Cardano Vietnam Builder Bootcamp: From Zero to Mainnet

[Proposal setup] Proposal title

Please provide your proposal title

Cardano Vietnam Builder Bootcamp: From Zero to Mainnet

[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

4

[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?

Vietnam presents strong potential for the Web3 market, but Cardano still needs more practical campaigns to support builder growth.

[Proposal Summary] Supporting Documentation

Supporting links

• https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1A6j2UCpTi/
,
• https://www.bpsclub.com/
,
• https://x.com/bps_club

[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

Please provide details on the intellectual property (IP) status of your project outputs, including whether they will be released as open source or retained under another licence.

Fully open source

[Theme Selection] Theme

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

Community

[Campaign Category] Category Questions

Who you’re targeting, how you’ll reach them, and why this matters for Cardano?

We will target builders and capable teams creating real products, including blockchain-interested students, builders wanting to migrate to the Cardano ecosystem, and Hackathon teams that have products but face difficulties deploying to Mainnet.

We will reach them by opening registration within the Cardano Vietnam community and conducting communication campaigns on social media platforms such as Facebook, X, and Telegram.

This is crucial for Cardano because, despite numerous hackathons and workshops, the number of projects actually deployed on Cardano remains limited. The Bootcamp focuses on creating products with real value, capable of running on Mainnet, supported by intensive mentoring. This contributes to improving project quality and expanding the pool of high-quality developers in Vietnam.

Provide a list of key activities of your project:

Our project will revolve around the following key activities:

• Open Registration: Registration will be open for 1 month to select the top 10 teams.
• Mentoring: Daily 1:1 support on technical issues and business strategy for each team during the Bootcamp.
• Coding Time: Teams will work centrally in the same space, combining with mentors to finalize products, including smart contracts built on Cardano, frontend, backend, video, and product pitch decks.
• Workshops: Organized in parallel with Coding Time, covering the following topics:
• Business Model: Building sustainable business strategies and revenue models.
• Marketing in Web3: User acquisition strategies and community development.
• Product-Market Fit: Identifying needs and adjusting products for users.
• Web3 Legal: Understanding laws, tokenomics, legal risks, and blockchain compliance.
• Pitching: Teams demo their products, and the 3 best projects will be selected.

What are your success metrics?

• All activities aim to improve project quality, enhance builder capacity, and foster tighter links between teams and mentors.
• Reach: ≥ 30% of projects participating in Bootcamp selected from 150 registered builders.
• Completion Rate: ≥ 80% of teams complete the final Bootcamp milestone.
• Product Quality: >50% of projects deliver a functional MVP (Testnet/Mainnet).
• Engagement: ≥ 90% of teams participate fully in meetings, workshops, and mentoring sessions.
• Media Impact: Program recap video reaches ≥ 3,000 views on social media platforms.

[Your Project and Solution] Solution

Please describe your proposed solution and how it addresses the problem

Problem Perception:

Currently, the number of developers in Vietnam participating in the Cardano ecosystem remains limited. While other ecosystems like Polkadot or Solana continuously organize academic bootcamps not only in the community but also at top universities in Vietnam, Cardano lacks these community resources, especially students who can contribute directly.

Solution:

To address these issues, we are building an intensive 7-day Bootcamp, consisting of 6 days of project development and 1 pitching day to identify 3 projects capable of going to Mainnet.

Workshops will cover:

• Business Model: Building sustainable business models.
• Marketing in Web3: User acquisition strategies and community development.
• Product-Market Fit: Identifying needs and adjusting products for users.
• Web3 Legal: Understanding laws, tokenomics, legal risks, and compliance.

We focus on quality over quantity, aiming for real projects that can run on Cardano Mainnet. The program is designed in 3 tight phases, ensuring teams are supported from startup to product deployment.

The project targets tech students, developers, builders migrating to Cardano, Hackathon teams needing further development, and small startups in the Vietnamese Cardano community lacking mentors and a combat environment to reach Mainnet.

Screening Phase

Goal: Find the 10 most potential teams capable of finishing the product in 7 days and deploying to Cardano Mainnet.

Key Activities:

Open registration 1 month in advance via media channels, Cardano community groups, and Web3 developer groups.

Campaign reaching over 150 builders and 40 projects.

Assess technical capacity and commitment to select the top 10 teams.

Combat Phase (Bootcamp)

Goal: Help teams finalize an MVP with all key features functional, along with a demo video and pitch deck.

Key Activities:

• Monday to Saturday: Teams work centrally in a co-working space. Mentors provide 1:1 technical support daily to finalize smart contracts (Cardano), frontend, backend, video, and pitch decks.
• Workshops: Intensive workshops held during development, focusing on Business Model Canvas for Web3, Product-Market Fit & Go-to-Market Strategy, and Web3 Legal.
• Sunday - Pitching Day: Teams demo products before a jury and mentors to find 3 winning projects, receiving direct feedback on technology, business models, and feasibility.

[Your Project and Solution] Impact

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

This project will deliver measurable positive impact to the Cardano ecosystem by:

Increasing visibility and elevating Cardano's position in Vietnam:

• Contributing to attracting more projects and ideas built on Cardano. The event expands beyond developers to the wider community through diverse workshop topics, helping Cardano reach investors and tech supporters.
• Developing quality builder resources: Screening over 150 builders to find the best talent. A playground for teams to find success via Bootcamp, where mentors provide useful advice and essential knowledge.
• Minimizing failure and orienting projects: Providing projects with a holistic view and a clearly oriented review process. Ensuring ideas go beyond MVPs to become useful, real-world products serving the community.
• Scalability and creating a sustainable playground: Launching 3 complete "start-ups" running on Mainnet with long-term roadmaps. These projects are equipped to acquire their own users, directly increasing wallet addresses and participants on Cardano.

Measurable KPIs:

To ensure impact is transparent and trackable:

• Scale: ≥200 attendees via workshop series. Reach 150+ builders, with at least 40 registered teams.
• Training Quality: 10 teams in the intensive Bootcamp.
• Output: 10 projects with MVPs and clear roadmaps built on Cardano.
• Real Impact: Create 5 new, quality projects on Cardano Mainnet (acting as 5 self-expanding startups).
• Satisfaction: Positive community feedback > 80%.
• Media Efficiency: High engagement regarding Cardano via workshops.

How will you share the outputs and opportunities that result from your project?

The project directly contributes 03 applications on Mainnet, generating real transactions and new users. It fosters a new generation of builders with sustainable business mindsets and affirms Cardano's tech position in the strategic Vietnam market.

To ensure transparency and long-term access, all resources will be public on the official GitHub:

• Quantitative: Lecture slides, mentor videos, workshop documents, and 10 MVP versions.
• Reporting: Monthly Reports and Milestone Videos on Catalyst.
• Qualitative: Feedback from attendees (surveys/interviews) and impact stories from participants.

[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?

1, Expertise and Experience:

Our team consists of experienced developers and blockchain educators with a strong background in Cardano and decentralized technologies. We will validate feasibility through hands-on workshops, participant feedback, and collaboration with industry professionals. Transparent reporting and open-source contributions will ensure trust and accountability throughout the project.

As proof of knowledge and research skills, some of our current proposals funded are attached:

The project has been funded by fund 10:

Proposal funded 1: “🇻🇳 Vietnam Cardano Catalyst - NFT Exchange testing and development environment helps young people approach with the Web3.0 platform”

Proposal funded 2: "Study guide for Marlow"

The project has been funded by fund 11:

Proposal funded 3: “Dualtarget for ADA-Holders (Staking and increasing assets) with a decentralized automated trading bot”

Proposal funded 4: “🇻🇳 The Complete Aiken Course Cardano: From Zero to Expert!”

The project has been funded by fund 12:

Proposal funded 1: "Open source dynamic assets (Token/NFT) generator (CIP68)"

Other activities

Article 1: "Students Scientific Research with Cardano Blockchain"

Article 2: "Students Scientific Research with Cardano Blockchain"

Article 3: "Scientific research results of students of the University of Transport and Communications 2024"

2, Accountability

Transparent Governance and Communication: We believe in maintaining transparency throughout the project lifecycle. We will establish clear communication channels to inform stakeholders about project updates, progress, and challenges. Regular reports and updates will be shared to ensure transparency and accountability.

Financial Management: Effective fund management is crucial. To demonstrate responsible fund management for a project, we will follow these steps and processes:

Budget Planning: We will develop a detailed budget plan outlining the allocation of funds for each project milestone and activity. This plan will be shared with stakeholders for review and approval.

Financial Control: We will establish strict financial controls to ensure that funds are used in accordance with the approved budget. This includes maintaining accurate records, implementing cost monitoring mechanisms, and conducting regular audits.

Transparent Reporting: Regular financial reports will be prepared and shared with stakeholders, providing detailed information on the project's financial status. These reports will include detailed information on costs, income, and any variances from the budget.

By combining expertise, transparent management practices, financial controls, and a commitment to open communication, we are confident in our ability to deliver the project with a high degree of trust and accountability.

[Milestones] Project Milestones

Milestone Title

Planning and Implementation

Milestone Outputs

• Make a Master Plan includes concept, timeline, agenda, marketing, and operation overview.
• Completed Marketing Plan includes personal info, basic project info, ...
• Completed Submission Form
• Completed Designs
• Completed Operation Plan

Acceptance Criteria

Master plan includes: Concept, timeline, agenda, marketing and operation overview.

Submission form includes: Personal info, basic project info, and preliminary pitch deck.

Marketing plan includes: Content plan, seeding plan, media partner list.

Design list includes: Key visual, social media templates, media publications.

Operation plan includes: Run-of-show script, printing list.

Evidence of Completion

Google Sheet link to the finalized Master Plan.

Google Sheet link to the finalized Marketing Plan.

Link to the finalized Submission Form.

Link to the Design folder containing all listed items.

Google Sheet link to the finalized Operation Plan.

Delivery Month

3

Cost

20000

Progress

30 %

Milestone Title

Execution & Bootcamp Delivery

Milestone Outputs

• Open Submission Form to collect team registrations.
• Select 10 projects to participate in the Bootcamp based on initial criteria.
• Execute the event (Host the bootcamp)
• Provide Technical Support to the teams.

Acceptance Criteria

Open Submission Form: The form is open for 20 days and receives at least 40 team registrations.

Selection: 10 projects are selected based on criteria regarding product maturity/completeness and idea quality.

Schedule: All activities are completed according to the schedule outlined in the Master Plan.

Quality: The event quality rating is evaluated at above 80%.

Technical Support: Any technical issues must be resolved within 15 minutes, ensuring no critical technical failures negatively impact the event quality.

Evidence of Completion

Link to the list of Bootcamp registration projects.

Link to the list of the 10 selected Bootcamp participants with preliminary pitch decks.

Link to the event feedback form.

Delivery Month

5

Cost

20000

Progress

70 %

Milestone Title

Project Close-out & Reporting

Milestone Outputs

Collect feedback from participants, judges, and stakeholders that can be used to improve future events.

Announce the results of the project

Finalize the Report and Close-out Video (PCV, PCR) highlighting the successes, challenges, and impact of the event are created and shared with all stakeholders.

Acceptance Criteria

Collect Feedback: Gather useful feedback from participants, judges, and stakeholders that can be used to improve future events. Achieve a response rate of at least 80% from distributed surveys.

Announce Results: Ensure winners are announced and results are shared widely in the community. Target engagement metrics (e.g., reaching at least 5,000 views and 500 interactions across platforms).

Final Report and Video: A comprehensive close-out report and a video highlighting the successes, challenges, and impact of the event are created and shared with all stakeholders.

Evidence of Completion

Link to feedback survey forms (e.g., Google Drive, Dropbox) containing responses from participants, judges, and stakeholders.

Link to announced results, such as posts on the event website or social media channels (e.g., Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter), listing winners and top projects.

Link to the Final Report and Close-out Video.

Delivery Month

6

Cost

20000

Progress

100 %

[Final Pitch] Budget & Costs

Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources

Rewards for top teams: 10,000 ADA

Venue costs for the event series: 15,000 ADA

Marketing: 2,000 ADA

Design and promotion: 4,000 ADA

Management: 10,000 ADA

Photography and Videography: 5,000 ADA

Food support for participants: 5,000 ADA

Media publications/Merch: 5,000 ADA

Project Manager: 4,000 ADA

(Total: 60,000 ADA)

[Final Pitch] Value for Money

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

Our budget of 60,000₳ is designed to achieve maximum capital efficiency for the Cardano ecosystem. Every expense is transparently calculated to ensure technical output quality.

Cost Efficiency: We guarantee at least 5 projects successfully deployed to Cardano Mainnet. To justify costs, we referenced the average salary of experienced developers in Vietnam. The 60,000₳ allocation covers remuneration/scholarships and expert mentoring, equivalent to funding 3-4 months of full-time work for a core team. The cost of ~12,000₳ per DApp (including QA and Mentoring) is 30-50% cheaper than hiring an experienced blockchain freelancer for a comparable project; thus, this cost is highly commensurate and economical by industry standards.

Minimizing technical risk & ensuring quality: To address concerns about short-term program output, we commit to a rigorous QA process. This includes 1:1 supervision and intensive technical mentoring from top regional Cardano experts. Each project undergoes at least 3 rounds of checks from ideation to design and build.

Core value - Investing in long-term human resources: The 60,000₳ investment brings superior long-term benefits by building a developer community with foundational expertise. We deliver 30+ intensively trained individuals capable of developing DApps, who can serve as future mentors in subsequent Catalyst Funds. We educate 200+ people on Cardano business models and Tokenomics, creating a team of community ambassadors with solid knowledge to support adoption and user growth for Cardano DApps.

Conclusion: The requested budget funds not just products but core personnel, delivering a high ROI in terms of deployment speed, technical quality, and sustainable ecosystem growth.

[Self-Assessment] Self-Assessment Checklist

I confirm that the proposal is a non-technical initiative, with ≤20% of the budget for tech support.

Yes

I confirm that the proposal provides verifiable evidence (portfolio, links, reports) of the team's ability to deliver the project.

Yes

I confirm that the proposer and all team members are in good standing with prior Catalyst projects.

Yes

I confirm that the proposal includes clear objectives with both Output Metrics (what proposal did) and Adoption-Focused Metrics (what effect proposal had).

Yes

I confirm that the proposal clearly explains the user journey and provides a credible plan for how the project will equip and motivate users for future on-chain activity.

Yes

I confirm that the initiative clearly demonstrates how it will grow the Cardano ecosystem or onboard users.

Yes

I confirm that the project plan and timeline (≤ 12 months) are realistic and well-defined.

Yes

I confirm that the proposal commits to public outputs and justifies any exceptions.

Yes

I confirm that the budget adheres to all policies: it is for future work, follows the merchandise rule, and excludes establishing local treasuries, incentives/giveaways, re-grants.

Yes

[Required Acknowledgements] Consent & Confirmation

I Agree

Yes