the progress of CIP-0068, which proposes support for dNFTs to the Cardano. We hope that this proposal will be accepted and realized very soon so that we can fully utilize dNFTs in our project. You can find more information about CIP-0068 at https://github.com/cardano-foundation/CIPs/tree/master/CIP-0068.

As an alternative, we are using an NFT Collection, where each update of a location corresponds to a new NFT in the same group.

Through an NFT Collection, each NFT represents a unique asset within a group. This group represents the progress of a planting site, with each NFT representing a specific update. The metadata of each NFT reflects the details of that update, which allows donors and sponsors to track the progress of the project as a whole.

[GENERAL] Will your project’s output/s be fully open source?

No

[GENERAL] Please provide here more information on the open source status of your project outputs

What are not open-source:

• Source code
• Design file
• The technical documents that support implementation

We are a SIB (Social Impact Business), not an open source developer. We provide services for partners and there are reasons to keep our code base closed, such as privacy of customers, security, business IPs... However, we think what matters most is about the impact created.

The wider community may benefit from our educational content and engagement activities held by BlockTree. We publish them all freely on our Impact Hub so that people can find and learn how to support the Earth with their own resources & will.

[METADATA] SDG rating

13 - Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts

14 - Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development

15 - Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss

[SOLUTION] Please describe your proposed solution.

We are seeking a fund to continue with the third phase of our project. More information about the previous phases which were funded on Fund 8 and Fund 9 is as follows links :

• The Fund 8 proposal: https://cardano.ideascale.com/c/idea/396832. Status: Completed & closed.
• The Fund 9 proposal: https://projectcatalyst.io/funds/9/f9-dapps-products-and-integrations/cardano-forest-blocktreeasia. Status: Completed & closed.

Further, we are also listed in public newspapers. You can read about us here: https://www.sggp.org.vn/trong-mot-cay-xanh-chua-lanh-dat-me-post642839.html.

Also, we've already had the license as a Social Impact Business, which commits at least 51% profit will be spent on reforestation works. https://masothue.com/0317775246-cong-ty-co-phan-cong-nghe-blocktree

PROBLEMS:

The reforestation is one of the best & easiest ways to fight climate change impact, which is the current issue for the whole world, especially in developing countries in Asia. We also plan to expand our activities for other countries in Asia: China, Korea, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia...where are being seriously impacted by climate change.

Reforestation is gaining popularity among individuals and corporations, especially in Vietnam. However, we see many reforestation efforts fail to attract the donation fund/sponsorship to achieve their intended impact due to a variety of following challenges:

Critical problems in reforestration (original image)

1. Lack of proper planning:

Many corporates/sponsors lacking the expertise and knowledge & resources to develop effective sustainability plans. This leads to fragmented actions that are often seasonal, with little long-term impact. They just stops at the seasonal activities for branding purpose.

2. Transparency issue:

Double spending is common due to a lack of reliable data and third-party verification services. Without accurate and authentic data, it's hard for corporations and concerned individuals to donate to these efforts.

3. Lack of standardization in data management:

Paper-based systems are still prevalent in recording & reporting data, which leads to a lack of trust in the accuracy of reports. Furthermore, it creates barrier for funding efforts.

4. Lack of community involvement:

Many local communities are feeling disconnected from the reforestation efforts in their own land. This disconnection leads to a lack of buy-in and participation from the community. Morerover, the locals may be the one who triggers the action of deforestration in the planting site.

SOLUTIONS:

Our project aims to address these challenges with a holistic approach that focuses on fostering trust and trackability of reforestration works.

Overall BlockTree's process to foster trust & trackability (orginal image)

1. Holistics toolset for tree planting organization:

We empower them to transform from paper-based to more digitalized by providing:

(1) Mini-ERP to help them streamline the planning, execution, and reporting process.

(2) Data collection devices, which uses BlockTree's application to help their field workers to capture the ground data then transfer directly to the multi-layer verification engine. View the demo data collection app here.

Through mobile-device-management & other advanced algorithms, we ensure the authenticity of the ground data and also standardize the data so that it can be reliable.

2. Consultancy for Sponsors/Donors:

We offer consulting services to help corporations/sponsors embed sustainability into their business activities as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) or Enterprise Social Governance(ESG). Our experts can assist them with crafting a tailored strategy aligning with their goals. We also connect our corporate customers with planting organizations in our networks that fit their plan.

In Vietnam, we are currently connecting many organizations and individuals as sponsors to 3 tree planting organizations/inviduals with a capacity of planting 500,000 trees in one year. We are also expanding the network of tree planting organisations for greater impact. Find the detail here:

https://blocktree.asia/forest-link/

https://blocktree.asia/iag-academy-showcase/

https://blocktree.asia/an-lac-eco-farm/

List of individual sponsors: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/10Jfsbqm3GkcEzW3gmQsAjEz7-F4kf6pF/htmlview

3. Showcase tools for Sponsors/Donors:

Additionally, BlockTree offers unique ways for corporates/sponsors customers to showcase their impact through NFTs and showcase portal, providing transparency and educational opportunities. The postivie impact created is calculated based on the model of https://www.itreetools.org/.

Find the sample of NFT version 1 here: https://pool.pm/asset1h7kxjvlscsa0x5c65knzw2dhy00fmnk5hv7dhz

Find the sample of showcase portah here: https://blocktree.asia/forest-link/

The data flow in BlockTree's solution (original image)

4. Tracking tools for Sponsors/Donors:

Our reporting system is designed to be seamless and trustworthy, which enables us to provide real-time updates to our customers via APIs and BI dashboards. Find the sample dashboard here: https://lookerstudio.google.com/s/h4ahDfLRS74

Furthermore, every transaction that comes to/from us will be tracked with transparency via the bank's public statement. Find the evidence here: https://thiennguyen.app/user/blocktree

By providing these solutions, we believe that we can foster trust and trackability in the reforestation process, leading to increased engagement and impact. The ultimate goal of us is gathering everyone together and makeing them join hands in the work.

Our project is more than just a digital transformation/tech solution; it is an environment to promote sustainable development and create a positive impact on environment. By leveraging blockchain technology, we can make more trust, which leads to more participation of people. Those efforts contribute to the broader goal of sustainable development, beyond the scope of this challenge as well as Catalyst.

[IMPACT] Please define the positive impact your project will have on the wider Cardano community.

The benefits of this solution for the Cardano ecosystem are numerous.

1. Increased Adoption:

By using Cardano as the key infrastructure for BlockTree, we are helping to drive adoption of the platform and demonstrate its capabilities to potential users and partners. This can help to attract more developers, entrepreneurs, and investors to the ecosystem, leading to increased innovation and growth. We are also working with local government authorities to introduce our solution that will help them to understand more about the real use case of blockchain technology. Our end products will be NFTs that will be transferred to the sponsor's wallet on Cardano blockchain and will also bring more new users to Cardano Ecosystem.

2. Positive Social Impact:

Our project's focus on sustainability and environmental impact aligns with the values of the Cardano community, which is committed to creating positive social impact through blockchain technology. By using Cardano to facilitate the planting of trees and other sustainability initiatives, our project can help to promote the platform's social mission and contribute to a more sustainable future.

3. Use Case Validation:

BlockTree use of Cardano as the underlying infrastructure helps to validate the platform's capabilities and demonstrate its potential for real-world applications beyond cryptocurrency. This can help to build confidence in the platform among potential users and partners, leading to increased adoption and growth.

4. Innovative Applications:

Our project's use of NFTs to showcase impact and provide transparency is an innovative application of blockchain technology that can help to drive adoption of Cardano and other blockchain platforms. By demonstrating the potential of NFTs for social impact and sustainability initiatives, our project can help to inspire other developers and entrepreneurs to explore similar applications.

Overall, our project's focus on sustainability and social impact, combined with its use of innovative applications and digital tools, has the potential to bring significant benefits to the Cardano ecosystem and help to drive adoption and growth.

To be realistic, we estimate that we can attract 2 corporate customers (big brands) within 4 months of operation (after getting funded), with a target of planting at least 50,000 trees in that timeframe, estimating that we can reach, engage and bring Cardano to ~ 5,000 end-users (including brands' customers, local community, sponsors network...). Our current presence on social channels (at December 2023) are:

• Website: 4,700 users visited from Jan to Dec 2023.
• Facebook: 6,800 followers
• Telegram Vietnam: 282 members
• Telegram Global: 46 members
• Zalo Group: 274 members
• Linked In: 445 followers
• Youtube: 40 subscribers
• Twitter: 123 followers

[CAPABILITY & FEASIBILITY] What is your capability to deliver your project with high levels of trust and accountability? How do you intend to validate if your approach is feasible?

We have something to be proud of that will help to demonstrate high levels of trust and accountability:

1.Actual results: As mentioned above, we've already planted 12.500 trees with 3 planting organizations & serveral sponsors recently. They are happy using our solutions and actively introducing them to their networks.

2. Expertise: Our team has members & advisors that are experienced in sustainability, reforestation, blockchain technology & product development. All of them are 8+ years in their filed. We have experts in our team who can provide consulting services to corporates/sponsors and planting organizations to ensure that their efforts are well-planned and executed effectively.

3. Technology: We've already developed a toolset, including mini-ERP and data collection devices that empower planting organizations to streamline their planning, execution, and reporting processes. We are the first and only in Vietnamese having that holistics suite. By using them, we can ensure that data is standardized and reliable, which is critical in building trust and accountability.

4. Multi-layer verification process: We've running a multi-layer verification process to ensure the authenticity & accuracy of the ground data. This process involves using various params and verification methods to ensure that the data is credible.

5. Transparency: We are committed to transparency and accountability in all aspects of our project. We are providing updates to our partners & customers via channels & APIs. We also use NFTs to provide a unique and transparent way for customers and sponsors to showcase the impact of their efforts. You may find our reports with evidences in the links of Fund 8 and Fund 9 in the head of this proposal for reference.

[Project Milestones] What are the key milestones you need to achieve in order to complete your project successfully?

Timeline: 1 months after getting funded.

Key tasks:

• Product: Integrate the portal that helps individuals track their donation budget into blocketree.asia website with transparency.
• Product: Provide individual sponsors a way to query their historical data of donation & get online certification via their name/phone number.
• Partnership: Acquire 2 additional Planting Organizations in Vietnam.

Deliverables:

• Donation budget tracking portal integrated into blocketree.asia website with transparency
• Database of historical donation data and online certifications queryable by name/phone number
• User-friendly interfaces for accessing and interacting with both functionalities
• Secure authentication and authorization mechanisms for data access

Outputs:

• Real-time updates on donations received and their use, increasing transparency and trust
• Improved accountability and verification of historical donation data and online certifications
• Convenient and user-friendly interfaces for accessing and managing donation records.
• The plan of pilot with IoT devices with budget, timeline and data collection.

Acceptance Criteria:

• The donation tracking portal is integrated into the blocketree.asia website and is easily accessible from the homepage & individuals can easily track their donation budget in real-time.
• The portal also provides data on how the donations are being used and the impact they are having on the environment.
• Individuals can get online certification from sponsors via their name or phone number.
• The organizations acquired will be listed on BlockTree Website.

Timeline: 2 months after getting funded.

Key tasks:

• IoT Devices purchasing
• Operations: Collaborate with professional firms to plan about implementing devices (IOTs, Drone) on the planting sites & define data to be collected.
• IoT devices data collection

Deliverables

• IoT Devices and test plan
• 
  

Output:

• IoT devices data collection

Acceptance Criteria:

• The IoT test plan includes a timeline for implementation and a budget for the project as well as defines data that will be collected by IOTs, Drone devices.
• Report from IoT data

Timeline: 3 months after getting funded.

Key tasks:

• Product: Enhance mini ERP with Project Management & HR management function to help them fulfill the Operation journey end2end.
• Product: Upgrade the data collecting app with user authentication through biometrics to ensure authenticity & security.

Deliverables:

• Project management & HR management functions are integrated into the mini ERP system.
• A new version of data collecting app for workers with biometrics authentication has been released.

Output:

• Improved project management & HR management capabilities with the enhanced mini ERP system.
• Updated field worker app with more security.

Acceptance Criteria:

• The project management function includes features such as task assignment, progress tracking, and resource allocation.
• The HR management function includes features such as employee information management, and worklog management.
• The user authentication process is functional, secure and protects the privacy of user data.

Timeline: 4 months after getting funded

Key tasks

On boarding 2 big brands (as sponsor)

Wrap-up the fund 11 (if funded) to report The Overall Result of Project

Output:

Contract/ MOU with 2 big brands sponsors

Project closing report

[RESOURCES] Who is in the project team and what are their roles?

1.Project Director: Mr. Brit Nguyen: Managing the whole project progress and KPI, reporting, connecting with Partners/Donors.

Experiences:

• Over 15 years of experience in finance and fintech, 2 years of experience in the blockchain industry.
• Director of EY Vietnam
• Member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) - England
• Used to be ambassador of Genius Yield - All-in-one
• Cardano Stake Pool Operator (ADAUP).
• Cardano Community Advisor (Fund 7,8)
• Telegram: https://t.me/Britnguyen87
• Linked in: https://www.linkedin.com/in/quoc-nguyen-708370142/

2. Product Manager: Mr. Ky Tong (John):

Experiences:

• 8+ years experience in managing digital & educational products, which serves millions of users in Vietnam.
• Product Manager of Rootopia.vn - A p2p lending platform focused on Education.
• Product Manager of Dai-ichi Life Vietnam
• Experienced in Marketing & Growth, especially community platform.
• Founder of GSTT Group (https://www.facebook.com/SHARINGTHEVALUE) - An NGO that shares educational materials for students in Vietnam.
• Telegram: https://t.me/kytq2011
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tongquocky/

3. Tech Lead: Mr. Vi Nguyen

Experiences:

10+ years experience of technology architecture & system

• Tech Lead of GEEK Up Inc
• Sr System Engineering of Rootopia.vn
• A lot of projects on a global scale are under the advisory/supervision of Vi Nguyen
• Telegram: https://t.me/ngtrieuvi92
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vi-nguyen-61022085/

4. Sr Front-end Developer: Mr. Van Nguyen

Experiences:

14 years experience as a full stack software developer

• Frontend Lead of GEEK Up Inc
• Developer of Glandore System
• Telegram: https://t.me/vannk84
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/van-nguyen-83553117/

5. Sr Mobile Developer: Mr. Dat Tran

Experiences:

10 years experience as a full mobile developer

• Mobile Lead of GEEK Up Inc
• Developer at FPT Software
• Telegram: https://t.me/dattran17
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dattran17/

6. Sr Product Designer: Mr. Hoang Tran

Experiences:

10 years experience in the product design field. Work in UX, and UI, and communicate with the technical and business teams.

• Interested and researching human psychology.
• Has an experience in e-commerce and fintech investment platforms.
• Telegram: https://t.me/hoangtran_designer
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hoangtran-designer/

7. Marketing and Community Manager: Mr. Tung Tran: digital content creator, community management

Experiences:

• Full-time Lecture at Nguyen Tat Thanh University
• Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=e-69HSYAAAAJ&hl=en
• MBA degree, ex-KPMG
• Funded Proposer in fund 8, 9: Cardano Annual Market Report & Cardano Forest - blocktree.asia
• Cardano Community Advisor (Fund 8,9)
• 08 years of experience in Marketing
• 05 years of experience in Digital Marketing (Strongest in WordPress, SEO, Social & Community Marketing)
• 04 years experience in Blockchain Industry
• Founder www.facebook.com/yeutrongcay (objective is to increase of young people about climate change, plant tree and protect environment)
• Founder www.vneconomics.com (objective is to increase cognition of Vietnamese about Blockchain Technology)
• Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tranthanhtung37/

8. Partnership Manager: Ms. Tu Nguyen:

Experiences:

• Working in big corporations in Vietnam: AON, PACE...
• 6 years in developing Bancas of Bank of Investment and Development Vietnam
• 10+ years in founding and leading education start-ups: Kdi.edu.vn, IAG.edu.vn
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/huong-tu-87796a153/

9. Operations Manager: Ms. Hoa Tran:

Experiences:

• Working in big corporations in Vietnam: Pepsico, Schneider-Electric, Elenberg Fraser
• 12 years of experience in Accounting & Managing projects
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/h%C3%B2a-tr%E1%BA%A7n-7a1a62a4/

10. Consultant: Ms. Hoai Anh:

Experiences:

• Head of Marketing of VinUnisity
• Marketing Director of Vinschool
• Vice Chairwoman of Centre of Social Innitiatives Promotion in Vietnam
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nguyen-hoai-anh/

[BUDGET & COSTS] Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources.

Our cost were estimated based on the following basis:

• Man hours: denominated in ADA: ADA 32,810
• Third parties cost: denominated in USD: USD 12,849, converted to ADA @0.4 USD/ADA: ADA 32,123;
• For third parties cost, we will suffer to the exchange rate fluctuation, therefore we add 7,500 ADA as risk management budget.

Please find the details about budget here.

[VALUE FOR MONEY] How does the cost of the project represent value for money for the Cardano ecosystem?

The costs of the project have been carefully considered and calculated based on several factors, including the expertise and resources required to develop and implement our solution, as well as the potential impact of our solution on the environment and society.

The costs of the project are breakdown in details and correspondent with the level of expertise required to develop and implement our solutions. Our team includes experts in social impact, marketing, as well as developers, project & product managers who will work closely together to deliver the project. The costs also include the development and maintenance of our current digital system and also devices purchasing (smartphone for workers, IoT devices...);

In terms of the potential impact of our solution, as mentioned, reforestation is a critical area of sustainability initiatives to fight againse climate change. By planting trees, we can sequester carbon and contribute to the overall health of ecosystems, create lives for communities. Additionally, by promoting sustainable business practices, we can spread out the spirit of living sustainably, which is a core goal of the Cardano ecosystem and also attract wider communities to know about blockchain use cases, in particular Cardano blockchain;

We have carefully considered the costs of the project and benchmarked them with industry standards rates. We are sure that our costs are fair and reasonable while still allowing us to deliver a high-quality solution;

[IMPORTANT NOTE] The Applicant agrees to Fund Rules and also that data in the submission form and other data provided by the project team during the course of the project will be publicly available.

I Accept