Continuation of the successful 2024 program in which 6 community hubs were launched:
Japan
LATAM
Africa
Sri Lanka
Europe
North America

The proposal looks to expand the amount of global community hubs to increase adoption in Cardano through an additional 10+ hubs around the world. Creating additional hubs will enable further geographical representation across the world and encourage more community members to learn about Cardano, get involved and begin participating in governance actions. The proposal looks to expand the amount of global community hubs to increase adoption in Cardano through an additional 10+ hubs around the world. Creating additional hubs will enable further geographical representation across the world and encourage more community members to learn about Cardano, get involved and begin participating in governance actions. This includes under-represented regions or where Cardano doesn't have a well-coordinated community, which will take more resources to build a solid following (note - any funds unused will remain in the Treasury as unutilized).

These hubs will be responsible for the following:

• Driving representation and participation worldwide, essential for supporting the consensus mechanism underpinning Cardano’s governance system.
• Acting as geographical central points.
• Bringing communities together to encourage discussions on Cardano.
• Attend localised in-person and virtual events.
• Provide resources, materials and events in local languages to promote inclusivity and enable community members to contribute.

The Community Hub Working Group has proposed initial ‘Level 1’ KPIs to support new community hubs in becoming established and fostering early collaboration that lay the groundwork for future growth:

• Setting up Hub in accordance with Hub Manager’s guide.
• Host and/or attend minimum one local meetup and/or event per month, physically and/or virtually to represent their community and Cardano, with a minimum of 15 attendees for virtual events. Hub Managers should aim to run a minimum of 15 events per half year.
• Own, moderate and utilize your own Social Media platforms, such as but not limited to X account (including minimum monthly X spaces which can be Town Halls) and Discord channel within Intersect’s Discord server.
• Translate content (Cardano and other), as required into regional language/s and support member onboarding.
• Run one in-person launch event.
• Host and/or attend local meetups and events, both physically and virtually where possible to represent their community and Cardano.
• Communication with other Hub Managers.
• Community feedback.

As hubs develop, such as the current 6 community hubs which have become more established, they will move to 'Level 2' which lists the baseline KPIs listed above (except the setting up of a hub and the running of a launch event) as well as a list of optional KPIs. Hubs can select the relevant KPIs which are suited to their community, as well as suggesting additional KPIs which are not listed. As hubs evolve, they can choose to specialize or remain broad in focus, depending on the unique needs of their community. Categories include:

• Education and Training
• Partnerships and Adoption
• Cardano Community Support & Documentation Hub
• Technology and development
• Cardano Local Hubs & Adoption Hub

Every KPI aligns to the mission and vision of the community hub working group; the Charter can be found in the links section. The community hub manager applicant will have the opportunity to propose themselves the KPIs they wish to achieve and how their KPIs will be measured. The CHWG, along with support from the MCC, will review the KPI submissions from applicants and ensure that KPIs, as well as how their success is measured, deliver value to the Cardano ecosystem. In terms of virtual and in-person events, every event must adhere to the following to ensure that the KPI is the value and output of each event, rather than the event itself:

• Be relevant to the Cardano ecosystem through either being a Town Hall, or discussing ecosystem events/partners
• Financial transparency must be reported
• Update the events tracker with the number of attendees, links to photographic evidence and recording links if virtual
• Support an initiative in the Cardano ecosystem

The Cardano ecosystem faces many challenges which community hubs seek to address. One key issue is the lack of global participation, representation and inclusivity. There are many underrepresented communities struggling to access resources and tools, therefore a lack of engagement in governance processes and general Cardano learning persists. Community hubs act as geographical meeting points which bring communities together and drive localised engagement within the Cardano community. They provide community members with support and direct them towards the appropriate resources they require to encourage global participation in Cardano governance and raise awareness of Cardano.

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To foster inclusivity, communities can communicate in their local language to drive engagement and participation with specified, relevant content for each region. Another key issue is education; many newcomers to the ecosystem do not understand introductory processes such as how to create a wallet. As well as newcomers, many community members lack foundational blockchain education and literacy.

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Community hubs aim to educate community members, whether they are newcomers or experienced in blockchain, in the ecosystem through in-person and virtual meet ups, the sharing of educational content, and further specified education and training deliverables as hubs become more established, such as university partnerships and blockchain training. Educating community members will lead to participation in the ecosystem for new and existing community members.

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Lastly, real-world adoption is also an issue faced within the Cardano ecosystem as widespread adoption is still limited. As hubs develop and where real-world adoption is low, hubs are encouraged to produce real-world blockchain use cases to demonstrate how Cardano can make an impact globally. As hubs progress, they are guided by optional KPIs which Hub Managers can select upon application to choose those which suit their community, as well as suggesting additional KPIs that fit their community needs.

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This proposal looks to address some of the challenges listed above, as well as many others through additional KPIs. The MCC plan to utilise the funds being applied for to support the continued successful growth of the current 6 community hubs established in 2024, as well as launch an additional 10+ hubs around the world.

This proposal aims to benefit the entire Cardano community. It is important to note that there is a current effort to ensure that the community hubs can be renamed to 'Cardano Community Hubs' to ensure full inclusivity.

2025 proposed benefits:
Hubs provide a gateway to community engagement and a conduit for education, participation and general Cardano knowledge. Community hubs enable local voices to be amplified in Cardano’s decision-making and enhances decentralized governance.

• Generate greater global representation, especially in underserved communities and regions
• Linking together of hubs for wider discussion, education and participation
• Inter-hub communications and collaborations
• Provides access and signposting to resources in local languages
• Encourages people to get involved in Cardano governance and learning about the wider Cardano ecosystem
• Support from Intersect in sharing hubs' social posts and providing them with new content to share with their local communities
• Increase transparency and fairness through KPI-driven fund distribution
• Updates on Cardano news, governance actions as well as what is going on in their local community through monthly Town Halls
• Access to their regional hubs' communication channels such as X, Discord and hub email addresses for direct contact
• The ability to attend in-person and virtual events, providing networking and educational opportunities, as well as providing members with an opportunity to get involved in discussions
• Hosting Annual Members' Meetings to showcase Intersect's yearly highlights and encourage community members to get involved in discussing current and relevant topics
• General advice and guidance in navigating Cardano and supporting learning with appropriate content and support

In summary of the 2025 proposed benefits, the short-term ROI is to increase awareness and a grow the number of people participanting in the Cardano ecosystem. Meanwhile, the mid-to-long-term ROI is to consider self-sustaining hubs through sponsorships, educational programs, and project investments; economic contributions to local communities; expansion of the global network effect.

In 2024, community hubs were born out of Intersect, where they also supported the growth of membership and governance. However, in 2025 this scope is widening to be more focussed on the Cardano ecosystem as a whole by providing better regional representation and support. The benefits to be realised by this proposal will build on the benefits realised in 2024. Some key figures from 2024 are as follows:

Japan hub:
64 events
6241 attendees in total (approx. - may be the same individuals & includes industry events)
602 individuals participating in governance

LATAM hub:
18 events
15,093 attendees in total (approx. - may be the same individuals & includes industry events)
557 individuals participating in governance

Sri Lanka hub:
24 events
165,278 attendees in total (approx., may be the same individuals & includes industry events)
513 individuals participating in governance

Africa hub:
50 events
1563 attendees in total (approx. - may be the same individuals & includes industry events)
223 individuals participating in governance

North America hub:
12 events
4790 attendees in total (approx., may be the same individuals & includes industry events)
487 individuals participating in governance

Europe hub:
9 events
101,053 attendees in total (approx., may be the same individuals & includes industry events)
49 individuals participating in governance

The above hubs also had more than 25 candidates stand in the inaugural Intersect elections.

High level tangible outcomes of this proposal will be growing the number of community hubs from the current 6, to an additional 10+ (16+ in total). These community hubs will increase the coverage of engagement around the world, providing community members with:

• Localised meeting points and points of contact
• Localised engagement and networking with other community and ecosystem members
• Access to localised events, content and education in local languages, fostering inclusivity
• The ability to participate in governance and be represented

Through the baseline KPIs, community members will also receive:

• Updates on Cardano news, governance actions as well as what is going on in their local community through monthly Town Halls
• Access to their regional hubs' communication channels such as X, Discord and hub email addresses for direct contact
• Content in localised language, encouraging participation and expanding knowledge
• The ability to attend in-person and virtual events, providing networking and educational opportunities, as well as providing members with an opportunity to get involved in discussions
• The opportunity to provide community feedback and shape the future of their local hub, ensuring it is suited to local community needs

As community hubs grow and become more established, members will be able to continue providing feedback and share their evolving needs. This input will help shape the development of each hub, influencing the future selection of more tailored KPIs (Level 2) and guiding whether a hub takes on a specialized focus or remains more general.

Total USD requested = $383,400 $98,400 = Continuation of current hubs for a 3 month period $50,000 = Fund for specific additional events or initiatives by application from each hub $235,000 = New hub funding (10+ hubs) and continuation funding for the current 6 hubs until the end of 2025.

It is important to note that the cost per hub will differ based on location, duration, level of planned activity. The numbers above are a guide and will be set by the MCC with the Community Hubs Working Group. Any funding that is not spent will remain within the treasury and carried over into a budget submission proposal for 2026.

Team sizing can be broken into 4 categories:

1. Intersect Committee support (MCC)
2. Intersect internal team support
3. Community resources (Hub Manager, Hub supporters/organisers)
4. Delivery Assurance support (Intersect function)

1. Intersect Committee support (MCC)
The MCC will be required to oversee and ratify the decisions made by the working group on where community hubs will be launched and who will run them. This will be done through a structured critera based application process. The MCC will also be responsible for the allocation of funds to each hub.

2. Intersect internal team support
Requires 2 full time administrators of the programme who will be required to manage the following tasks which support community hubs: contract creation and issuance, hub manager liaison, communication or content from Intersect and other sources, performance reviews, event support, branding support, Community Hub Working Group Secretary, escalation to the MCC from the working group or Hub Managers.

3. Community resources (Hub Manager, Hub supporters/organisers)
The Hub Managers will have their roles allocated to them as part of a successful application to run a Communtiy Hub. These individuals will be responsible for the following:
Finance: Financial management of their local community hub, transparent accounting of the finances spent, adherence to agreed KPIs
Resources: The Hub Manager will be responsible for involving as many community members as possible in the running of the hub Engagement and participation: Generating as much community engagement as possible with Cardano and it's technology and governance through holding virtual and inperson events. Through the sharing of content in the form of education and news in localised languages for each of consumption

4. Delivery Assurance support (Intersect function)
To ensure that the hubs meet their agreed contractual obligations and KPIs to support the release of their agreed payments at the required times via the SMART contracts in place

Duration will be until the end of the 2025 calendar year (or next budgetary cycle).

In 2024, the following 6 community hubs were successfully launched by the MCC which ran for a period of 12 months:

Japan
LATAM
Sri Lanka
Africa
Europe
North America

The design and launch of the 6 current community hubs was facilitated by the team listed above consisting of the Intersect internal team (administrator function), Hub Managers and MCC. This involved the MCC opening a community hub application process managed and facilitated through Intersect resources, selecting the 6 community hubs (via member review), drafting statements of work for each hub and managing the milestone progress of each hub through weekly check-ins with Hub Managers, tracking milestone payments and being the point of contact between the Hub Managers and Intersect/MCC.

The 2024 hubs KPIs were the same as those being proposed as baseline KPIs for Level 1 and Level 2 hubs (plus some additional KPIs which have been scoped through 2024 learnings led by the Community Hubs Working Group), therefore Intersect internal staff have experience of liaising with the Hub Managers to ensure successful completion of these specific deliverables, such as town halls and in-person and virtual events.

The 2024 community hubs were in bootstrap phase, therefore the learnings from last year are being used to shape 2025 hubs through the Community Hubs Working Group.

The Community Hubs Working Group will be responsible for ensuring finalisation of the Community Hub Working Group working document which will include hub structure and governance, the new hub selection and evaluation criteria, with any decisions escalated for ratification through the MCC. Intersect's internal team is responsible for ensuring that the community hubs application process goes live, hub selection takes place and the statement of work is prepared, for community hubs to be launched in June. This proposal will also be maintained and supported by Intersect’s internal team once vendors are selected, who will also act as the primary point of coordination with other relevant teams. Intersect's internal team will manage the progress of community hubs and completion of key deliverables, through holding regular check-ins with Hub Managers, and will be the point of contact between Intersect and the Hub Manager.

Additionally, the Delivery Assurance team (Intersect function) will be responsible for signing off milestones upon completion and issuing payments to the Hub Manager.

Hub Managers may involve resources within their community to support them to complete community hub milestones (governance around this is being discussed in the Community Hub Working Group), however the Hub Managers will ultimately be responsible for ensuring the milestones are completed, and are accountable to Intersect.

Community hubs also fall within the MCC, therefore where any issues arise within the running of a community hub, Intersect's internal team will liaise with the MCC to seek an appropriate solution.

Finally, the Community Hub Working Group is also focused on developing a mechanism to capture best practices for community hubs, helping to shape their structure for greater impact in future proposals.

In 2024, the MCC supported the launch of 6 Community Hubs as follows: Japan, LATAM, Africa (Kenya, Ghana, Democratic Republic of Congo), Sri Lanka, Europe (Portugal, The Netherlands), North America.
These hubs contributed to the signup of a large portion of Intersect members, with each hub running an impactful Annual Members Meeting in the run up to Intersect's first elections.

There were 83 applications through the Intersect Community Hub Application form last year as well as further interest in conversations with community members. This high number of applications demonstrates the demand for communities to have a regional meeting point, as community members are keen to not only engage in participation, collaboration and representation themselves, but are aware of the need to drive this in their own communities.

The amount of engagement within the events held by each community hub in 2024 illustrates the importance of collaboration and the fact that community members are eager to attend both in-person and virtual meetups:

Japan hub:
64 events
6241 attendees in total (approx. - may be the same individuals & includes industry events)
602 individuals participating in governance

LATAM hub:
18 events
15,093 attendees in total (approx. - may be the same individuals & includes industry events)
557 individuals participating in governance

Sri Lanka hub:
24 events
165,278 attendees in total (approx., may be the same individuals & includes industry events)
513 individuals participating in governance

Africa hub:
50 events
1563 attendees in total (approx. - may be the same individuals & includes industry events)
223 individuals participating in governance

North America hub:
12 events
4790 attendees in total (approx., may be the same individuals & includes industry events)
487 individuals participating in governance

Europe hub:
9 events
101,053 attendees in total (approx., may be the same individuals & includes industry events)
49 individuals participating in governance

Additionally, a Community Hub Working Group (CHWG) has been set up, with currently 28 members. The CHWG aims to increase Cardano adoption, empower communities and strengthen the global Cardano network through community hubs. The outcomes of this working group is to build on the learnings from the 2024 hubs and build a governance structure for hubs in 2025, as well as create the application and selection criteria for community hub applications.

The Discord forum for the Community Hub Working Group can be found here: https://discord.com/channels/1136727663583698984/1305928434928848956The Community Hub Working Group Charter is available to view here: [https://committees.docs.intersectmbo.org/groups-overview/working-groups/mcc-community-hubs-working-group

(https://committees.docs.intersectmbo.org/groups-overview/working-groups/mcc-community-hubs-working-group) It is important to note that the Community Hub Working Group falls under the MCC, therefore its development is supported by the MCC.

• Finalisation of the Community Hub Working Group working document, demonstrating hub governance, including the new hub selection and evaluation criteria - Target end of May
• Modification of the current statement of work (by Intersect staff upon the finalised Community Hub Working Group working document)
• Community hub application form live (Intersect staff)
• New community hubs selected (CHWG with MCC approval)
• New community hubs awarded, including signed statement of work (Intersect staff)