Advancing UNDP–Cardano Through Institutional Integration

[Proposal setup] Proposal title

Please provide your proposal title

Advancing UNDP–Cardano Through Institutional Integration

[Proposal Summary] Budget Information

Enter the amount of funding you are requesting in ADA

700000

[Proposal Summary] Time

Please specify how many months you expect your project to last

12

[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?

Despite strong technology, Cardano lacks institutional-scale deployments. This gap limits ecosystem growth, credibility and adoption by governments and global development partners.

[Proposal Summary] Supporting Documentation

Supporting links

• https://innovation.eurasia.undp.org/sdg-blockchain-accelerator-kicks-off-with-first-cohort/
,
• https://innovation.eurasia.undp.org/37-teams-selected-to-join-cohort-2-of-the-sdg-blockchain-accelerator
,
• https://www.linkedin.com/posts/undp-altfinlab_sdgblockchainaccelerator-activity-7392185358173749251-tsyu?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_ios&rcm=ACoAABdV040BoNda1PZFlAG881a32QPTIWtc0EE
,
• https://innovation.eurasia.undp.org/undp-and-exponential-science-foundation-partner-to-develop-government-blockchain-academy-to-advance-public-sector-innovation/
,
• https://beaded-celestite-08f.notion.site/217502758ae080a6941fdbeeef04c5d1?v=21c502758ae080eba29f000cf6a3b92a

[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.

-

[Theme Selection] Theme

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

Sustainability

[Campaign Category] Category Questions

Describe your established collaborations.

Established Collaborations

This proposal builds on verified partnerships developed through Cohorts 1&2 of the SDG Blockchain Accelerator:

**UNDP Country Office Partnerships **

• Through Cohorts 1&2, four UNDP country offices have emerged as committed partners for blockchain deployment:
  • **UNDP Bangladesh: **Established relationships with government institutions and demonstrated commitment to blockchain-enabled development solutions
  • UNDP Armenia: Active engagement with private sector partners and regulatory bodies for digital transformation initiatives
  • UNDP El Salvador: Strong government partnerships and operational capacity for blockchain pilot implementation
  • UNDP Ethiopia: Direct relationships with agriculture ministries and farmer cooperatives for supply-chain and identity solutions

Preselected Solution Makers

• Plastiks (Circular Economy & Traceability): Global platform operating in 30+ countries with partnerships including Danone, Budweiser, ASICS, and Flipkart. Award winner in Cohort 1 (Draper University, Cointelegraph, GSR Foundation).
• ****Zengate Global (Agriculture, Identity & Supply Chain): ****Active implementations with farmer cooperatives and agriculture ministries in Uganda, Ethiopia, and Kenya. Multiple Blockchain Impact Forum award winner.

UNDP Internal Networks

• UNDP Blockchain Academy managed by UNDP AltFinLab: 500+ UN personnel trained, 200+ in current pipeline
• UN Blockchain Community of Practice: 2,000+ personnel managed by UNDP AltFinLab
• Governments and their relevant institutions
• Private sector entities
• Local ecosystem stakeholders including Central Banks, development banks, civil society, INGOs and other UN agencies

Cohort 1&2 Alumni Network

• 13 teams graduated from Cohort 1, 10 teams currently in Cohort 2, providing peer mentorship, cross-cohort learning, and technical knowledge transfer for incoming teams.

Describe funding commitments.

Our team is already committed to delivering this project beyond Catalyst funding. The Catalyst request supports the development, integration, and pilot execution phase, while the accelerator partner (UNDP UNDP AltFinLab, UNDP Country Offices and their partners including governments, and other relevant stakeholders and participating startups) contributes non-financial and operational value.

Our commitment includes:

Internal resource allocation:

Senior product leadership, engineering oversight, programme coordination, and curriculum development time from the applying organisation will be funded independently and not covered by Catalyst.

Operational and ecosystem support:

UNDP provides partner access, mentoring capacity, country office coordination, stakeholder management including governments, private sector and other crucial stakeholders, pilot execution pathways as in-kind support. These resources are not part of the Catalyst budget request and will continue regardless of funding renewal.

Post-grant sustainability commitment:

We commit to continue supporting the programme after Catalyst funding through:

Additional external fundraising (grants, partnerships, ecosystem sponsorships)

Startup equity participation or shared-success models

Ongoing operational participation from accelerator partners

Transitioning the programme into a self-sustaining model through follow-on investment and cohort partnerships

Continuation Assurance:

The project will not depend solely on Catalyst beyond the initial build-and-test phase. Catalyst funds are used to accelerate delivery and community alignment, but the long-term accelerator roadmap remains funded and supported through partnered commitments.

Describe your key performance metrics.

Expected Outcomes: Scenario-Based Targets

To provide full transparency and set realistic expectations, the accelerator applies a scenario-based forecasting model grounded in data from Cohorts 1 & 2 and aligned with institutional deployment patterns inside UNDP. These projections are not guarantees; they represent responsible planning ranges based on prior evidence.

Best-Case Scenario (Accelerated Deployment Scenario)

If challenge owners, ministries, and partners demonstrate strong engagement:

• 10 production-ready Cardano solutions
• 8 pilots launched with real users
• 5,000+ active users
• 8 non-Cardano teams (80%) converting to Cardano
• 6+ UNDP country-office deployments
• 6+ open-source templates published
• 10+ institutional partnerships

*This scenario highlights the full potential of the accelerator when conditions are optimal.

Median Scenario (Baseline Informed by Cohorts 1 & 2)

Reflecting typical institutional dynamics observed in previous cohorts:

• 7 production-ready Cardano solutions
• 5 pilots launched with real users
• ~2,000 active users
• 6 non-Cardano teams (60%) converting to Cardano
• 4 UNDP country-office deployments
• 4 reusable open-source templates
• 6 institutional partnerships

*This scenario is the realistic expected outcome based on UNDP pipelines and prior accelerator performance.

Worst-Case Scenario (Institutional Constraints Scenario)

If country-office capacity, regulatory delays, or team attrition slow down progress, the program is still expected to deliver:

• 5 production-ready Cardano solutions
• 1 pilot launched with real users
• ~250 active users
• 4 non-Cardano teams (40%) converting to Cardano builders
• 2 UNDP country-office deployments
• 2 open-source templates published
• 3 institutional partnerships formed

*This ensures that even in restrictive conditions, Catalyst investment still yields meaningful and verifiable ecosystem growth.

[Your Project and Solution] Solution

Please describe your proposed solution and how it addresses the problem

Across the UN ecosystem, hundreds of digital transformation initiatives explore blockchain each year, but most stall at the proof-of-concept stage, not because the technology is insufficient, but because institutions lack structured pathways for procurement, stakeholder alignment, deployment ownership, and investment readiness. This barrier affects Cardano developers equally: strong PoCs are built, but institutional adoption requires a deeper model of engagement.

In this regard, UNDP’s SDG Blockchain Accelerator was designed to test whether high-quality blockchain teams could build viable solutions on Cardano to address the real UNDP challenges. Cohort 1 proved that they can. All 13 Cohort 1 teams delivered working prototypes on Cardano across four SDG verticals (Supply Chain, Climate Action, Digital Identity, Governance). Their results were recognized internationally, Cohort 1 teams won 9 out of 11 awards at the Blockchain Impact Forum in Copenhagen, including recognition from Draper University, GSR Foundation, Cointelegraph, the Nordic Blockchain Association, and the Blockchain for Good Alliance. Cohort 2 now builds on this momentum with 10 additional teams and multiple pilots being prepared with UNDP country offices.

These achievements validate two things:

• The pipeline of high-quality Web2/Web3 teams who can build on Cardano is real.
• The PoC stage has now been solved. The next step, deployment, requires a different operating model inside UNDP.

Beyond validating technical delivery, Cohort 1 demonstrated a critical driver of Cardano’s growth: the accelerator's ability to attract and convert builders from outside the ecosystem. Of the 13 teams in Cohort 1, 9 (69%) had no prior Cardano experience, they came from Web2 backgrounds or other blockchain ecosystems. Through structured technical support, migration pathways, and Cardano-native architecture guidance, these teams built fully functional solutions on Cardano and continue developing in the ecosystem today. This conversion pipeline, bringing external builders into Cardano, is central to the accelerator's design and will continue in Cohorts 3&4.

Lessons Learned: From PoC to Institutional Scale

Cohorts 1&2 delivered strong results, but also revealed critical insights that shaped this proposal:

What Worked:

• High-quality teams can build viable Cardano solutions when given structured support
• The challenge-based model effectively matches real UNDP needs with capable builders
• Technical mentorship and architecture reviews ensure Cardano-native quality

What Needed to Change:

PoC success alone does not guarantee deployment, teams need clearer pathways to institutional adoption from day one

Country office engagement must happen earlier and with stronger commitment, retrofitting deployment partnerships after a solution is built creates delays and misalignment

Teams require investment readiness support to sustain solutions beyond the accelerator, without this, even strong prototypes stall post-program

Institutional procurement, compliance, and stakeholder alignment take longer than technical development; the program must account for this reality

Why Institutional Scale Is Possible Now:

These lessons, combined with two cohorts of relationship-building, have created the conditions for institutional-scale deployment:

• Through Cohorts 1&2, UNDP country offices in Bangladesh, Armenia, El Salvador, and Ethiopia have emerged as strong partners with demonstrated commitment to blockchain adoption and established relationships with government institutions, private sector, and other relevant stakeholders
• The accelerator team now has direct working relationships with country office leadership, reducing coordination friction
• Challenge owners understand what successful Cardano integration requires, enabling realistic scoping from the start
• A growing pipeline of 200+ validated SDG use cases provides a foundation for selecting deployment-ready challenges

Cohort 2 already began this shift, focusing more on country office alignment and pilot preparation than Cohort 1's prototype-first approach. Cohorts 3&4 complete this transition to full institutional-scale deployment.

This proposal applies these lessons systematically, repositioning the accelerator from prototype generation to institutional-scale deployment. With committed country office partnerships, refined processes, and proven delivery capacity now in place, Cohorts 3&4 introduce a new operating model, one where challenge selection, team onboarding, and solution development align with UN institutional realities from day one. The result: production-ready Cardano projects backed by UNDP country offices, governments, and field partners, designed to scale across multiple regions.

The solution includes:

1. Challenge-First Engagement With UNDP Country Offices: The accelerator starts by identifying, validating, and co-designing challenges inside the UN system. This includes:

• Diverse set of challenges submitted by the participants of Blockchain Academy which has already educated more than 500+ personnel and has over 200 more currently in the pipeline for second iteration.
• Access to more than 2000+ personnel are part of the United Nations Blockchain Community of Practice managed by UNDP AltFinLab
• A global open call for UNDP challenge owners across 170+ country offices.
• Deep-dive workshops and interviews to refine challenges into deployment-ready briefs.
• Alignment checks ensuring offices have established partnerships including government institutions, private sector and other relevant stakeholders, data access, and operational capacity needed to scale a solution post-accelerator.
• Vetting for impact readiness, political feasibility, long-term ownership, and value alignment with UNDP and Cardano.

This process ensures that only high-value, scalable institutional problems managed by UNDP Country offices enter the accelerator pipeline, creating strong foundations for solutions to become real deployed systems.

2. Targeted Open Call for Blockchain Practitioner: Chain-Agnostic Entry → Cardano Integration Output

Once high-impact UNDP challenges are defined, UNDP runs challenge-specific open calls seeking the right innovators for each problem. This ensures:

• Teams do not apply blindly for the program, they apply for a specific UNDP use case.
• Both Web2 and Web3 teams can participate. Entry is chain-agnostic, but the accelerator provides structured pathways to help teams transition their solutions to Cardano and adopt best-practice technical patterns.

This model increases participation quality, expands reach beyond web3-native circles, and strategically funnels new talent into the Cardano ecosystem. While entry is chain-agnostic, the Cardano accelerator track explicitly guides teams into Cardano integration, providing:

• technical migration pathways
• Cardano-native tooling (Aiken, metadata standards, identity, tokenization)
• architecture reviews tailored to Cardano’s security-first environment

This ensures net ecosystem growth for Cardano, not dilution.

3. Rigorous Technical, Institutional & Feasibility Screening

Before the program begins, teams undergo a multi-layer evaluation process:

• Technical capabilities: architecture review, security maturity, smart contract readiness, data governance.
• Institutional readiness: pre-matching of Cardano solution markers with UNDP Country Offices and their partners that are government institutions, private sector and other stakeholders prior to kick-off.
• Impact feasibility: realistic pathways to adoption, local partnerships, regulatory considerations.

Only teams who have already deployed or are capable of deploying real solutions within UNDP contexts are selected, solving the PoC-to-production gap.

4. A Delivery-Focused Accelerator Built for Deployment and Scale, Not Experiments

The program is restructured around producing working, usable, scalable Cardano solutions and focuses on deployment from day one. Each cohort includes:

• Embedded collaboration with challenge owners.
• Access to the new Investment Readiness Sprint, equipping teams for long-term sustainability, procurement processes, and funding pathways.
• Technical design support to ensure Cardano-based architectures are secure, compliant, and scalable, delivered through enhanced learning formats including modular curriculum, textbook-style materials, prerecorded lessons, 1-on-1 sessions with technical and product teams, and tailored mentorship from blockchain and solution-design experts.
• User validation, stakeholder mapping, and early partnership engagement in the relevant country.
• Milestone-based progress reviews ensuring solutions remain on track for deployment.

Because UNDP country offices now commit upfront to deployment pathways, partner engagement, and institutional ownership, the redesigned accelerator removes the barriers that normally prevent SDG pilots from scaling, creating real deployment momentum for Cardano solutions.'

5. A Pipeline to Real Deployment Across Multiple Regions

With refined challenges, vetted teams, and deep institutional alignment, the accelerator becomes a full funnel for:

• Developing institutional-grade Cardano projects
• Scaling validated SDG use cases across multiple UNDP country offices and their partners including government institutions, private sector and other relevant stakeholders.
• Creating repeatable Cardano solution templates (identity, traceability, climate data, finance rails)
• Driving enterprise, private sector and government-level adoption of Cardano

This ensures the accelerator serves the Cardano community by generating real, high-visibility, globally relevant Cardano deployments inside the UN ecosystem.

[Your Project and Solution] Impact

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

This proposal establishes a uniquely strong institutional adoption pathway for Cardano, anchored in UNDP’s global network and proven accelerator model. Through UNDP’s global SDG Blockchain Accelerator, Cohorts 1&2 have already demonstrated that Cardano can attract high-performing innovators, UNDP Country Offices and deliver real prototypes aligned with development priorities: 13 teams graduated in Cohort 1, producing 13 functional Cardano PoCs, supported by 1,500+ hours of technical and product guidance, 52+ office hours, 7 technical workshops, and 10,000+ lines of Aiken/Plutus reviewed. These teams went on to win 9 out of 11 awards at the 2025 Blockchain Impact Forum in Copenhagen, recognized by organizations such as Draper University, GSR Foundation, the Nordic Blockchain Association, Cointelegraph, and the Blockchain for Good Alliance. Cohort 2 is now scaling this momentum with 10 additional teams and multiple pilots in preparation with UNDP country offices.

Building on this validated foundation, Cohorts 3&4 will shift the program from a proven-to-work prototype-focused initiative into a deployment-driven engine embedded across 170+ UNDP country offices, generating high-value institutional challenges and sourcing top global builders to develop production-grade Cardano solutions that meet real government and public-sector needs.

The accelerator generates immediate adoption outcomes while simultaneously building Cardano’s long-term institutional footprint.

1. Infrastructure That Strengthens the Cardano Ecosystem

The Accelerator will produce:

• 10 production-ready Cardano solutions across two cohorts
• enterprise-grade architecture patterns aligned with institutional security and compliance
• repeatable templates for identity, traceability, climate data, and financing rails
• deployment pathways embedded directly into UNDP Country Offices’ activities and operations
• access to a pipeline of 200+ UNDP-validated SDG use cases sourced globally

These outputs become reusable infrastructure for the entire Cardano ecosystem, reducing duplication, enabling faster development cycles, and giving teams proven reference models for government-grade deployments.

2. Real Applications, Real Deployments, Real Adoption

Cardano developers, builders, and ecosystem teams gain:

• direct access to institutional challenges defined by UNDP country offices
• pilot opportunities with real users, real data, and real public and private-sector partners
• hands-on integration with ministries, private sector, agencies, and country offices
• structured migration pathways for Web2 and multi-chain teams entering the Cardano ecosystem

This program does not generate theoretical PoCs, it generates real deployments inside UN systems where Cardano can demonstrate measurable value.

3. Advancing Cardano’s Mission and Reputation Globally

Cardano’s value proposition, security, sustainability, predictable fees, global access, and robust smart-contract verification, aligns directly with UNDP’s institutional requirements.

This proposal:

• positions Cardano as a trusted blockchain for development agencies, public institutions and governments as well as industry leaders.
• showcases responsible use of blockchain in development settings
• increases Cardano’s credibility with large international organizations
• establishes Cardano as a platform for impact, governance, and digital public goods

This alignment strengthens Cardano’s global reputation and opens the door to additional UN agencies, government ministries, and development partners.

4. Creating Open, Scalable, Global Public-Good Infrastructure

All solutions entering production will:

• publish open-source toolkits
• document integration patterns
• release technical templates for Cardano-native deployments
• contribute knowledge assets back to the ecosystem

These resources allow future developers and Cardano teams to leverage institutional-grade designs, accelerating long-term adoption.

5. Long-Term Ecosystem Growth and Institutional-Scale Opportunity

UNDP’s presence in 170+ countries, its relationships with governments, and its 200+ SDG-focused blockchain use cases create a long-term institutional pipeline unmatched in the Cardano ecosystem.

This initiative delivers:

• new builders entering Cardano from Web2, AI, and multi-chain domains
• new institutional partners including UNDP COs, public institution and private sector adopting Cardano infrastructure
• real users interacting with Cardano on a daily basis
• Cardano-native deployments inside UNDP Country offices and public institutions

These factors compound over time, creating exponential growth in:

• ecosystem credibility
• real-world adoption
• high-value technical demand
• developer opportunities
• international visibility

6. Expanding Cardano's Builder Base Beyond Its Current Community

Most Cardano initiatives serve existing ecosystem participants. This accelerator actively grows the ecosystem by bringing in new builders who would not otherwise encounter Cardano.

Cohorts 3&4 will target:

• Web2 startups seeking reliable blockchain infrastructure for institutional use cases
• Multi-chain teams evaluating Cardano's security, cost, and compliance advantages

By guiding these teams into Cardano development, the accelerator generates lasting ecosystem growth that compounds beyond the program itself.

We will track and report:

• Number of production deployments in UN country offices
• Active users on deployed Cardano solutions
• Additional funding secured by accelerator teams
• Government/institutional partnerships formed
• Open-source templates and tools published
• Non-Cardano teams migrating to Cardano ecosystem
• Quarterly progress reports and case studies will be shared with the community.

[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?

PROVEN DELIVERY TRACK RECORD

This proposal builds on demonstrated success based on the SDG Blockchain Accelerator, Cohort 1 and Cohort 2. Cohort 1 delivered 13 functional Cardano PoCs, 1,500+ hours of technical support, and produced 9 award-winning teams at the 2025 Blockchain Impact Forum. Cohort 2 is currently advancing 10 teams with multiple pilots in development across UNDP country offices in Africa, LATAM, Central Asia, Asia and Europe. This is not a new experiment, it is a validated model ready to scale.

LEAD ORGANIZATION: UNDP

UNDP operates across 170+ countries with 15,000+ personnel delivering digital transformation, governance, and climate resilience initiatives. Key capabilities include:

• 20+ years delivering government-scale digital systems (identity, procurement, payments, data governance)
• UNDP Alternative Finance Lab (AltFinLab) leading blockchain pilots, Blockchain Advisory Group, Blockchain Community of practice within the UN ecosystem, tokenization research, and regulatory sandbox initiatives
• Established relationships with ministries, central banks, development banks, and regulatory bodies
• Providing access to diverse set of real-life challenges submitted by the UNDP COs

This institutional access, enabling real government partnerships and deployment pathways, is UNDP's core value proposition for moving blockchain from prototype to production.

TECHNICAL FEASIBILITY

Cardano's technical maturity aligns directly with institutional requirements:

• Cohort 1 successfully implemented Aiken-based smart contracts, metadata standards, tokenization patterns, and identity models
• Cardano's predictable fees, security-first architecture, and formal verification meet government compliance needs
• Architecture-level support ensures institutional-grade design, regulatory alignment, and deployment readiness

All cohort outputs are designed for production deployment, not prototype-level experiments.

PROGRAM DELIVERY CAPABILITIES

UNDP has well-established, verifiable systems for transparent program delivery:

Project & Operations Management

• Standardized UNDP program management frameworks, used in large-scale government and multi-country deployments.
• Financial control, procurement, monitoring, and reporting systems aligned with UN financial rules & audit requirements.
• Capacity to coordinate dozens of stakeholders, ministries, and partners per cohort.

Institutional Networks Enabling Adoption

UNDP maintains trusted relationships with:

• Diverse set of government institutions including Ministries of Finance, Digital Economy, Agriculture, Environment
• Private sector and industry leaders
• National statistical agencies & innovation departments
• Regulatory bodies, central banks, and digital economy task forces
• Development banks, microfinance institutions

This institutional access is the key requirement for real blockchain deployment and one of UNDP’s strongest value propositions.

VALIDATION & ACCOUNTABILITY MECHANISMS

1. Deployment Pathway Commitments: Country offices must commit to stakeholder engagement, data access, , and post-program adoption planning, preventing "dead-end PoCs"
2. Milestone-Based Delivery: Strict checkpoints from challenge validation through technical design, pilot development, field testing, and institutional adoption review
3. Transparent Reporting: Progress reports, deployment assessments, investment-readiness evaluations, and field validation documentation
4. **Investment Readiness Sprints: **Structured preparation for development banks, donor funding, seed investment, and procurement pathways, addressing the critical gap between prototype and sustainable deployment

Risk management and Mitigation strategies

The project operates across diverse institutional and regulatory environments, which introduces several risks. Regulatory requirements vary significantly across jurisdictions, so the program mitigates this by conducting early-stage compliance mapping and country-specific regulatory workshops to ensure solutions meet local legal standards. Country office capacity may differ, potentially slowing progress; to address this, the accelerator applies a phased onboarding model and provides dedicated support resources to strengthen local engagement. Technical integration can be complex, especially for institutional-grade deployments, and this risk is reduced through structured architecture reviews, continuous technical mentorship, and code audits provided by ecosystem partners. Finally, post-program sustainability is a known challenge in development contexts. The accelerator counters this by embedding deployment pathway commitments early in the process and equipping teams with investment readiness support, ensuring they are prepared for long-term scaling, procurement pathways, and ongoing institutional adoption.

[Milestones] Project Milestones

Milestone Title

Challenge Sourcing & Program Setup

Milestone Outputs

• Global open call launched across UNDP country offices to source blockchain challenges
• Workshops conducted with challenge owners to validate deployment readiness
• Deployment-ready challenge briefs finalized with country-office commitments
• Updated accelerator curriculum incorporating lessons from Cohorts 1 & 2
• Investment Readiness Sprint framework finalized
• Open call for Cohort 3 teams launched
• Preselected solution makers (Plastiks, Zengate) onboarded for Cohorts 3&4

Acceptance Criteria

• Minimum 10 challenge briefs documented with country-office sign-off
• Curriculum document and Investment Readiness Sprint guide completed
• Cohort 3 open call published on UNDP and partner channels
• Preselected solution makers confirmed and onboarded

Evidence of Completion

• Challenge brief documents (PDF) with country-office confirmation emails/letters
• Curriculum and Investment Readiness Sprint framework (PDF)
• Links to published open call announcements
• Signed confirmation of preselected solution maker participation

Delivery Month

3

Cost

90000

Progress

20 %

Milestone Title

Cohort 3 Team Selection & Investment Readiness Sprint

Milestone Outputs

• Applicant evaluation completed using defined criteria (technical, institutional, impact feasibility)
• Teams selected and matched to validated challenges
• Investment Readiness Sprint delivered covering:
• funding pathways
• financial modeling
• mentorship and pitch development
• impact measurement
• Sprint deliverables produced by each team

Acceptance Criteria

• Minimum 5 teams selected with documented evaluation rationale
• Investment Readiness Sprint sessions delivered (minimum 6 sessions documented)
• Each selected team submits: pitch deck, funding pathway map, and impact framework
• Mentor assignments documented for all teams

Evidence of Completion

• Team selection report with evaluation scores and challenge-matching rationale
• Investment Readiness Sprint attendance records and session summaries
• Compiled team deliverables (pitch decks, funding maps, impact frameworks)
• Mentor assignment list

Delivery Month

5

Cost

120000

Progress

40 %

Milestone Title

Cohort 3 Solution Development & Pilot Readiness

Milestone Outputs

• Architecture reviews, Aiken/Plutus development guidance, and technical code reviews delivered
• Collaboration sessions held between Cohort 3 teams and UNDP challenge owners
• Functional Cardano-based solutions developed in alignment with institutional requirements
• User validation sessions, stakeholder engagement, and pilot implementation plans completed

Acceptance Criteria

• Minimum 3 teams deliver functional Cardano-based solutions (testnet or mainnet)
• Each solution includes documented technical architecture and Cardano integration pathway
• Minimum 2 solutions ready to launch pilots with documented user-engagement and impact plans
• Each team documents pilot scope, KPIs, timelines, and deployment conditions

Evidence of Completion

• Technical progress reports (architecture, repository links, integration documentation)
• Recorded demo of each solution
• Pilot implementation plans, validation records, and user engagement materials

Delivery Month

7

Cost

175000

Progress

60 %

Milestone Title

Cohort 4 Team Selection & Investment Readiness Sprint

Milestone Outputs

• Cohort 4 open call launched incorporating learnings from Cohort 3
• Applicant evaluation completed
• Teams selected and matched to challenges
• Investment Readiness Sprint delivered
• Sprint deliverables produced by each team
• Cross-cohort learning session conducted

Acceptance Criteria

• Minimum 5 teams selected with documented evaluation rationale
• Investment Readiness Sprint sessions delivered (minimum 6 sessions documented)
• Each selected team submits: pitch deck, funding pathway map, and impact framework
• Cross-cohort learning session held with documented attendance

Evidence of Completion

• Team selection report with evaluation scores
• Investment Readiness Sprint attendance records and session summaries
• Compiled team deliverables (pitch decks, funding maps, impact frameworks)
• Cross-cohort session recording or summary with attendance list

Delivery Month

9

Cost

80000

Progress

80 %

Milestone Title

Cohort 4 Solution Development & Pilot Readiness

Milestone Outputs

• Architecture reviews, Aiken/Plutus development guidance, and technical code reviews delivered
• Collaboration sessions held with UNDP challenge owners
• Functional Cardano-based solutions developed in alignment with institutional requirements
• Reusable solution templates documented for the ecosystem
• User validation sessions, stakeholder engagement, and pilot implementation plans completed

Acceptance Criteria

• Minimum 3 teams deliver functional Cardano-based solutions (testnet or mainnet)
• Each solution includes documented technical architecture and Cardano integration pathway
• Minimum 2 solutions ready to launch pilots with documented user-engagement and impact plans
• Each team documents pilot scope, KPIs, timelines, and deployment conditions

Evidence of Completion

• Technical progress reports (architecture, repository links, integration documentation)
• Recorded demo of each solution
• Pilot implementation plans, validation records, and user engagement materials

Delivery Month

11

Cost

175000

Progress

90 %

Milestone Title

Impact Assessment, & Close-Out

Milestone Outputs

• Comprehensive impact report covering Cohorts 3 & 4, validated through third-party impact measurement platform [https://ims.impactweb3.com/ ]
• Outcomes measured against scenario-based KPI targets (production-ready solutions, pilots launched, active users, team conversions, country office deployments, open-source templates, institutional partnerships)
• Program-managed infrastructure and hosting support delivere
• Post-program sustainability status documented for each solution
• Open-source ecosystem assets released (templates, frameworks, playbooks)
• Strategic roadmap for future iterations
• Public summary video highlighting outcomes and Cardano deployments

Acceptance Criteria

• Impact report submitted covering:
  • Solutions delivered
    • Pilots launched
    • Active users reached
    • Partnerships formed
    • Teams migrating to Cardano
• Final outcomes reported against scenario-based KPI targets with transparent assessment of which scenario (worst/median/best) was achieved
• Sustainability and deployment status documented for all solutions
• Minimum 3 open-source assets published to public repositories
• Public-facing summary video produced (minimum 3 minutes)
• Impact report and video shared through at least 3 public channels

Evidence of Completion

• Final impact report (PDF) with metrics, dashboards, and case studies
• KPI scenario assessment showing actual outcomes vs. projected targets
• Sustainability tracker detailing each solution's deployment status
• GitHub links to published open-source materials
• Summary video file and public announcement links

Delivery Month

12

Cost

60000

Progress

100 %

[Final Pitch] Budget & Costs

Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources

**Total Project Budget: **ADA 700,000

Milestone-Level Cost Breakdown:

• Milestone 1 (ADA 90,000): Challenge Sourcing & Program Setup (Months 1–3) Challenge sourcing and country-office engagement across 170+ UNDP offices Deployment-readiness workshops with challenge owners Curriculum and Investment Readiness Sprint framework development

• Milestone 2 (ADA 120,000): Cohort 3 Team Selection & Investment Readiness Sprint (Months 3–5) Team evaluation and selection process 3-week Investment Readiness Sprint delivery (funding pathways, financial modeling, pitch development, impact measurement) Mentor onboarding and coordination

• Milestone 3 (ADA 175,000): Cohort 3 Solution Development & Pilot Readiness (Months 5–7) Technical mentorship and code reviews Architecture reviews and security checks Challenge-owner coordination and stakeholder engagement Pilot infrastructure and integration support

• **Milestone 4 (ADA 80,000): **Cohort 4 Team Selection & Investment Readiness Sprint (Months 7–9) Open call and team evaluation Investment Readiness Sprint delivery Cross-cohort learning session with Cohort 3 and Cohort 2 alumni Mentor coordination and program management

• **Milestone 5 (ADA 175,000): **Cohort 4 Solution Development & Pilot Readiness (Months 9–11) Technical mentorship and code reviews Architecture reviews and security checks Solution template documentation and ecosystem assets Pilot infrastructure and integration support

• Milestone 6 (ADA60,000): Impact Assessment & Close-Out (Month 12) Impact assessment using third-party measurement platform Program-managed infrastructure and hosting support Documentation, templates, and ecosystem assets Video production and community showcase Post-program technical support and sustainability planning.

[Final Pitch] Value for Money

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

This proposal represents a strong opportunity for Cardano to advance institutional adoption through a validated model and a globally recognized partner. The combination of UNDP's reach, proven delivery from Cohorts 1&2, and a deployment-focused structure creates a clear pathway to real-world impact.

1. Proven Model, Reduced Risk

This initiative is not speculative. UNDP’s Cohorts 1 & 2 already validated the model with 13 functional Cardano PoCs and 9 award-winning teams recognized at the 2025 Blockchain Impact Forum. Scaling a tested system dramatically reduces execution risk compared to funding untested concepts.

2. Massive Institutional Leverage (In-Kind Contribution)

UNDP contributes substantial resources that do not appear in the budget but dramatically increase impact, including:

• Access to 170+ UNDP country offices
• Direct relationships with ministries, regulators, development banks, and public-sector agencies
• Challenge sourcing through UNDP networks across 170+ countries
• Staff time from digital specialists, innovation teams, economists, and field offices
• Access to UNDP’s 92 Accelerator Labs for user testing and deployment environments

These in-kind contributions represent millions of dollars in institutional value provided at zero cost to the Cardano community.

3. Cost Efficiency: Under ADA 70,000 per Institutional-Grade Solution

The total budget (ADA 700,000) delivers 10+ production-ready Cardano solutions, making the effective cost:

~ADA 70,000 per institutional-grade Cardano deployment

By comparison:

• Government-grade blockchain solutions typically cost ADA 200,000–ADA 500,000 to develop.
• Institutional onboarding alone often exceeds ADA 50,000–ADA 100,000.

This proposal is 3-7x more cost-efficient than traditional development pathways.

4. Reusable Cardano Infrastructure for Years to Come

The accelerator produces:

• Open-source smart-contract templates
• Deployment playbooks
• Integration frameworks
• Identity, traceability, climate-data, and finance-rail templates

These assets become public goods for the entire Cardano ecosystem, enabling future teams to build faster and cheaper.

5. New Builders and Talent Entering Cardano

This accelerator grows Cardano's builder community. Cohort 1 converted 9 of 13 teams (69%) from outside the ecosystem into active Cardano developers, teams that came from Web2 backgrounds or other blockchain ecosystems. This conversion rate represents long-term value: new contributors, new applications, and expanded technical capacity that persists well beyond the 12-month program. Cohorts 3&4 will expand this pipeline further, actively recruiting high-quality teams from Web2 and bringing builders from other chains into Cardano.

6. Real Adoption With Real Users

Unlike typical pilots, this program embeds solutions directly inside UNDP country offices, ensuring:

• Government engagement
• Public-sector integrations
• Field testing with real users and real data
• Deployment pathways already committed upfront

This proposal delivers verified adoption, not theoretical PoCs.

7. Transparent, Milestone-Based Accountability

Funding is released only when milestones are met, including:

• Challenge validation reports
• Technical reviews
• Pilot deployments
• Solution templates
• Public documentation
• Impact and adoption metrics

This ensures full transparency and community oversight.

[Self-Assessment] Self-Assessment Checklist

I confirm that the lead applicant is a verified legal business entity.

Yes

I confirm that the lead org has a ≥2-year track record, and the consortium collectively has ≥$5M in verifiable annual revenue.

Yes

I confirm that evidence of collaboration with a qualified Tier-1 enterprise is provided.

Yes

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

Yes

I confirm that the proposal is for mature R&D or integration, not an early-stage concept or core infrastructure.

Yes

I confirm that evidence of a mature product is provided, with a clear integration plan if not already on Cardano.

Yes

I confirm that all key partners, including the Tier-1 collaborator, are clearly identified.

Yes

I confirm that a clear statement of the partner's in-kind or financial contributions is included.

Yes

I confirm that the proposal provides verifiable references (e.g., LinkedIn, portfolio) for key team members.

Yes

I confirm that the proposal includes clear KPIs for adoption (e.g., transaction volume, user growth). Forecast for projected on-chain transaction volume is provided with adequate justification.

Yes

I confirm that delivery is ≤ 12 months with clear milestones.

Yes

I confirm that the proposal includes a co-marketing or community engagement plan to amplify Cardano's visibility.

Yes

I confirm that the proposal budget is for future work only, not for completed tasks. No incentives, giveaways, private treasuries and regranting are included in the budget.

Yes

[Required Acknowledgements] Consent & Confirmation

I Agree

Yes