Builder Onboarding

Apply to build with Cardano Builders Fund

Builder applications are open. Submit a private application below for manual review — it does not create a public profile or campaign, and involves no funds, custody, settlement, or signing. The campaign-readiness preview further down shows what the funding journey will look like later.

Private builder application — the form below is real. Submitting the application form below stores a private builder application record for manual review. It does not create a public builder profile or campaign, requests or moves no funds, and involves no custody, settlement, payment processing, or transaction signing. The preview content further down is static.

Apply as a builder

This is a private builder application / interest form. We read every submission manually. We store only the details you enter below, as a private application record — no wallet, no payment information, and no funds.

  • Submitting does not create a public builder profile.
  • Submitting does not create a campaign.
  • Submitting does not request or move funds. No real funds, no custody, no settlement, no payment processing, and no transaction signing.
  • Review is manual. We may contact you later using the details you provide.
Private application. No funds, no custody, no signing.

Who this is for

Cardano Builders Fund is for people doing real work the ecosystem depends on. The application above is live and reviewed manually; the campaign journey below is still a preview.

Open-source maintainers

Maintainers seeking sustainable support for work the ecosystem already depends on.

Infrastructure builders

Teams building the rails — nodes, indexers, APIs, and developer infrastructure.

Cardano tooling teams

Builders shipping libraries, SDKs, and tooling that make other builders faster.

Education & community builders

People growing the ecosystem through teaching, documentation, and local community.

Public-good projects

Work that benefits everyone and is hard to fund through normal channels.

Serious product teams

Teams with a clear product, real users in mind, and a credible delivery plan.

What builders prepare

The materials a strong builder brings to an application and, later, a campaign. Only the application form above is live today; the deeper campaign materials here are still a preview.

Builder profile

Who you are, what you've shipped, and how to verify it — identity that earns trust.

Campaign purpose

A clear problem and the specific work this campaign funds. No vague promises.

Requested amount

A funding target in USD with the reasoning behind the number.

Milestone plan

The deliverables funds release against, each with a definition of done.

Evidence plan

How you will prove each milestone — links, repositories, reports, or demos.

Maintenance / support plan

What happens after delivery: upkeep, support, and continuity.

Public communication plan

How you'll keep contributors informed in public as work progresses.

Onboarding preview

Preview only
Builder
Demo builder — Kojo Asante
Campaign
Demo campaign — Afrobeats on Chain: Debut EP

Review-readiness checklist

What review would check before support opens on a campaign. This is illustrative — no campaign is reviewed or approved today.

Clear problem

The problem is specific and real, and the campaign explains why it matters.

Credible builder identity

The builder's identity and track record can be checked, not just claimed.

Realistic milestones

Milestones are achievable, sequenced, and each has a clear definition of done.

Evidence path

Each milestone has a concrete way to prove delivery before funds release.

Budget logic

The requested amount maps to the work, with reasoning a contributor can follow.

Contributor transparency

Progress, evidence, and outcomes are intended to be visible to contributors.

Settlement / return expectations

What happens at close — including returns if a goal is not met — is stated up front.

See how these checks would roll up into a single, transparent campaign readiness score before support opens.

Preview only — nothing here is live

  • No real account is created and no authentication exists.
  • No real application is submitted and no form sends anywhere.
  • No file is uploaded and nothing is stored.
  • No database write happens; Prisma is not used in any app route.
  • No campaign is approved and no funding eligibility is granted.

This page describes intended intake only. Related: builders, campaign creation preview, campaign lifecycle, review workflow, milestone evidence, and status & roadmap. Nothing here is legal, tax, or financial advice.