Last updated 5 months ago
Waste systems in Armenia and El Salvador lack trusted, consistent MRV and DRS infrastructure. Data is fragmented, evidence is hard to validate, and payouts are slow.
Enterprise measurement, reporting and verification with a deposit return system aligned with extended producer responsibility laws, tokenizing verified kilos, automating payouts and showing impact.
Please provide your proposal title
Plastiks UNDP Country MRV Adoption: Armenia & El Salvador
Enter the amount of funding you are requesting in ADA
680000
Please specify how many months you expect your project to last
12
Please indicate if your proposal has been auto-translated
No
Original Language
en
What is the problem you want to solve?
Waste systems in Armenia and El Salvador lack trusted, consistent MRV and DRS infrastructure. Data is fragmented, evidence is hard to validate, and payouts are slow.
Supporting links
Does your project have any dependencies on other organizations, technical or otherwise?
Yes
Describe any dependencies or write 'No dependencies'
This project has two main institutional dependencies: UNDP Armenia and UNDP El Salvador. They are strategic partners for scale and legitimacy, but the technical solution can still operate in a reduced form if either track is delayed. Dependency 1 – UNDP Armenia Our Armenia track depends on three elements from UNDP Armenia: Formal engagement and endorsement We rely on UNDP Armenia’s SDG innovation and environment teams to: Endorse the pilot as aligned with Armenia’s EPR and circular economy agenda Provide a focal point for coordination Support communication with relevant ministries and public stakeholders Without this endorsement, the MRV and tokenization system would still function technically, but would not have the same institutional weight with government and PROs. Access to pilot stakeholders and operational data UNDP Armenia is a bridge to key actors already working on waste and packaging, including: Municipal and inter municipal operators (for example landfill and sorting facilities) Voluntary PROs and foundations working on packaging, like the existing PRO ecosystem NGOs and community partners involved in collection and sorting The project depends on these actors providing basic operational data such as tonnages, flows, locations and participating sites. If access is slower than expected, we can start with a smaller group of operators and expand as agreements are signed. Alignment with existing UNDP projects, timelines and reporting The MRV and dashboard work must integrate with UNDP Armenia’s ongoing workplans and country programme. In practice, this means: Scheduling joint workshops, trainings and reviews around UNDP’s calendar Aligning indicators and visualisations with UNDP reporting needs Respecting UNDP requirements on visibility, data handling and safeguards Delays in alignment would slow down the institutional launch, but not block core software development. Dependency 2 – UNDP El Salvador The El Salvador track also has three main dependencies on UNDP El Salvador: Formal partnership and focal points We assume UNDP El Salvador will act as institutional sponsor for the national pilot, by: Endorsing the project as part of its circular economy and waste governance work Providing technical and programme focal points Helping position the project with national authorities and private sector partners If this formal role is delayed, Plastiks can still run pilots with early adopters, but the ability to integrate with national systems will be slower. Interface with ANDRES and MARN UNDP El Salvador is a key connector to: ANDRES, the new national solid waste authority MARN, the ministry in charge of environmental regulation Our MRV and DRS dashboards need access to: Their reporting templates and data fields Technical contacts to validate output formats Feedback on how our evidence can support future regulations This dependency is about fit with the legal framework, not about the basic functioning of the platform. If access is partial, we can still produce dashboards and reports, then adapt exports once final formats are agreed. Coordination with FUNDEMAS and local recycling ecosystem UNDP El Salvador supports coordination with FUNDEMAS and local operators for the training and accreditation component: Agreeing which municipalities and value chains to prioritise (for example beverage packaging) Aligning training content with national CSR and inclusion agendas Selecting the first cohort of organizations to be accredited If there are delays, we can begin with a smaller number of organizations and scale up once UNDP and FUNDEMAS are fully aligned. Cross cutting dependency management Across both countries, the core dependencies can be summarised as: Formal confirmation of UNDP participation and focal points Access to operators, NGOs, PROs and authorities through UNDP networks Alignment of our MRV outputs and dashboards with national and UNDP reporting needs To manage these dependencies, we design the project so that: Milestones are modular: Armenia and El Salvador tracks can progress independently, so a delay in one does not block the other. The MRV and tokenization engine is country agnostic: configuration for lots, materials and stakeholders is flexible, so the same codebase works even if the sequence of partners changes. There is a fallback mode where Plastiks can operate with municipalities, NGOs and private sector recyclers while UNDP formal processes are concluded. In this mode, on chain evidence and dashboards are still produced, and can later be “plugged into” UNDP and government frameworks when agreements are signed. In short, UNDP Armenia and UNDP El Salvador are essential partners for legitimacy, policy alignment and scale, but the project is architected so that technical delivery, on chain recording and early pilots can proceed even if institutional processes move more slowly than expected.
Will your project's outputs be fully open source?
No
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.
The IP for this project is owned by Nozama Tech Ltd and will be retained as proprietary, closed-source software. Core code, data models, methodologies and UX are protected under copyright and, where applicable, patent and trade secret law. Partners (including UNDP and operators) will access the platform under a commercial SaaS / enterprise licence, not an open-source licence.
Please choose the most relevant theme and tag related to the outcomes of your proposal
Tokenization
Describe your established collaborations.
Plastiks and UNDP are partnering to turn EPR and circular-economy intent into verifiable operations that regulators, brands, and citizens can trust. Both country tracks use the same enterprise backbone: Field MRV, auditable reporting, tokenized incentives on Cardano, and optional DRS for beverage packaging, while adapting collaborators, legal hooks, and first pilots to each context.
Collaboration with UNDP Armenia (with Kotayk and Gegharkunik MSWM, ISSD, and ArmPack Foundation)
Purpose:
Provide a transparent, auditable traceability layer that helps Armenia move from draft EPR policy to operational pilots, with a clear pathway to PRO alignment and future DRS readiness.
Stakeholders and roles:
Why this coalition:
Armenia has committed field actors - municipal operators, NGO networks, and the voluntary PRO ArmPack - but lacks a unified digital rail to coordinate them. Plastiks provides that rail: a verifiable MRV backbone that standardizes evidence capture, secures data integrity, reconciles flows, and delivers transparent dashboards and regulator-ready exports. This enables like-for-like comparisons, prevents double counting, and ensures timely, fair payouts.
Governance cadence:
A biweekly Steering Committee (UNDP Armenia, Plastiks, and designated field partners) handles decisions and risk; a weekly Technical Working Group drives onboarding, QA, and report production; a community forum provides inclusion, safety, and grievance channels.
On-chain value:
Every verified lot and every claim retirement produces transactions and auditable metadata on Cardano. The dashboard makes impact inspectable by authorities, brands, and citizens: turning Cardano into the public proof layer for Armenia’s EPR transition.
Collaboration with UNDP El Salvador and FUNDEMAS, in alignment with ANDRES (Autoridad Nacional de Residuos Sólidos)
Purpose:
Operationalize a pilot that fits the Special Waste Law and the mandate of ANDRES, bringing training, accreditation, MRV + tokenization, and a micro-DRS for beverage SKUs into a regulator-ready format.
Stakeholders and roles:
Why this coalition:
El Salvador has a strong legal foundation and a central authority (ANDRES), but still faces typical EPR challenges - fragmented reporting, weak evidence, and limited inclusion of informal actors. Plastiks provides a single operational rail that ANDRES can align with, offering standardized capture, verified recovery, on-chain issuance, and authority-ready exports. UNDP mobilizes institutions, FUNDEMAS drives training, and private anchors create early demand through DRS and brand reporting.
Scope (established and near-term).
Governance cadence:
A monthly Steering Committee (UNDP, FUNDEMAS, Plastiks; ANDRES as observer) for decisions and risk; a weekly Technical Working Group for onboarding, QA, DRS configuration, and authority exports.
On-chain value:
El Salvador adds high-frequency on-chain events: verified recovery plus DRS redemptions. That means more wallets among operators and retail partners, more transactions, and auditable impact that ESG teams and regulators can verify in real time, again positioning Cardano as the public infrastructure for compliance and traceability.
Shared enterprise backbone (both countries)
Why these collaborations matter
Together, the Armenia and El Salvador tracks create two policy archetypes that the Cardano ecosystem can replicate:
In both, Cardano becomes the settlement and proof layer for national waste traceability: every verified lot, payout split, and claim retirement is an auditable transaction that builds public trust and long-term, non-speculative adoption.
Describe funding commitments.
Plastiks requests 680,000 ADA to deliver a dual-country, enterprise-grade deployment of verifiable waste-sector MRV, tokenized incentives, and DRS-ready traceability on Cardano in partnership with UNDP Armenia, UNDP El Salvador, FUNDEMAS, and ANDRES, the National Solid Waste Authority of El Salvador. Funding enables us to operationalize a shared backbone in two jurisdictions with very different regulatory structures: Armenia, where EPR is emerging through CEPA commitments and industry-driven pilots, and El Salvador, where a new national law and ANDRES create a centralized framework that requires credible, verifiable evidence for compliance. The requested Catalyst budget covers technology delivery, security, field implementation, data integrity, capacity building, cross-country replication assets, and independent audits.
Purpose of the funding
Catalyst funding enables Plastiks to:
The backbone is the same across both countries, maximizing efficiency, reducing risk, and ensuring that every ADA spent converts into measurable and auditable on-chain activity.
Co-funding, in-kind contributions, and institutional commitments
Use of funds
The 680,000 ADA budget covers four domains, aligned with enterprise MRV and country-level adoption:
a) Core technology (MRV, tokenization, smart contracts, APIs)
b) Field deployment and capacity building (country-level adoption)
c) Independent verification, QA, and audits (trusted MRV)
d) Reporting, governance, and documentation (enterprise and replication)
Milestone-based disbursement plan
Funds unlock only when milestones are independently verified:
Milestone 1 (M1–M2): 20%
Joint governance active, data schemas finalized, first testnet/mainnet events running.
Milestone 2 (M2–M4): 20%
Accreditation flow live, role-based access, audit logs, initial Armenia Stakeholders onboarded.
Milestone 3 (M3–M7): 20%
Armenia pilot live with 5–10 operators, dashboard online, quarterly export ready.
Milestone 4 (M4–M8): 20%
El Salvador pilot with FUNDEMAS + ANDRES alignment, 8–10 orgs accredited, DRS micro-pilot active (10 redemption points).
Milestone 5 (M6–M10): 10%
Automated payout splits on-chain, first pre-purchase or sponsorship secured.
Milestone 6 (M11–M12): 10%
Final cross-country report, replication toolkit, scale roadmap (100 operators in El Salvador; expanded pilots in Armenia).
KPIs that protect the Catalyst grant
Sustainability beyond Catalyst
On-chain design, NFTs and fee model
The proposal uses NFTs as evidence containers for both the MRV system and the DRS layer:
MRV NFTs represent verified production or processing lots of recovered material. In this model, each NFT corresponds to an average lot of 5,000 kg.
DRS NFTs represent batches of consumer returns (for example, 500 containers per batch), linked to the same backbone of verified material and payments.
On-chain, both MRV and DRS flows are implemented as standard Cardano transactions that create or update NFTs. For modelling and communication, however, we treat them as two distinct transaction streams:
An MRV stream, driven by verified kilograms and recycling operators.
A DRS stream, driven by consumer returns and deposit-refund activity.
Year 1 – Baseline with Armenia and El Salvador
Armenia
Each lot uses 6 Cardano transactions (mint, three splits, burn, hash):
Total Armenia in Year 1:
El Salvador
MRV and DRS:
Total El Salvador in Year 1:
Combined Year 1 (Armenia + El Salvador)
Average cost: ≈ 1.1 ADA per tonne
Every number comes directly from:
kg → lots of 5,000 kg → 6 tx per lot → 500 returns per DRS tx.
The model starts with 35,000 tonnes and 154,000 tx in Year 1
Grows to 52,500 tonnes and 231,000 tx in Year 2
Reaches 70,000 tonnes and 308,000 tx in Year 3
Consolidation 100,000 tonnes and 450,000 tx Year 4
All of this is calculated with:
The projects transactions are based on taking tonnes of waste recovered processed and recycled and, dividing by an average of 5,000 kg and multiplying by 6 Cardano transactions (mint, three splits, burn, hash) and adding the DRS batches of 500 returns.
Value for the Cardano ecosystem
The 680,000 ADA investment converts into:
Commitment statement
Plastiks commits to using the 680,000 ADA with strict milestone gating, transparent reporting, and independent verification. This funding allows us to deploy a shared MRV + DRS backbone across Armenia and El Salvador that produces measurable environmental outcomes, fair payouts to recovery workers, and over half a million on-chain transactions in year one. Catalyst funds transform policy commitments into verifiable operations, making Cardano the settlement and trust layer for national waste management systems.
Describe your key performance metrics.
Plastiks will measure success through a set of enterprise-grade Key Performance Metrics that combine technical performance, regulatory relevance, operational integrity, community inclusion, and Cardano network activity. Because the project operates in two countries: Armenia and El Salvador, under two different governance models (UNDP Armenia + voluntary PRO ecosystem, and UNDP El Salvador + FUNDEMAS + ANDRES), the KPMs are structured to reflect cross-country comparability while respecting local context. All metrics directly support Cardano adoption and transparent impact accounting.
1. On-Chain Metrics (Cardano Adoption)
1.1 Verified Recovery Activity
Every verified lot of plastic recovery generates a small sequence of on-chain actions (minting a token, distributing rewards, and retiring the token when the claim is used).
This allows Cardano to become the proof layer for environmental compliance.
We measure:
Why it matters: These metrics show real blockchain adoption tied to real waste recovery: not speculation.
1.2 Deposit-Return System (DRS) Transactions
A DRS event happens when a citizen returns a bottle or can to a designated redemption point.
Instead of tracking each individual return on chain (expensive and unnecessary), we record aggregated, verified batches of returns.
Each batch becomes one blockchain event that proves:
We measure:
Why it matters: DRS metrics show how Cardano supports citizen-level incentives without creating unmanageable transaction volume.
2. Operational MRV Metrics (Integrity of Evidence)
2.1 Verified Material Volumes
The system verifies plastic recovery with photos, GPS, timestamps, weight logs, and mass-balance checks.
We measure:
2.2 Evidence Quality and Acceptance
Every submission is reviewed automatically and manually.
We measure:
2.3 Time-to-Payout
The time between collection, verification, and automatic payout.
We measure:
3. Adoption and Capacity Metrics (Institutional + Community)
3.1 Accredited Organizations
Plastiks, UNDP, FUNDEMAS, and local partners will train and accredit recovery organizations.
We measure:
3.2 Individuals Trained
Training covers safety, data collection, digital tools, and verification.
We measure:
3.3 Institutional Alignment
Armenia: alignment with EPR development and voluntary PRO pilots.
El Salvador: alignment with ANDRES and national reporting formats.
We measure:
4. Governance, Security, and Data Integrity Metrics
4.1 Fraud Detection and Data Integrity
We maintain strong checks: hashing, geofencing, anomaly detection, and mass-balance verifications.
We measure:
4.2 System Reliability
We measure:
4.3 Audit Readiness
We measure:
5. Ecosystem and Replication Metrics
5.1 External Integrations
Cardano becomes more valuable when public institutions and companies connect to it.
We measure:
5.2 Reusability Across Countries
The system must be reusable with minimal modification.
We measure:
6. High-Level Outcomes for Year 1 (Non-Numeric, Commitment-Safe)
Without giving rigid numbers, we aim for:
Please describe your proposed solution and how it addresses the problem
Armenia and El Salvador are both moving toward stronger EPR and circular economy systems, but they face the same fundamental issue: there is no unified, verifiable and trustworthy digital infrastructure to track waste recovery, measure performance or ensure that incentives reach the right actors. Multiple organizations collect and manage waste, but the data they generate is fragmented, inconsistent and not suitable for regulatory decision making or transparent and fair compensation.
Our proposed solution is to deploy a shared Cardano based MRV and tokenization platform across both countries. This platform creates one single rail where all recovery activities can be recorded, verified and transformed into secure digital units that regulators, producers and development partners can trust.
1. Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV)
We introduce a standardized digital system where operators in both countries record their activities through simple and structured workflows. Data is validated through automated checks and a verification process that ensures accuracy and consistency.
How this addresses the problem:
It replaces scattered and unreliable reporting with one trusted source of truth that can be used by regulators, PROs, municipalities and UNDP teams.
2. Tokenization and Incentive Distribution
After verification, each confirmed recovery action is represented digitally on Cardano. Smart contracts distribute incentives automatically to the participating organizations and individuals, and each unit is retired when used to avoid double counting.
How this addresses the problem:
It ensures fair, fast and transparent payments, while creating a clear and auditable trail of environmental impact.
3. DRS Ready Architecture
The same infrastructure supports batch level reconciliation for deposit return systems. Instead of tracking every single item, the system records aggregated and verified returns in a scalable way.
How this addresses the problem:
It gives Armenia and El Salvador the technical foundation to pilot and later scale deposit return systems without overwhelming operators or the blockchain.
4. Public Transparency and Regulatory Alignment
The platform generates dashboards and structured reports aligned with the needs of Armenia’s emerging EPR framework and voluntary PRO ecosystem, and with El Salvador’s new waste law and the requirements of ANDRES and the Ministry of Environment.
How this addresses the problem:
Authorities gain clear, comparable and audit ready data that enables better policy execution and industry compliance.
5. Country Integration
Armenia:
The system connects the efforts of municipal operators, NGO networks and the voluntary PRO ArmPack into a coherent national view of recovery and performance.
El Salvador:
Working with UNDP, FUNDEMAS and ANDRES, the platform supports training, accreditation and real time monitoring of recovery organizations and future deposit return pilots.
6. Why this solution is effective
In One Line
We provide Armenia and El Salvador with a unified and verifiable digital infrastructure built on Cardano that turns real waste recovery actions into trusted, auditable and incentivized environmental impact.
Please define the positive impact your project will have on the wider Cardano community
This project positions Cardano as enterprise-grade public infrastructure for environmental verification and national compliance. By running with UNDP, FUNDEMAS, ANDRES and local operators in Armenia and El Salvador, it connects Cardano directly to public institutions and regulated environmental markets.
At the core is an **enterprise Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) **layer on Cardano. Verified kilograms, DRS batches and payouts are written on chain as real events, not simulations. This proves that Cardano can anchor evidence, automate compliance logic and support transparent reporting at country-level adoption, not just in isolated pilots.
The project expands the active Cardano user base: recovery workers, municipalities, NGOs, SMEs, bottlers, retailers, PROs and authorities interact with the chain through wallets, automated payouts, batch records and reports. They use Cardano because it solves operational problems in MRV and compliance, not for speculation.
The architecture is built for replication: once Armenia and El Salvador are live, the same MRV and tokenization rails can be reused by new municipalities, PROs, retailers and additional countries with minimal change. Documentation and MRV templates are shared so other Cardano teams can plug into the same enterprise MRV model, lowering the cost of future country-level adoption.
As a result, Cardano gains a steady stream of high-integrity transactions tied to real waste recovery and fair value flows. This strengthens Cardano’s reputation with governments and development agencies and reinforces its role as a blockchain for public good, climate reporting and impact verification.
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?
Our proposal builds on capabilities that Plastiks and its partners already run in production. We are not designing MRV on paper: we are extending an enterprise Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) model already tested with UNDP Armenia, municipal operators, NGO networks and private-sector recovery partners. These collaborations show that we can work with public institutions, meet documentation and quality standards, and operate transparently in complex waste systems.
Plastiks already issues trusted digital evidence on Cardano: verified recovery actions, tokenized lots, metadata, and smart-contract payouts. Our team combines engineers, verifiers, auditors and field operators who have managed these workflows end to end. In Armenia, we collaborate with the voluntary PRO ecosystem and actors such as Kotayk and Gegharkunik MSWM Company LLC, ISSD NGO and ArmPack Foundation. In El Salvador, we work with UNDP, FUNDEMAS and align with ANDRES, the national authority. Together, they provide the institutional backbone needed for country-level adoption.
Accountability is enforced through clear enterprise governance: a Steering Committee, Technical Working Group, reporting schedules, KPIs and transparent dashboards. Every operational activity carries an audit trail. Data integrity safeguards include hashing, geofencing, mass balance checks, anomaly detection and human verification. Financial accountability is supported by smart-contract payouts, standard procurement and milestone-based fund releases linked to verifiable MRV outputs.
Feasibility is already demonstrated on three fronts. Practically, the MRV workflows, verification steps and payout logic have been used in real pilots with UNDP Armenia and proved to work reliably on Cardano. Institutionally, UNDP Armenia, UNDP El Salvador, FUNDEMAS and ANDRES have reviewed and accepted the approach as compatible with their regulatory and capacity-building agendas. Technically, the architecture is modular, standards-aligned with Cardano and reconfigurable for both countries without redesign. Fund 15 does not ask Cardano to bet on an untested idea; it scales an existing enterprise MRV backbone to country-level adoption in Armenia and El Salvador, demonstrating that Cardano can support national public value with measurable integrity.
Milestone Title
Governance, Requirements Freeze and Core Data Engine Deployment
Milestone Outputs
Acceptance Criteria
An external and impartial reviewer conducts a full assessment to confirm that the project’s governance framework is active and functioning as intended, with clear decision-making processes and approved requirements guiding all technical and operational components. This evaluation includes verifying that the Core Data Engine operates correctly in real conditions, ensuring that data is captured, processed, and validated with consistency, accuracy, and compliance with established standards. The reviewer also examines the integrity controls, anomaly detection mechanisms, and the end-to-end traceability of material flows and transactions. Finally, the assessment validates that the first sets of verified evidence have been successfully anchored on Cardano, demonstrating the system’s capacity to create immutable, auditable, and tamper-resistant records. This independent confirmation strengthens trust among enterprises, development partners, and institutional stakeholders and guarantees the system is ready for scale.
Evidence of Completion
Delivery Month
2
Cost
102000
Progress
10 %
Milestone Title
Accreditation, Worker Identity and Offline Wallet Module
Milestone Outputs
Acceptance Criteria
The system demonstrates that accredited entities are fully capable of submitting verified operational data through the platform, ensuring consistency, transparency, and traceability across their recovery and recycling activities. Field workers successfully use their identity profiles to authenticate their participation and link their contributions to formal records, even in low-connectivity environments. The offline wallet infrastructure functions as designed, allowing workers to access balances, receive payments, and maintain transaction histories without relying on smartphones or continuous internet access. Pilot payments flow correctly from the platform to each participant, proving that the end-to-end process: from data submission to identity validation, wallet interaction, and financial disbursement, operates reliably under real conditions. This milestone confirms the system’s readiness to support scale, inclusion, and financial integrity in diverse operational contexts.
Evidence of Completion
Delivery Month
4
Cost
136000
Progress
20 %
Milestone Title
Armenia Pilot Activation, Smart Contract Revenue Sharing and Dashboard Release
Milestone Outputs
Acceptance Criteria
The acceptance criteria require the system to demonstrate that all automated and data-driven components function with the accuracy, stability, and auditability expected in institutional environments. The smart-contract layer must execute deterministically, applying the approved formulas for distribution and triggering all events without manual intervention, while ensuring that on-chain outputs match the underlying contribution data recorded in the Core Data Engine. The dashboard must reliably display verified information on material flows, transactions, identity validations, and distribution events, offering a real-time view that can be used by auditors, UN agencies, and government partners to evaluate operational performance.
The platform must also generate reporting outputs that comply with the documentation standards required by Armenian authorities, including traceability summaries and proof-of-collection records. These reports must retain full data lineage, allowing every figure, transaction, or claim to be traced back to its original source without gaps or inconsistencies.
Overall, system performance must show that data capture, processing, verification, and reporting workflows operate correctly under real conditions. Meeting these criteria confirms that the solution is reliable, compliant, and ready for integration into government, UNDP, or enterprise programmes where precision and accountability are essential.
Evidence of Completion
Delivery Month
7
Cost
136000
Progress
50 %
Milestone Title
El Salvador Pilot, ANDRES Alignment, Auditor Workspace and DRS Micro Pilot
Milestone Outputs
Acceptance Criteria
An independent reviewer confirms that El Salvador operators are fully active within the system and are using the platform as their primary channel to register and manage operational data. All relevant DRS batches are being correctly created, timestamped, and recorded, with full traceability from collection points through to aggregation and reporting. The assessment verifies that the auditor interface is functional and fit for purpose, allowing authorised reviewers to navigate batches, drill down into individual records, and cross-check submissions against supporting documentation when needed.
The review also examines the structure, completeness, and quality of data submitted by operators and confirms that these submissions align with the requirements and expectations defined under the ANDRES framework in El Salvador. This includes the correct use of mandatory fields, adherence to agreed classifications, and consistency between reported volumes and the underlying operational evidence. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that local operators understand and apply the required procedures, that the tooling provided to auditors is operational and effective, and that the data flows generated through the platform are compatible with the regulatory logic and compliance objectives of ANDRES.
Evidence of Completion
Delivery Month
8
Cost
170000
Progress
70 %
Milestone Title
Digital Product Passport Layer and Verified Pre Purchase or Sponsorship Flow
Milestone Outputs
Acceptance Criteria
An independent reviewer verifies that the DPP (Digital Product Passport) layer is functioning as specified, ensuring that product- and batch-level information is correctly created, updated, and retrieved across the system. The review confirms that all required metadata fields are present, internally consistent, and aligned with the agreed data model, including identifiers, material composition, origin information, and links to underlying operational evidence. Particular attention is given to validation rules and integrity checks, confirming that invalid, incomplete, or contradictory records are rejected or flagged for correction before they can be published or used in downstream processes.
The assessment also confirms that the batch publication workflow operates correctly from end to end. Batches are assembled with the appropriate evidence, associated with the relevant DPP metadata, and then published in a way that can be independently referenced and audited. Once a batch is published, pre-purchase and sponsorship flows are tested to verify that they execute on-chain according to the defined business logic, including the creation of on-chain records, the correct handling of value transfers, and the linkage between transactions, batches, and DPP identifiers. The reviewer concludes that the combination of a functioning DPP layer, valid metadata, correct batch publication, and reliably executed on-chain flows provides a solid foundation for transparent, traceable, and verifiable pre-purchase or sponsorship mechanisms.
Evidence of Completion
Delivery Month
10
Cost
68000
Progress
80 %
Milestone Title
Global Transparency Dashboard, Authority Ready Reporting and Replication Toolkit
Milestone Outputs
Acceptance Criteria
Through external validation, it is confirmed that the dashboards are live and operating under real conditions, providing timely visibility over material flows, transactions, identity events, and financial movements. The assessment verifies that authorised users can log in with the correct permissions, navigate different views, apply filters, and obtain consistent, up-to-date insights. The structure and readability of the visualisations are considered adequate for monitoring, exception detection, and strategic decision-making by institutional stakeholders.
The same review confirms that the reporting packages generated by the platform meet the requirements of institutional partners such as UN agencies, government bodies, and development finance organisations. Reports include all mandatory fields, follow agreed templates, and preserve traceability back to the underlying records, making them suitable for regulatory submissions, compliance audits, and donor reporting. Export options and formats are found to be practical for integration into existing workflows and document management systems.
In addition, the replication toolkit is assessed as complete and usable. It provides implementation guidance, configuration parameters, standard operating procedures, and training materials that allow new countries or partners to adopt the solution with limited dependence on core development teams. Together, these elements demonstrate that the system is not only technically sound, but also prepared for institutional use, scale-up, and structured replication.
Evidence of Completion
Delivery Month
12
Cost
68000
Progress
100 %
Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources
Budget and Cost
Cost Breakdown of the Proposed Work and Resources
Total requested: 680,000 ADA
The budget is structured to cover the complete dual country deployment in Armenia and El Salvador, including MRV system upgrades, Cardano based tokenization modules, DRS readiness infrastructure, data governance, reporting, dashboards, capacity building, training, field implementation and institutional coordination with UNDP, FUNDEMAS and ANDRES.
The distribution reflects the operational and technical complexity of a national level environmental data backbone deployed across two countries with different regulatory frameworks.
1. Technical Development and System Architecture
240,000 ADA
This category covers the expansion and adaptation of the MRV platform for Armenia and El Salvador. It includes:
This represents the largest cost category given the depth of development, dual country adaptations and Cardano integration.
2. Dashboards, Reporting and Transparency Layer
105,000 ADA
This category covers all data visualization, analysis and authority reporting functions.
This ensures both countries obtain high quality evidence based tools for decision making.
3. Field Operations, Training and Accreditation
90,000 ADA
This category supports training, onboarding and fieldwork in Armenia and El Salvador.
This guarantees the MRV system is adopted by operators with varying digital literacy levels.
4. Governance, Compliance and Data Quality
70,000 ADA
This category ensures strong accountability, documentation and auditability.
This secures institutional trust and regulatory fit.
5. Country Engagement and Institutional Coordination
65,000 ADA
This category covers coordination with UNDP Armenia, UNDP El Salvador, FUNDEMAS, ANDRES, municipalities and PRO ecosystems.
This ensures smooth execution across two national ecosystems.
6. Communications, Public Transparency and Donor Visibility
45,000 ADA
This category ensures that the dual country project is properly communicated to governments, donors and communities.
This supports public trust and UNDP visibility expectations.
7. Project Management and Administration
40,000 ADA
This category covers cross country project coordination and delivery assurance.
This guarantees structured execution and controlled delivery.
8. Catalyst Reporting and Independent Verification
25,000 ADA
This category covers all activities required to meet Catalyst reporting and review expectations.
This ensures full accountability and transparency for ADA disbursements.
Budget Summary
Total: 680,000 ADA
How does the cost of the project represent value for the Cardano ecosystem?
The requested 680,000 ADA delivers strong value to the Cardano ecosystem by funding an enterprise Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) infrastructure in two countries. It creates a dual-country backbone in Armenia and El Salvador that generates continuous real-world blockchain activity, supports country-level adoption with UNDP, FUNDEMAS and authorities, and positions Cardano as trusted public infrastructure for environmental governance.
The cost is justified by the scope of the deployment. The project includes a full MRV engine, a Cardano-based tokenization pipeline, smart-contract revenue sharing, DRS batch reconciliation, worker identity and offline wallets, an auditor workspace, a Digital Product Passport layer and public transparency dashboards. These are enterprise tools, not demos: they are needed for regulatory compliance, institutional reporting and verifiable environmental data in two different legal contexts.
The project creates strong leverage. For every ADA invested, Cardano gains long-term adoption by public institutions, PRO ecosystems, municipalities, auditors, recovery cooperatives and informal waste workers. This broadens the active user base far beyond typical crypto users and positions Cardano as the MRV and compliance layer for EPR, ESG and circular economy regulations at country level.
The dual-country architecture maximizes efficiency. Instead of funding two separate builds, Cardano finances a shared enterprise MRV backbone that is adapted, not rebuilt, for each country. This reduces future deployment costs and enables new municipalities, PROs and countries to adopt the same rails through a replication toolkit. One initial investment unlocks a reusable model with high long-term value for country-level adoption across the region.
Transparency and accountability are built in. Six milestones tie fund releases to independently verifiable outputs: on-chain MRV events, dashboards, validation modules, smart-contract payouts and regulatory-aligned reports. ADA is only released when measurable, auditable results appear on Cardano.
For the ecosystem, the value is structural. The project generates sustained, high-integrity transactions (tokenized recovery lots, claim retirements, payouts, DRS reconciliation), expands Cardano’s footprint with UNDP and national authorities, and exposes Cardano as an enterprise climate and circular economy MRV layer via public dashboards and open APIs.
In summary, this is strong value for money: it converts 680,000 ADA into lasting enterprise MRV infrastructure, country-level adoption, and a scalable model that can be replicated, proving Cardano as reliable technology for national environmental systems and sustainable development.
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
I Agree
Yes
The project is delivered by a multi institutional team that brings together Plastiks leadership, verification specialists, product and UI experts, data governance professionals and essential UNDP counterparts in Armenia and El Salvador. This structure reflects the governance model successfully used in previous UNDP collaborations and is scaled here for a dual country deployment with FUNDEMAS and the national authority ANDRES.
André Ványi Robin
Chief Executive Officer, Plastiks
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andre-vanyi-robin
André is the founder and CEO of Plastiks, responsible for strategic leadership and high level institutional alignment. He has more than twenty years of experience in circular economy innovation, digital traceability, environmental markets and multi stakeholder partnership development. André oversees the strategic integrity of the dual country architecture and ensures consistent coordination with UNDP, government authorities and private sector actors.
Ana Aguilar Meca
Chief Operating Officer, Plastiks
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ana-aguilar-meca
Ana leads the operational execution of the project. She manages governance, compliance, regulatory coordination and delivery quality across Armenia and El Salvador. With extensive experience implementing MRV systems, UNDP aligned pilots, and multi country operations, she ensures the project maintains high accountability standards and remains aligned with institutional and regulatory expectations.
Delfina Achinelly
Head of Methodology and Verification
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/delfina-achinelly
Delfina oversees verification integrity. She designs and supervises all methodological elements including evidence validation, mass balance logic, risk detection and auditability. Her expertise ensures the MRV system meets PRO expectations, UNDP requirements and national compliance frameworks.
Estefania Brito
Data Quality and Compliance Coordinator
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/estefania-brito-090523169
Estefania manages data quality, compliance documentation, verification cross checks and internal QA cycles. She prepares quarterly and annual reporting packages for UNDP Armenia, UNDP El Salvador, FUNDEMAS, MARN and ANDRES, ensuring that institutional reviewers receive complete, traceable and accurate information.
Trym Lyngset
Chief Product Officer, Plastiks
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trym-lyngset
Trym leads the product architecture across all modules: MRV capture, verification tools, tokenization logic, payout automation, identity flows, auditor workspace, DRS batch recording and the Digital Product Passport layer. He ensures the system is scalable, secure, interoperable and adapted to both Armenian and Salvadoran contexts.
Laura Amador
Lead UI and Digital Product Designer
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-amador-97b6a1241
Laura leads UI and UX design for all user interactions, ensuring accessibility for operators, workers, auditors, PROs and authorities. She adapts complex technical workflows into intuitive user experiences that accommodate different levels of digital literacy across operators in Armenia and El Salvador.
Raquel Hubschman
Communications and Transparency Lead (External Agency Partner)
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raquelhu
Raquel leads communication strategy, public transparency content, donor aligned storytelling and visibility of the transparency dashboard. She ensures alignment with UNDP communication standards, government messaging requirements and international development audiences.
Institutional Partners (non funded, essential contributors)
These institutional actors are not funded team members but are central to delivery. Their involvement provides governance credibility, policy alignment and field level integration.
UNDP El Salvador
Gabriela Gochez
UNDP El Salvador Innovation Ecosystem Lead
Gabriela provides strategic oversight, government liaison support and ensures the project aligns with UNDP El Salvador’s priorities in digital inclusion, circular economy and environmental governance. She supports coordination with national authorities and advises on alignment with the Special Waste Law.
Karla Aguirre
UNDP El Salvador Project Coordinator
Karla manages operational coordination with municipalities, recovery organizations and community partners. She validates reporting formats, ensures integration with FUNDEMAS training pipelines and supports institutional alignment with ANDRES and MARN.
UNDP Armenia
Nelli Minasyan
UNDP Armenia, SDG Innovation Team
Nelli provides strategic oversight for the Armenian implementation. She ensures alignment with the country’s emerging EPR framework, supports coordination with the voluntary PRO ecosystem, municipal waste operators and regulatory institutions, and validates that reporting, dashboards and MRV outputs meet national expectations. Her guidance anchors the Armenian pilot within the country’s wider digital governance and environmental policy roadmap.
Why This Team Can Deliver
This team has already delivered complex, multi stakeholder environmental data infrastructures with UNDP and national partners. Plastiks provides operational leadership, product architecture, MRV verification expertise and Cardano integration capacity. UNDP Armenia and UNDP El Salvador provide institutional authority, regulatory alignment, government access and implementation oversight. FUNDEMAS strengthens field capacity and community training, while ANDRES ensures local regulatory fit.
Together, the consortium offers the operational maturity, institutional trust, technical depth and governance structure required to deliver a dual country MRV, tokenization and DRS readiness system at national scale.