Impact Accelerator Rollout

[IMPACT]

In F7 we secured funding for our MVP project – Impact Innovation Accelerator – which sought to develop our purpose-led accelerator programme with suitable language and content for the Cardano developer community. This proposal is the follow on, taking the learnings from the MVP and participating developers, and productising the full programme ready for release to the wider Cardano developer community. 

This doesn’t fit neatly into any other category in F8, therefore we are submitting in F8 Miscellaneous to ensure the Cardano community sees significant ROI on developing this product in the previous fund. 

It has two main areas of impact: the developers as the end users of the programme, and the Cardano Catalyst Project. 

For Purpose-Led Entrepreneurs (Developers) - The end users of the programme 

Our project will refine and deliver the 8 Session online impact accelerator for a larger cohort of developers (10 participants in MVP, 20 in this project), helping them to: 

• Define and outline their own personal purpose and then develop a pathway that aligns their own purpose with that of their business and the Cardano project. 
• Discover what their own brilliance is and how that can be leveraged to serve both themselves and their stakeholders. 
• Map out a vision for using their skills, expertise and passion to enable a business that can thrive and grow to support their purpose and the whole Cardano ecosystem. 
• Put in place a robust top-level, impactful, plan for achieving that vision. 

For the Cardano Catalyst Project Community 

The first Generation of an impact focused innovation accelerator programme that can be used to embed good business practice into the developer community 

Included in this project, we will produce a report on the outcomes of the Accelerator, lessons learned, and opportunities or challenges we foresee for developers moving forward. This could then spin off into further projects in following Funds. 

Additionally, this programme will mark the beginning of a ‘generational’ Impact Accelerator programme for the Cardano network, where participants who pass through the programme will become Alumni. These participants will then act as mentors/case studies for future participants, ensuring knowledge is captured and cascades down into further ‘generations’ of developers on the Cardano network. 

This proposal aligns with the following Challenge KPI: 

• Number of identified possible Challenges to be proposed in the following Funds based on proposals submitted in the Miscellaneous Challenge. 

As a result of this project, it is likely we will be able to identify areas where developers require further support to successfully contribute to the Cardano network. At the end of the project, as part of the final report, we will include a section on Challenges and Opportunities for future funds. 

Once the accelerator programme in this proposal has been completed, the outcomes will be communicated by our social media channels on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube, as well as internally through available Cardano channels. 

During the marketing phase of the project, we will be entering into conversations with multiple stakeholders in the Cardano ecosystem, these relationships will also form the core of our communication strategy post completion of the accelerator programme. These are made of developer groups and networks, as well as other stakeholders within the Cardano community. 

 We envisage the biggest risk being not engaging with sufficient developers to give us insight into the needs of the community. 

We will mitigate this risk by engaging with developer groups and Cardano marketing comms to spread awareness and gain buy-in from various stakeholder groups. 

This will also be somewhat mitigated by the work done to market the MVP project in F7, and the successful participation of developers in that programme. Additionally, we have been undertaking further work to integrate ourselves with developer networks, building relationships and improving awareness of ourselves and projects. 

[FEASIBILITY]

Project Roadmap: https://miro.com/app/board/uXjVOFWi7HU=/?invite_link_id=839034363341 

Project Management:

• Develop detailed project plan, liaise with stakeholders and manage the programme elements throughout duration – 12 hours

Develop the Pre-Programme phase and get it fit for purpose:

• Develop and run Marketing Campaign – 30 hours
• Application sorting and management – 24 hours
• Review submitted audits – 10 hours
• Onboarding – development and management – 18 hours

Refine, run and manage the Programme delivery phase:

• Refine and deliver the programme – 22 hours
• Conduct mid-session reviews – 20 hours
• Programme administration – 11 hours

Refine, run and manage the Post-Programme phase: 

• Collate key metrics -  4 hours
• Conduct feedback interviews – 10 hours
• Report consolidation and delivery – 10 hours

Overall, the project will have a duration of 12 weeks dependent on the availability of participants.

This is based on up 20 to participants

The total cost of this proposal is US$34,700

The cost rates that we have estimated are:

Edify R&D & management team – US$200/hr

Edify workshop delivery team – US$500/hr

Freelance support (Admin, VA, Marketing etc.) – US$100/hr

Project Management: - $2,400

Edify R&D & management team – 12 hours – $2,400

Develop the Pre-Programme phase and get it fit for purpose: – $12,200

Edify R&D & management team – 40 hours – $8,000

Freelance support (Admin, VA, Marketing etc.) – 42 hours – $4,200

Refine, run and manage the Programme delivery phase: - $15,300 

Edify R&D & management team – 28 hours - $5,600

Edify workshop delivery team – 18 hours - $9,000

Freelance support (Admin, VA, Marketing etc.) – 7 hours - $700

Refine, run and manage the Post-Programme phase: - $4,800 

Edify R&D & management team – 24 hours - $4,800

Skills required

The following skills are required to deliver our proposal.

• Capability to organise and run an incubator programme

• A platform to run an online programme

• An ability to attract appropriate people to the programme

• A method of measuring the success of the programme

• The ability to mentor, coach, consult and train participants in the programme

• The ability to adapt our existing programme into an SPO focused MVP programme

• The ability to construct and deliver a research report on the MVP programme

• The ability to engage with the Catalyst community to launch and leverage the programme

We have many of these skills within our current team and will welcome the contribution of others to further expand our collective capability.

Harry Hellyer 

NED, and chairman, executive and business coach specialising in full value-based impact innovation programmes for enterprises and organisations. 

Founding partner of 50th Generation – one of the UK's first Social Business Generational Accelerators – 2014-2018 

Credited for supporting the development of the NHS's first Sustainable Development Vision and Strategy programme. 

Coached Fellows on the Cambridge University, Programme for Sustainable Development, 

Coached Fellows and Lectured for the Cambridge University, Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning - Social Enterprise 

VP and director of strategy, marketing strategy and business development for several global IT, media and telecoms companies. 

Alan Casey 

Manager of a sovereign national grid control centre during a period of technological and cultural change. 

Founder and consultant in an organisational effectiveness measurement system deployed into a global advertising and marketing communications network. 

Founder of a conversational AI company creating systems that evaluate and improve competence in key organisational skills. 

Member of the Edify Community. 

Fellow of the RSA. 

Jon Arnett 

Background in Operations and Project Management with startups, small businesses and social enterprises. 

Founder of a coaching and consulting business supporting small businesses and startups.  

Experience in coaching, facilitation, workshopping and programme delivery (online and in person) 

Won multiple EU funded L&D contracts, delivering workshops on entrepreneurship, social entrepreneurship and leadership to diverse stakeholders. 

Member of the Edify Community. 

Mark Constable 

25 years+ working in small business as a Leader, Founder, consultant and coach - Supporting impact focused business leaders in building future fit organisations

Proven track record of helping clients in building high value, high performing organisations focused equally on both wealth and wellbeing.

Relevant Experience: 

Development and delivery of high impact leadership programmes for fast growth businesses.

Launched a business line providing specialised business development training to bid management and sales teams globally. 

Member of the Edify Community.

[AUDITABILITY]

In terms of measuring and tracking progress of the project, we will be evaluating along a number of metrics. 

Key Metrics: 

1. Number of developers engaged in marketing 
2. Number of applications received 
3. Number of successful applications 
4. Number of participants starting the programme 
5. Number of participants completing the programme 
6. Number of Alumni from MVP engaged with new Cohort 

These metrics will be measured on an ongoing basis throughout the project and will then we summarised in the end of project report, along with end of project debriefs with participants. 

Similarly, we will be running weekly project management meetings to assess progress against the milestone plan, alongside regular Catalyst meetings with coordinators to update on progress and where support might be necessary. 

Success indicators: 

1. Max Cohort (20) 
2. Successful completion of accelerator by developers 
3. Successful business audits completed 
4. Successful vision and business plans completed 
5. Engagement by Alumni from MVP in some capacity 
6. Completed research report covering metrics and feedback from participants, as well as opportunities and challenges for future funds. 

Success for this project also contributes to two of Cardano’s three pillars, namely scalability and sustainability. This programme offers a scalable process for developers in the Cardano community to follow, and ensures they are sustainable business operations. 

F7 Impact Innovation Accelerator: https://cardano.ideascale.com/c/idea/385017 

This project is the implementation of a validated product, of which an MVP was produced in Fund 7 under the Catalyst Accelerators and Mentors. The F7 project sought to prove the viability of this programme to support the developer ecosystem with a small cohort of early adopters. This F8 proposal takes the lessons from the MVP and will start to roll it out to the wider ecosystem. 

Within this proposal we have built in a review window to take the feedback and learnings from the MVP and make changes to the programme where necessary.