The basic funding rules applicable to the Fund9 SoMs process are as follows:

• Each milestone can budget a maximum of 30% of the total funds requested.

• Based on the stated duration of each milestone, equal monthly payments are provided to FP to reach milestone completion.

• The FP receives funds in advance of the delivery of each milestone.

  • Except for the final milestone batch payment, where regardless of the final milestone’s length, the last payment will be issued after the Project Close-out Report (PCR) and Project Close-out Video (PCV) has been accepted in addition to the final milestone Proof of Achievement (PoA) to close out and complete the project.

• Following PoA, the next batch payment can be made in the next fund distribution round to reach the next milestone.

• There is always at least one payment per milestone.

General principles to be aware of

Funded project that falls under SoM process will receive funds for milestone 1 if:

• the SoM is approved by Milestone Reviewers and Catalyst Team Reviewer with notes

• the SoM meets the conditions (such as no milestone costing over 30% of the budget)

If a milestone is in progress:

• Monthly report is submitted before the deadline

• Monthly report is submitted and approved by the Catalyst Team

If a milestone is completed:

• PoA is submitted before the deadline

• PoA is reviewed and approved by Catalyst Team Reviewer and Milestone Reviewer with notes

If any of the above points are not completed, funds won’t be released to FPs.

This Guide to Milestone-based Funding applies to Fund9 projects only.

The overall flow of processing a milestone relies on multiple participants. The following is a list of the participants roles and their respective responsibilities:

• Funded Project (FP) - can submit and resubmit SoM/PoA.

• Catalyst Team reviewer - can assign reviewer, review SoM/PoA.

• Milestone Reviewers - can review SoM/PoA.

• Catalyst Team sign off user- can provide final approval of SoM/PoA, assign reviewer, review SoM/PoA.

• Catalyst Team system admin - the only role with all the above capabilities. Admins can assign reviewer/proposals, review SoM/PoA, approve SoM/PoA, and can also export data in CSV format to create funding files.

FP can carry out the following actions using the Milestone Module:

1. Submit a new SoM

2. Review Catalyst Team Reviewer/Milestone Reviewers feedback

3. Resubmit milestones to supersede existing SoM (if SoM is not locked yet)

4. Submit milestone PoA

5. Resubmit PoA to supersede existing PoA (if PoA is not locked yet)

Good examples of PoA completions:

• Project

• Project

General evidence

Project Catalyst has introduced milestone-based funding in Fund9. Specific projects from Fund9, and all funded projects from Fund10 onwards, will follow new processes to receive funding based on clear milestones, reviewed by both Catalyst Team Reviewer and Milestone Reviewer throughout project delivery. Under this framework, funding is conditional upon a Funded Project (FP) demonstrating that it has achieved its set milestones. Fund10 guidelines can be

The accountability of Catalyst FPs is crucial in preserving a fair and unbiased funding framework. This guide aims to assist projects funded by Project Catalyst in Fund9 to understand the process around their Statement of Milestones (SoM) and Proof of Achievement (PoA) using the new .

Milestone-based funding enables funded projects to lay out their critical path to delivering their promises, highlighting each key milestone, output, acceptance criteria, costs, and evidence of achievements. In this context, a milestone is an important event or action in a project or business journey that marks a crucial stage of progress. It is an essential reporting tool to inform the Catalyst team and the community about the project's progress.

Funded Project (FP) - a project approved for funding by the community of ada holders as part of Fund 9

Catalyst Team reviewer - Member of Catalyst Team which review SoM/PoA

Milestone Reviewer - Reviewer which is part of the community (member of the Challenge Team in F9)

Catalyst Team sign off user - Member of Catalyst Team which checks if there are 2 approvals for SoM/PoA required to release payment for FP

Catalyst Team system admin - Catalyst Team member which has all capabilities in the Milestone module along with the possibility to export data in CSV format to create funding files

Proof of Achievement (PoA) - evidence to be submitted by Funded Projects to show that the acceptance criteria for a Milestone as set out in the Statement of Milestones have been fulfilled, and the Milestone has been completed.

1. FP submits PoA through the

2. Catalyst Team Reviewer and Milestone Reviewers checks To do list/Updates section to see if there is PoA to review

3. Milestone Reviewers compare if the evidence of the milestone provided meets the following: expected outputs, acceptance criteria, or evidence of completion

During the onboarding phase, FP will have to correlate project proposals to specified milestones by submitting a SoM for each project.

When selecting Submit new Statement of Milestone button, the form will be pre-filled. Some validation rules apply (eg milestone cost can’t exceed 30% of proposal milestone, milestones must be temporally consecutive) to ensure correctness.

Users can see basic information regarding the proposal, number of milestones, payment schedules, and number of approvals, irrespective of their role type. Users can easily review their project dashboard by choosing the Open Milestones Details button.

Dashboard

Overview

Projects receiving Milestone-based-funding are required to follow their planned milestones throughout the lifespan of their project as set forth by a Statement of Milestones (SoM). When individual milestones are met, funded-proposers submit a Proof of Achievement (PoA), Which is not to be confused with a monthly report (MR).

When to submit SoM form

• Approved Funded-projects submit SoMs once voting has concluded during onboarding,

• Followed by a Milestone Review process before the first milestone-based funds are distributed

• Typically within 2-4 weeks of the results of voting being announced

When to submit PoA form

• Cadence:

  • Upon completion of a milestone which generally varies depending on the project.

• PoA Submission Window:

Which projects produce SoM and PoA

• All projects in the F9 Dapps & Integrations challenge regardless of value

• Projects with nominal value equal or more of $75K across entire F9

Why SoM & PoA

• Accountability of fundees to voters and the Cardano community

• Funding controls prevent the treasury from being misused

• Projects must demonstrate completion of the current milestone before receiving next milestone’s budget

How to submit PoA

• Use the for submitting evidence each milestone reached

  • One milestone = one PoA form submission

  • PLEASE REMEMBER: to submit your regular MR even if you have submitted a PoA within the same month. Both serve a different purpose.

Where to find each project's SoMs and PoAs

• Please check the

Reviews

Dual Approvals

• PoA approval is a joint exercise between members of the Milestone Reviewers and Catalyst Team Reviewer

• Incomplete/inadequate submissions risk delay in verifying evidence and next payment distribution

Expectations

• Monthly disbursements to reach the next milestone will resume once project has demonstrated achievement of milestone completion and the reviewers have documented the verifications

• PoA submission is for every individual milestone needs to be documented for public accountability:

  • Evidence of Outputs and acceptance criteria as per the verified SoM must be addressed

Key factors

• The amount and timing of funding project receives is primarily based on:

  • The amount project was approved during vote stage

  • The amount per milestone as agreed in the SoM

Notice

• To support transparency and accountability, PoAs are published for public via

  • Community tools, such as , etc.

Catalyst will use email addresses collected from Funded projects (FP) and Milestone Reviewers to create accounts. On first login, the user will complete the login form with the email provided to Catalyst and choose the Reset password button. This will trigger a reset password email, which will link to the page in the module to change the password.

• Account for FP: FPs will submit their Onboarding Form outside of the module. The Catalyst Team will use these forms to collect emails and create accounts.

• Milestone Reviewers accounts: the Catalyst Team will collect emails from chosen reviewers to create accounts.

An email will be sent to users to inform them that Project Catalyst Milestone accounts have been created for them.

The Milestone module was created to manage each project’s SoM easily. This new tool automates Catalyst processes for managing the SoM, shifting from spreadsheets into a fully integrated module.

Note: the previous term used for SoM/PoA Community Reviewer has been renamed to 'Milestone Reviewers' - wherever in this video we refer to 'SoM/PoA Community Reviewer' is now Milestone Reviews in the documentation.

00:01 - Intro

00:21 - Roles in SoM process in the Milestone module

01:35 - Milestone module tabs

02:52 - SoM submission by FP

05:01 - SoM resubmission by FP

06:41 - Dashboard

07:04 - Project dashboard

07:30 - Catalyst Team Reviewer

08:13 - Submission of review for SoM by Catalyst Team Reviewer

09:04 - Milestone Reviewers

09:24 - Submission of review for SoM by SoM/Milestone Reviewers

10:30 - FP see reviews results on the dashboard

11:24 - Resubmission of SoM by FP

12:30 - Catalyst Team Reviewer reviews resubmitted SoM

13:47 - Milestone Reviewers reviews resubmitted SoM

15:07 - FP see that SoM was approved by all approvers

15:42 - SoM was signed off

16:02 - FP submits PoA

17:19 - Milestone Reviewers approves PoA

18:53 - Catalyst Team Reviewer approves PoA

19:56 - FP see approved PoA

20:42 - FP see PoA was signed off

General rules

• The information provided does not clearly show that work was done in the month leading up to the report

• The links submitted do not work, so the project's evidence cannot be effectively verified

SoM are reviewed by the respective Milestone Reviewers and Catalyst Team Reviewer during onboarding. Projects do not go LIVE once the Milestone Reviewers and Catalyst Team Reviewer have accepted the SoM.

Milestone Reviewers are asked to review all milestones and supporting information and consider whether the SoM sufficiently lays out a clear path to project delivery based on what the Cardano Community voted for and approved during Project Catalyst’s governance stage.

Once the Milestone Reviewers have reviewed the SoM, they are asked to indicate whether or not the milestones were satisfactory, with supporting comments for the SoM to be included in the project file.

Once a project has completed a milestone, a PoA is submitted. Milestone Reviewers receive notifications in the Milestone module do list/Updates area to review it for more information about what constitutes good evidence and PoA, review here.

Once a SoM/PoA is submitted, the Catalyst Team Reviewer will receive notifications in the Milestone module To-do list/Updates area. They should review notifications by choosing the Open PoA/Open SoM button and fulfilling actions regarding the review. Once a notification is read, it will disappear from the notifications area.

Generally speaking, all documentation shared by Funded Projects in connection with their project, including Statements of Milestones, Progress Reports and Proof of Achievement documents will be publicly available. In case of commercially sensitive information, Funded Projects must arrange a meeting with the appointed Milestone Reviewers and Catalyst Team to discuss what information can be made publicly available to ensure sufficient disclosure that informs the Catalyst team and the wider community of the project's progress.

FP may begin to submit PoA once the whole SoM is approved by the Catalyst Team sign off user. The 'Submit new Proof of Achievement' button will appear on the milestone page, along with the field to be filled.

Once the PoA is approved by the Milestone Reviewers and Catalyst Team Reviewer, FP will receive a notification in To do list/Updates, visible on the project dashboard.

If the PoA is not approved, FP will receive notification in To do list/Updates section, visible on the project dashboard.

FP may resubmit a PoA if it was not approved by any Catalyst Team sign off by user. The FP may resubmit a PoA using the Resubmit Proof of Achievement button.

Resubmitting a PoA means that it will go through the review process again.

Once the PoA is resubmitted, it will be visible on the milestone page, and the previous PoA submission will be archived.

Once the PoA is approved by a Catalyst Team sign off user, it will be locked. When locked, a PoA can no longer be resubmitted and the button Resubmit Proof of Achievement will disappear.

Once a SoM is submitted, the Milestone Reviewers will receive notifications in the Milestone module’s To-do list/Updates area.

Milestone Reviewers won’t receive any email notifications.

To start the SoM review process, reviewers must use the Open Statement of Milestone button and fill in the relevant fields. Once reviewed, the SoM will disappear from the To do list/Updates area.

Clicking Open Statement of Milestone button reveals new fields. Reviewers may decide which part of the SoM should be approved by ticking the checkbox and adding comments. If some part is not approved, the checkbox shouldn’t be ticked, and comments should be added.

Milestone Reviewers can edit/change the review using the Resubmit review for this Proof of Achievement button. If a review is resubmitted, the previous one will be archived. Once PoA is approved, the review can’t be resubmitted.

This role constitutes the last part of the process. The Catalyst Team sign off user carries out a general check on the previous phases. For example, they check if there is the correct number of reviews (2), and confirm the final result, locking the PoA/SoM so no further changes are possible. Once a PoA is locked, the Catalyst Team can extract the data required to execute subsequent payments to FP.

Milestone Reviewers can carry out the following actions using the :

• Milestone Reviewer can review SoM

• Milestone Reviewer can review PoA

• Milestone Reviewer can resubmit review for SoM

A Milestone Reviewers can edit/change the review using the Resubmit review for this Statement of Milestone button. If a review is resubmitted, the previous one will be archived. Once SoM is approved, review can’t be resubmitted.

FP may review the project dashboard to see which SoM/PoA was approved/not approved

All notifications will be visible in the To do list/Updates area. These notifications will indicate if the SoM/PoA has been approved/not approved or received final approval from the Catalyst Team sign off user.

Catalyst Team Reviewer/Milestone Reviewers feedback will be visible on the project dashboard. From there, FP will easily see if PoA was approved/refused and if SoM was approved/partially approved/not approved.

SoM Approved

If Catalyst Team Reviewer and Milestone Reviewer ultimately approve the SoM, FP will see a notification below on the project dashboard. FP will have to wait once SoM is approved by the Catalyst Team sign-off user to submit PoA.

SoM Partially Approved

If one reviewer accepts the SoM but another refuses, the SoM is considered to be partially approved. In this situation, FP will see a notification below and has to resubmit the SoM as per reviewers’ comments.

SoM Not Approved

If both reviewers don’t approve the SoM, it will be refused. In this situation, FP will see notification below on the project dashboard and must resubmit the SoM.

Catalyst Team Reviewers can assign SoM/PoA to both Catalyst Team Reviewers and Milestone Reviewers by filling reviewer allocations in the proposals listing page or the project dashboard.

The Catalyst Team Reviewer does this only once at the beginning of the onboarding stage.

Proposals listing page

Project dashboard

Proposals are assigned to specific Milestone Reviewers by the Catalyst team based on Fund9 challenge team assignments. Milestone Reviewers can review everything in the SoM without being assigned to it, but will see notifications only if they are assigned to that specific SoM.

1. Can I create an account?

You can’t create an account. The Catalyst Team will activate one for you. You will need to rest the password after the first login.

1. How can I edit a SoM before approval?

You can’t, you have to resubmit a new SoM and the last submission becomes the active one. This enables a clear track record of all submissions and reviewers can focus on the active submission only.

Catalyst Team Reviewer can carry out the following actions using the :

• Assign reviewer

• Review SoM

• Review PoA

Catalyst Team system admins have all capabilities and may assign reviewers to SoM, review SoM/PoA, and sign off SoM/PoA.

Catalyst Team system admin can also export data in CSV format to create funding files.

Once FP submits a PoA for the milestone, Milestone Reviewers can review the evidence submitted for PoA.

Milestone Reviewers will receive notifications in the Milestone module’s To-do list/Updates area

Milestone Reviewers won’t receive any email notifications.

Milestone Reviewers must review a PoA by using the Open Proof of Achievement button. Once reviewed, the button will disappear from the notifications.

The Open Proof of Achievement button reveals new fields.

If there is a refusal, it will be displayed on the project dashboard and the FP will receive a notification in the Milestone module To do list/Updates area (please note that FPs won’t receive this notification via email).

In such a situation, FP may submit a new statement to replace the SoM by clicking the Resubmit Statement of Milestone button. Form to fulfill will appear with a button Clone latest submission which can be used to prefill the form with previously submitted information. Once SoM is resubmitted, it will be reviewed again. This feedback loop continues until it is approved by the Catalyst Team sign off user. The Catalyst Team sign off user locks the SoM for further submissions.

FP can resubmit any milestone within SoM that is not yet locked . Once approved by the Catalyst Team sign off user, the button to submit the SoM will disappear and a green Approved by Catalyst Team sign off user on button will become visible. All previous submissions and related reviews are visible on the project dashboard as an archived version.

Once each milestone has been approved by reviewers and a Catalyst Team sign off user, each milestone in the SoM will be locked and no further changes can be made unless a milestone change request is submitted.

See for more information about submitting change requests.