Our Fund 7 funded proposal is the delivery of an MVP of our Impact Incubator programme. This proposal builds on this project, taking the learnings from the MVP and the participating SPOs and developing an MVP ‘Train the Trainer’ product so that the Impact Incubator programme can be scaled up and implemented in the wider Cardano network. In particular, this project will look at developing this MVP in Africa, encouraging the development and growth of sustainable SPO networks in the region, but with the scope for scaling this to other geographies in later funds, once proven.
This project ensures Cardano gets the greatest ROI on the previous investment from F7 as it develops a sustainable, knowledge sharing, training programme that can be embedded in the Cardano ecosystem.
Impact can be further divided by the Trainer (end users of the programme) and Cardano.
<u>For the Trainers – The end users of the programme </u>
At the completion of this project, there will be in place a fully formed and structured online training programme that will enable prospective trainers to deliver a version of our Impact incubator programme tailored specifically to meet the needs of SPOs.
This programme will provide trainers with all of the instructions and other relevant tools, information and other collateral necessary to ensure consistency around delivering a high impact, high value SPO training experience.
For SPOs, participating in the Impact incubator programme will provide them with following value:
- Clarity on their purpose, impact and value add,
- An audit that delivers clarity of where their business is now, where they would like it to be and how to get there, which produces,
- A practical top level impact driven business plan
<u>For the Cardano Catalyst Project Community </u>
- Implementation of an impact focussed innovation incubator programme that can be used to embed good business practice into the SPO community in Africa.
- A ‘Train the Trainer’ Blueprint for establishing SPO Innovation Incubator programmes across Africa.
- A research report on the feasibility of running similar programmes in other geographies (namely India and Asia)
- Begin developing a ‘generational’ SPO impact innovation programme in Africa, with opportunities for Alumni participation and direction.
- This is one of two proposals rolling out this product to SPOs of various sizes and geographies as outlined in our F7 MVP project “Small SPO Impact Business Programme”. The target groupings in this Fund are:
- Train the Trainer SPO Africa (this proposal)
- SPO Incubator Rollout (submitted in F8 Misc)
This proposal addresses some of the key KPIs in the following ways:
- Number of new African projects seeded in 2022
- This MVP Train the Trainer project will lay the groundwork for future Incubator Programme project to be conducted through the 2022 funds, and will also reveal other opportunities to support SPOs or NGOs in Africa.
- Local impact (measurable through user activity and reach)
- This is a project that has potential across the continent, whether conducted locally in-person, online for participants across Africa, or a blended approach combining the two.
- Local partnerships formed (size of institution + influence)
- We will be partnering direct with local institutions working to support the development and adoption of Cardano in Africa.
Upon completion of the programme, outcomes will be communicated by our social media channels on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and after the town hall.
During the research and marketing pre-programme 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 incubator programme. These are made of SPO groups and network, as well as other stakeholders within the community.
We envisage the main challenge to be securing partners for the training. To mitigate this, we have been networking with WADA who would be able to take part in the training and then deliver Accelerator programmes in Africa, on completion of this project. Should this project receive funding, we are in a position to move ahead with WADA as a partner.
A secondary challenge would be ensuring the project adequately prepares the participants to lead their own Incubators. This project is part of a ‘See one, Do one, Teach one’ pedagogical approach. Participants will be invited to observe an existing Incubator programme before going through the programme themselves. The next phase (in a following Fund) will involve them running their own MVP of the Incubator programme. This will ensure participants are well prepared and supported along the journey.