Implementation: How will we achieve our objectives?

Budget Overview

This budget supports the Year 1 activation pilot - a focused program designed to demonstrate the Cardano in Oceania community’s cooperation, coordination, and capability, while delivering milestones and laying the groundwork for future scaling.

The following table summarises the proposed budget for the Cardano in Oceania initiative, broken down by key components.

Budget Item	Total (ada)	Description
Business Development Program	130,000	Contract an Oceania BD team, run BD bootcamps, partner outreach travel.
Regional Conferences	175,000	Sponsorship packages, booth branding and furnishing, promotional material, etc. Launch/side event at Aus Crypto Con.
Ecosystem Mapping & Activation	60,000	Tools, coordinator stipend, surveys for community mapping.
Hackathons	120,000	Major Oceania Hackathon – venue, logistics, prizes, marketing, mentorship support, some travel grants for participants. Sponsorship for industry hackathons
Community Events & Workshops	75,000	~20 local in-person events across the region, plus governance/education workshops.
Monthly Town Halls (Virtual)	5,000	12 online sessions, covering platform fees, host stipends, etc.
Marketing & Communications	80,000	Community content fund, paid ads, media sponsorships, video production, and PR agency support.
Cardanoの生きがい - Ikigai - Deposit Reimbursement	100,000	Fulfilling the wish of the Cardano community to reimburse a lost goverance action deposit.
Contingency	15,000	Reserve for unplanned costs.
Administration & Audits	18,000	Fund management and reporting.
Total (2025–2026)	778,000

This budget reflects a significant investment designed to achieve a step-change in Cardano’s presence in Oceania. We expect to leverage this funding efficiently by also seeking in-kind support and partnerships – for instance, event co-sponsorships could reduce our net costs, and content created by the community often exceeds the value of the modest grants provided.

The spending will be phased over the 12 months, with some front-loading in 2025 for program setup and launch. We will implement strong financial oversight and transparency in managing this budget, with quarterly reports to the Cardano Community broadly, as well as to the Treasury (and any local funders), on expenditures versus the plan. Notably, the hackathon and other initiatives will practice transparent budget management, similar to Catalyst projects. Any unused contingency or cost savings will be reported and potentially returned to the treasury or reallocated with approval.

Implementation Timeline and Milestones

This timeline outlines the phased rollout of the Cardano in Oceania strategy, incorporating capacity-building, technical activation, community growth, and impact reporting. Success here unlocks the case for multi-year scaling.

Q4 2025 – Launch & Foundations

Public Launch: Present the Cardano in Oceania strategy at a side event during the Australian Crypto Convention, with regional crypto industry leaders and Cardano stakeholders.
Team Formation: Recruit and onboard the Oceania Business Development (BD) Team.
BD Bootcamp 1: Enroll the first cohort of 5–10 Cardano Oceania BD Fellows and deliver a structured training program based on strategy, compliance, finance, marketing, and leadership.
Community Infrastructure: Establish Oceania-specific communication channels (Telegram, Discord, newsletter).
Mapping Kickoff: Launch the Ecosystem Mapping initiative: surveys, referrals, and tool setup.
Hackathon Pre-Planning: Secure venue, define format and tracks, and identify regional mentors.
Local Events: Begin in-person events in 2–3 key cities and monthly virtual town halls.

Milestone:
Strategy launched; BD team operational; Bootcamp 1 complete; hackathon planning underway; mapping effort initiated.

Q1 2026 – Partner Outreach & Hackathon Setup

Partner Engagement: Begin outreach to BD targets (companies, universities, NGOs); initiate discussions for pilot collaborations.
Hackathon Activation: Finalize logistics for the Q2 Hackathon — open registration, begin regional marketing, and confirm mentors and technical support.
Pre-Hackathon Workshops: Host 2–3 technical onboarding sessions (e.g. in Auckland, Sydney) to familiarize newcomers with Cardano dev tools.
Ecosystem Engagement: Hold Oceania Ecosystem Roundtable #1 to connect projects and surface collaboration opportunities.
Content Build-up: Launch the first Cardano in Oceania content series (e.g. blog interviews with BD Fellows or event recaps).
Governance Prep: Schedule and promote upcoming governance workshops on Catalyst, CIPs, and constitutional engagement.

Milestone:
50%+ of hackathon slots pre-registered; outreach to 5+ target partners underway; ecosystem collaborations initiated.

Q2 2026 – Hackathon Delivery & Post-Event Momentum

Hackathon Execution: Deliver the Oceania Hackathon 2026 (target: 100+ attendees, 20+ dApp/project prototypes). Focus areas: SSI/identity, supply chain, social finance.
Diversity Support: Allocate travel grants for participants from remote areas and Pacific Islands.
Mentorship & Onboarding: Offer in-event workshops and 1-on-1 mentorship from Cardano ecosystem experts.
Post-Hackathon Support: Facilitate continued team development: Catalyst coaching, incubator links, and integration with global dev community.
Ecosystem Map v1.0: Publish an interactive map and skills database covering 100+ individuals/orgs.
Storytelling Launch: Begin production of video/documentary content spotlighting hackathon teams or regional partnerships.

Milestone:
Hackathon delivered; ecosystem map published; 3+ projects progressing beyond the event; mentorship pathways engaged.

Q3 2026 – Incubation, Reflection & Decision Point

Project Incubation: Provide ongoing support to top hackathon projects or BD collaborations entering pilot stage (e.g. government, NGO, or enterprise trials).
Community Events: Continue monthly town halls and hold Roundtable #2 to track ecosystem outcomes and gaps.
Governance Workshops: Run in-person or online workshops aligned with any live governance activity (e.g. Catalyst voting or constitutional votes).
Strategy Review: Conduct formal stakeholder review to assess KPIs and make go/no-go decision on a Capstone Event or Summit side event.
Marketing Push: Publish blog series or mini-documentary: “Projects to Watch in Oceania.”

Milestone:
At least one Cardano-based solution in pilot; Capstone decision finalized; early success stories promoted.

Q4 2026 – Capstone Event & Final Reporting

Capstone Event (optional): If approved, execute the Cardano Oceania Capstone Showcase or regional Summit side-event. Present hackathon outcomes, BD wins, governance progress, and community growth.
Final Community Feedback: Run a region-wide consultation (survey/forum) on next-phase priorities, needs, and vision.
Final Report: Deliver comprehensive impact report to the Treasury and community: KPIs, financials, partnership status, and stories of change.
Transition Planning: Propose and begin executing continuity options: e.g. transitioning to a DAO, integrating with Intersect governance, or preparing a follow-on funding proposal.

Milestone:
Final report delivered; all program KPIs assessed; continuity strategy supported by community.

Throughout the timeline, monitoring and evaluation will be continuous. Each quarter will have defined targets (number of events held, people reached, etc.), and we will use these to course-correct. The timeline also retains flexibility – for instance, if an opportunity arises to collaborate on a national-level project in 2026, we might reallocate some event budget to support that, as long as it aligns with our objectives.

Stage Gates

Our work follows a structured, staged process to ensure accountability and adaptability. At each “gate”, we establish rigorous evidence requirements, demonstrate achievement, and decide whether to proceed, accelerate, or make adjustments. We have deliberately scoped Year 1 as an activation pilot to build trust within the Cardano community. This approach respects budget constraints while proving our ability to deliver effectively before scaling up. Each gate demands clear evidence of delivery, adaptation, and learning. The table below outlines these transparent decision points.

Gate	Activities Complete	If Done	If Not Yet
Q4 2025	BD Lead hired; Fellows enrolled; comms channels live (from Awareness stage); hackathon venue pencilled; initial map v1.0 published (from Interest stage)	Kick off scaled marketing of hackathon; begin events/workshops (Consideration stage)	Slip hackathon by 1Q; focus on mapping & partner pre-work; amplify content marketing to build impressions.
Q2 2026	≥100 attendees; 20+ prototypes; mentors + workshops delivered (from Qualified stage); ≥3 MOUs in pipeline (from Intent stage)	Spin up incubation; content stories begin (Build → Pilot transition); launch pilot marketing	Run “second-chance” dev sprints; deepen mentorship; revisit ecosystem mapping for more collaborations
Q3 2026	≥3 projects continuing; ≥3 MOUs; category-balanced partners (from Pilot stage dependencies)	Kick off 3 pilots; prep capstone; marketing push for adoption stories	Extend BD runway; targeted PoCs; loop back to events for more intent generation
Q4 2026	Final report; governance KPI uplift; clear demand for phase 2 (tied to Adoption KPIs)	Proceed with capstone & next-phase proposal; sustain marketing via community cadence	Transition to lower-cost community cadence; reinforce early stages (e.g., content refresh) for phase 2 relaunch

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) & Value Creation

To gauge the success and impact of the Cardano in Oceania 2025–26 strategy, we have identified clear KPIs across all program dimensions:

Ecosystem Growth: Community size and activity – Double the number of active Cardano community members in Oceania (measured via meetup attendance, local Telegram/Discord group sizes, etc.). Grow the number of Cardano wallets or on-chain usage in Oceania by 50% over two years (as a proxy, track growth in transactions originating from Oceania IPs or participation in Cardano-based dApps from the region).
Developer Engagement: Hackathon and dev events – Train or engage 200+ developers through hackathons, workshops, and meetups. KPI: at least 100 new developers (who were not previously building on Cardano) actively participate in our hackathon or coding events (signified by code submissions). Aim for 20+ hackathon projects, with at least 3 projects continuing development post-event (entering Catalyst, GitHub repos active 3 months later, etc.).
Partnerships & Use Cases: Business development outcomes – Sign 3 or more partnership agreements or MOUs with organizations (enterprises, startups, or government agencies) to build on Cardano or trial Cardano solutions. By 2026, target at least 1 live pilot project in each of these categories: government/public sector, enterprise, and social impact/non-profit. For example, a government department using Cardano for a pilot, a private company adopting a Cardano-based supply chain or identity solution, and an NGO leveraging Cardano for a community project. These real use cases will be the ultimate proof of value creation.
Talent and Capacity: BD and leadership capacity – Through the capacity-building program, produce 5–10 trained Cardano “business champions” in Oceania (people who can continue evangelizing and onboarding others beyond 2026). KPI: number of graduates from the BD program who take on leadership roles (e.g. start a Cardano startup, join Cardano Foundation, or lead a local Cardano chapter). Also, have all key team members certified (Cardano Foundation Academy or equivalent) to ensure deep expertise.
Content & Outreach Metrics: Marketing impact – Deliver at least 48 pieces of original content (blog posts, videos, podcasts) over 2 years via community and official channels. Achieve a cumulative reach of >500,000 impressions on social media and online campaigns promoting Cardano in Oceania . Grow engagement: for instance, raise the average Oceania town hall attendance to >50 live viewers (from perhaps 20–30 initially) and achieve >5,000 views on each major video story produced. Media mentions: Secure coverage in at least 5 mainstream or industry media outlets about Cardano activities in Oceania (e.g. an article in an Aussie tech magazine or a segment on NZ tech news).
Governance Participation: Cardano community governance – Increase the involvement of Oceania’s community in Cardano governance processes. KPI: by 2026, have Oceania representation in Catalyst and governance roles such as 2–3 new funded Catalyst proposals coming from Oceania teams, an increase in registered voters from Oceania (target +30%), and at least one Oceania community member attaining a recognized role (e.g. Catalyst Community Advisor, DRep (delegated representative) or even a Cardano Improvement Proposal co-author).
Treasury Return on Investment: Long-term value creation – While harder to quantify in the short term, we will track indicators of sustainable ecosystem growth that justify the treasury investment. For example, number of new Cardano startups formed (target 3+ by 2026), follow-on funding attracted by Oceania projects (e.g. a project getting external VC or government grants after initial incubation, target: at least $1M in aggregate follow-on funding), and improvements in Cardano’s global metrics attributable to Oceania (such as network effect – more developers and users – contributing to Cardano’s adoption which can reflect in ADA utility/demand). We will present these outcomes in narrative form to illustrate how this program creates value well beyond its cost, seeding economic activity and social good that far exceeds the initial funding.