Catalyst Compass:Open-Source AI-Powered Proposal Navigator

[Proposal setup] Proposal title

Please provide your proposal title

Catalyst Compass:Open-Source AI-Powered Proposal Navigator

[Proposal Summary] Budget Information

Enter the amount of funding you are requesting in ADA

60000

[Proposal Summary] Time

Please specify how many months you expect your project to last

6

[Proposal Summary] Translation Information

Please indicate if your proposal has been auto-translated

No

Original Language

en

[Proposal Summary] Problem Statement

What is the problem you want to solve?

Many Catalyst proposals copy ideas from previous funds or fit into categories that are already full. This makes voting harder and lessens innovation.

[Proposal Summary] Project Dependencies

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

No

Describe any dependencies or write 'No dependencies'

No dependencies

[Proposal Summary] Project Open Source

Will your project's outputs be fully open source?

Yes

License and Additional Information

This project will be released as open source. The source code will be published on GitHub under the MIT License, ensuring transparency, accessibility, and the possibility for community contributions.

[Theme Selection] Theme

Please choose the most relevant theme and tag related to the outcomes of your proposal

Governance

[Campaign Category] Category Questions

Mention your open source license and describe your open source license rationale.

The code will be released under the MIT License.

The MIT License was chosen because it is a widely recognized, permissive open-source license that maximizes collaboration and adoption. It allows anyone in the Catalyst and Cardano community to freely use, modify, and integrate the code into their own tools or research, without restrictive obligations.

By using MIT, we ensure that Catalyst Compass serves as a shared governance infrastructure that developers, researchers, and community contributors can extend and build upon, accelerating ecosystem-wide innovation.

How do you make sure your source code is accessible to the public from project start, and people are informed?

From project start, all source code and documentation will be hosted on a public GitHub repository under the MIT license. The repository will be created at project kickoff, even before the first lines of code, containing the roadmap, milestones, and contribution guidelines.

To ensure people are informed, we will share the repository link in the proposal updates, Catalyst project milestones, and community channels (e.g., Discord, Telegram, and Twitter/X). We will also provide clear README files and changelogs so contributors and users can easily follow progress and access the code at any stage

How will you provide high quality documentation?

All documentation will be maintained in the public GitHub repository alongside the code. This will include:

• Clear setup guides for installing and using Catalyst Compass.

• API/technical references for developers who want to extend or integrate the tool.

• User guides and tutorials with step-by-step instructions for proposers and voters.

• Regular updates with changelogs and milestone reports.

Documentation will be versioned, open for community feedback, and improved continuously to ensure clarity, accessibility, and ease of adoption.

[Your Project and Solution] Solution

Please describe your proposed solution and how it addresses the problem

Make Catalyst Compass,an open-source AI-powered platform that:

• Looks at all the comments, suggestions, and voting data from the past.

• Finds gaps (themes with few or no proposals).

• Gives new proposers ideas for areas that aren't being served well.

• Compares written proposals to past data to find duplicates.

• Gives proposers and voters a simple, interactive dashboard.

This ensures ideas are more original, resources are allocated more effectively, and community decision-making becomes more transparent and impactful.

[Your Project and Solution] Impact

Please define the positive impact your project will have on the wider Cardano community

• More diverse proposals: fewer copies and more new ideas.

• Increases impact: helps funds meet more needs in the ecosystem.

• Supports proposers: by helping newcomers get started and lowering barriers.

• Gives voters more power: a clearer picture of trends in innovation and newness.

• Better project quality: leads to stronger ecosystem, which strengthens Catalyst governance.

[Your Project and Solution] Capabilities & 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?

The project will be developed openly on GitHub under the MIT license, ensuring that every step from research to prototype is visible to the community.

To build trust and accountability, we have:

• Milestone-based funding with clear deliverables (research, AI prototype, dashboard, testing, launch).

• Public reporting through GitHub updates, IdeaScale milestone reports, and community channels.

• Collaborative governance where contributors and community members can review, suggest, and test features in real time.

Feasibility will be validated by first developing a lightweight AI prototype that analyzes a subset of past proposals and comments. Early community feedback will confirm the accuracy, usefulness, and practicality of the approach before scaling up.

[Milestones] Project Milestones

Milestone Title

Milestone 1 – Research & Data Prep (Month 1)

Milestone Outputs

• Collect past proposals, comments, and voting data.

• Clean and structure dataset for AI training.

Documentation describing:

• Data sources (IdeaScale, Catalyst GitHub, etc.)

• Cleaning/structuring process

• Data schema and field definitions

• Instructions for developers/researchers to reuse the dataset

Acceptance Criteria

• Past Catalyst proposals, comments, and voting data collected from official sources (IdeaScale, Catalyst GitHub, etc.).

• Data cleaned, structured, and stored in a reusable format (e.g., CSV/JSON/SQL).

• Dataset uploaded to a public GitHub repository with open access.

• Documentation prepared, including data sources, cleaning steps, and usage guide for developers/researchers.

• Evidence of completion shared with the Catalyst community (progress report + GitHub link).

Evidence of Completion

• Evidence: Data export files stored in GitHub repo (CSV/JSON/SQL).

• Evidence: Scripts and notebooks showing preprocessing steps + sample outputs.

• Evidence: Scripts and notebooks showing preprocessing steps + sample outputs.

• Evidence: README + documentation file in repo.

• Evidence: Progress report shared on Catalyst channels with GitHub link.

Delivery Month

1

Cost

8000

Progress

10 %

Milestone Title

Milestone 2 – Open-Source AI Prototype Development (Month 2–3)

Milestone Outputs

• Build core AI/NLP modules for text clustering, similarity detection, and gap analysis could be reused by others building Catalyst dashboards, analytic platforms, or governance apps.

• Test “gap detection” logic on past funds.

Acceptance Criteria

• Core AI/NLP modules built (text clustering, similarity detection, gap analysis).

• Prototype tested on past Catalyst funds (demonstrates ability to detect duplicate proposals & under-served themes).

• Reusable, open-source AI modules documented so others can integrate them into dashboards or governance tools.

• Community informed of progress via Catalyst update.

Evidence of Completion

• Evidence: Source code in public GitHub repo with commit history.

• Evidence: Test results published in repo (sample outputs + evaluation notes).

• Evidence: Technical documentation + usage examples in README.

• Evidence: Progress report shared with demo results (e.g., screenshots, logs, short video).

Delivery Month

2

Cost

25000

Progress

50 %

Milestone Title

Milestone 3 – UI/UX & Dashboard (Month 4)

Milestone Outputs

• Interactive web dashboard with core features:

• Proposal similarity checker (finds duplicates/overlaps).

• Gap explorer (highlights under-served themes).

• Simple, user-friendly navigation.

• Mobile-friendly interface tested on multiple devices.

• Backend AI modules integrated with frontend (prototype connected to user interface).

• Basic user guide (how to use the dashboard features).

• Public deployment of MVP (accessible link for Catalyst community to try).

• Progress update shared with community (screenshots, demo video, or walkthrough).

Acceptance Criteria

• Dashboard deployed and accessible online with a public URL.

• Core features functional: Proposal similarity checker works with test inputs, Gap explorer highlights under-served themes.

• Frontend integrated with backend AI prototype.

• Mobile-friendly and tested on common devices (desktop, tablet, phone).

• Basic user guide available (explaining dashboard usage).

• Community informed of progress.

Evidence of Completion

• Evidence: Live link shared with the Catalyst community.

• Evidence: Demo video/screenshots + test report.

• Evidence: GitHub repo code commits showing integration + documentation.

• Evidence: Test notes/screenshots across devices.

• Evidence: README/guide published in GitHub repo and shared with users.

• Evidence: Progress report + demo walkthrough posted to Catalyst community channels.

Delivery Month

1

Cost

15000

Progress

70 %

Milestone Title

Milestone 4 – Community Testing & Iteration (Month 5)

Milestone Outputs

• Beta version of Catalyst Compass released for testing (accessible link).

• Pilot workshops conducted with 2–3 Catalyst town halls or community calls.

• User feedback collected through surveys, interviews, and live testing sessions.

• Refinements implemented based on feedback (bug fixes, UI/UX improvements, usability tweaks).

• Feedback & iteration report summarizing findings, changes made, and community input.

• Public update to Catalyst community with key insights and demo highlights.

Acceptance Criteria

• Beta version deployed and accessible for community testing.

• At least 2–3 pilot workshops completed in Catalyst town halls or governance calls.

• User feedback systematically collected via surveys, forms, or interviews.

• Key refinements implemented (UI/UX improvements, bug fixes, usability updates).

• Feedback & iteration report published (summary of community input and actions taken).

• Progress communicated back to the community.

Evidence of Completion

• Evidence: Public link shared with Catalyst community.

• Evidence: Workshop recordings, attendance lists, or screenshots.

• Evidence: Raw survey data + anonymized summary available in GitHub/docs.

• Evidence: Changelog in GitHub + updated demo showing changes.

• Evidence: Public PDF/Markdown report shared in GitHub and Catalyst update channels.

• Evidence: Update post, short demo video, or town hall presentation.

Delivery Month

1

Cost

7000

Progress

90 %

Milestone Title

Milestone 5 – Final Release & Reporting (Month 6)

Milestone Outputs

• Public launch of Catalyst Compass platform (stable release, accessible link).

• Open-source AI modules published in GitHub under the chosen license (MIT).

• Usage guide & developer documentation (how to use, extend, and contribute).

• Final project report detailing milestones, results, and community impact.

• Demo video or live walkthrough showcasing final platform functionality.

• Dissemination update to the Catalyst community (shared in town halls, Ideascale, and social channels).

Acceptance Criteria

• Stable release of Catalyst Compass publicly accessible.

• Source code published under open-source license (MIT).

• Comprehensive documentation available (user guide + developer guide).

• Final project report submitted to Catalyst.

• Demonstration of final product delivered.

• Community informed of project closure and next steps.

Evidence of Completion

• Evidence: Live URL shared with Catalyst community.

• Evidence: Public GitHub repository with license file, tagged release, and final commits.

• Evidence: README, wiki, or docs folder in GitHub; usage guide PDF/Markdown.

• Evidence: Publicly shared PDF/Markdown report covering milestones, results, and impact.

• Evidence: Recorded demo video or live walkthrough at Catalyst town hall.

• Evidence: Update post on Catalyst channels (Discord, Ideascale, etc.) + link to resources.

Delivery Month

1

Cost

5000

Progress

100 %

[Final Pitch] Budget & Costs

Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources

Milestone 1 – Research & Data Prep (Month 1)

• Collect past proposals, comments, and voting data.

• Clean and structure dataset for AI training.

Deliverable: Open dataset + documentation.

Budget: 8,000 ADA (13.3%)

Breakdown:

• Research & data collection: 3,500 ADA

• Data cleaning & structuring: 3,000 ADA

• Documentation & transparency: 1,500 ADA

Milestone 2 – Open-Source AI Prototype Development (Month 2–3)

• Build core AI/NLP modules for text clustering, similarity detection, and gap analysis could be reused by others building Catalyst dashboards, analytic platforms, or governance apps.

• Test “gap detection” logic on past funds.

Deliverable: Working prototype (backend only).

Budget: 25,000 ADA (41.7%)

Breakdown:

• AI/ML engineering: 15,000 ADA

• Cloud compute & storage: 4,000 ADA

• Repository setup & testing: 3,000 ADA

• Community validation workshops: 3,000 ADA

Milestone 3 – UI/UX & Dashboard (Month 4)

• Develop interactive web dashboard (proposal matcher, gap explorer).

• Mobile-friendly interface.

Deliverable: Functional MVP dashboard (frontend + backend integrated).

Budget: 15,000 ADA (25%)

Breakdown:

• Frontend & backend integration: 8,000 ADA

• UI/UX design: 4,000 ADA

• QA & bug fixes: 3,000 ADA

Milestone 4 – Community Testing & Iteration (Month 5)

• Pilot workshops with 2–3 Catalyst town halls.

• Gather feedback, refine tool.

Deliverable: Community-tested beta with user feedback report.

Budget: 7,000 ADA (11.7%)

Breakdown:

• Community engagement/workshops: 3,000 ADA

• Testing incentives: 2,000 ADA

• Feedback analysis & iteration: 2,000 ADA

Milestone 5 – Final Release & Reporting (Month 6)

• Public launch of Catalyst Compass ahead of Fund 15.

• Publish open-source AI modules + usage guide.

Deliverable: Live platform + final project report to Catalyst.

Budget: 5,000 ADA (8.3%)

Breakdown:

• Hosting & deployment: 2,000 ADA

• Open-source documentation: 1,500 ADA

• Final reporting: 1,500 ADA

Total Budget Request: 60,000 ADA

[Final Pitch] Value for Money

How does the cost of the project represent value for the Cardano ecosystem?

The requested 60,000 ADA funds the full lifecycle of Catalyst Compass: research, AI prototype, dashboard, community testing, and final open-source release. By leveraging open-source tools and deliver a reusable AI framework that can be adapted for dashboards, analytics platforms, or governance apps across Cardano.

Instead of a one tool, the project creates permanent value by:

• Publishing an open dataset and AI modules that others can build on.

• Helping proposers avoid duplication and discover under-served problem areas, improving proposal quality.

• Giving voters better insights and transparency, strengthening governance decisions.

For a modest budget, the ecosystem gains both a live platform and long-term infrastructure that reduces wasted proposals, improves funding efficiency, and supports Cardano’s goal of scalable, community-driven innovation.

[Required Acknowledgements] Consent & Confirmation

Terms and Conditions:

Yes