Summary of Encode Club x Polkadot Initiative

Our Encode Club x Polkadot initiative employs a three-part strategy: an educational series, dedicated hackathons (both virtual and in-person), and a specialized accelerator. The proposal was split across five funding tranches, each focused on different aspects of the programme as agreed by Treasury in our initial proposal here. This report provides an overview of our progress on the Encode x Polkadot Spring Hackathon and Polkadot Decoded Hackathon and request funding for the following: Funding for the second online hackathon prizes (£10k in DOT) Funding for running the third online hackathon (£15k in DOT). Funding for running the accelerator (£15k in DOT).

This funding request amounts to a total of £40k in DOT. We propose utilising the funding allocated for the 4th tranche scheduled for Q4 of 2023 from the initial agreement outlined here.

Second Online Hackathon - Polkadot Ink! Hackathon powered by Encode Club

Commencing in early October, we will run our second online hackathon. We are set to conduct a 4-week online hackathon with a specific focus on ink!, a sophisticated programming language tailored for smart contracts, notably adaptable to Substrate-based blockchains.

The first two weeks will feature technical workshops exclusively centered on ink!. This will be succeeded by subsequent workshops dedicated to practical use cases, offered in conjunction with community bounty partners, including Aleph Zero, Azero.ID, Astar, Zeitgeist, and Getblock.

Website link -> here

Workshops include:

Safe and Robust Smart Contracts in ink! (Scheduled for Oct 4th) A Deep Dive into Storage of ink! Smart Contracts (Scheduled for Oct 5th) Scaffold your dApp with ink!athon (Scheduled for Oct 5th) Different testing strategies for ink! Smart contracts (Scheduled for Oct 9th) Integrate AZERO.ID in your dApp (Scheduled for Oct 9th) Interaction between the ink! smart contract and its execution environment (Scheduled for Oct 10th) How to deploy a contract on Astar using ink!? (Scheduled for Oct 10th) ink! Championship: learn how to build a full-stack dApp (Scheduled for Oct 11th) Calling into the Zeitgeist core protocol (Scheduled for Oct 12th)

Q4 Programmes: Third Hackathon and Accelerator

In Q4, we aim to complete the Encode x Polkadot Education Initiative with the final online hackathon and an accelerator to further support high quality hackathon projects into start-up ideas.

Polkadot Online Hackathon

We request funding for our final 4-week online hackathon that encourages the exploration and building of new use cases of Polkadot. In addition to welcoming back previous participants from both online and in-person events, we also plan on actively scouting new talents in the space who are interested in building innovative solutions and competing for attractive prizes. This hackathon serves as an exemplary platform for both seasoned and budding developers to showcase their abilities. We aim to achieve the milestone of delivering the hackathon in full, having 500 individuals sign up and 100 teams finishing the hackathon.

Hackathon Structure:

Lasts 4 weeks Weekly technical workshops given by bounty partners 1-1 mentorship meetings with Encode dedicated Programme Manager Support with finalist pitch practice

Polkadot Accelerator

After our final online hackathon, we're focusing on supporting projects from our events and the broader Polkadot community. Building on our previous initiatives, including the Women Build Web3 Accelerator and Polkadot Accelerator 2021, we're launching the Encode x Polkadot 2023 Accelerator.

This eight-week online program, starting on 28th November, is designed to help early-stage projects transition into startups. Participants will receive guidance, mentorship, and insights on areas like product development and fundraising.

The accelerator follows our Encode x Polkadot Spring 2023 Hackathon and the upcoming Polkadot ink! Hackathon. We encourage past Polkadot programme participants to apply, especially with projects they've worked on during our events, but applications are open to everyone in the Polkadot ecosystem.

Website link to accelerator is here Website link to announcement post is here

Accelerator Structure

Starts on the 28th Nov, 2023 and lasts 8 weeks Weekly workshops on building your project such as Marketing, Grants and Pitch Practice. A summary of the curriculum can be accessed here. YC-Format Dedicated 1-1 mentorship meetings Ends with a Pitch Day for follow-on funding

Summary of our progress:

(Tranche 2 and 3 request here)

Encode x Polkadot Spring Online Hackathon (April, 2023)

The Encode x Polkadot Hackathon started after the Educate Series, running from April 11th for four weeks. It aimed to foster Polkadot ecosystem advancements. The event featured tailored mentoring and technical workshops for developers, building on past successes like the Educate series, University Hackathon, and Accelerator.

Over 400 participants had four weeks to create and submit projects. Beyond development, the event facilitated learning, networking, and engagement. Sponsors including Acala, Zeitgeist, Subsocial, and more, formulated challenges and rewards for hackers. All teams received their prizes, recognizing and rewarding their efforts.

Key Hackathon Events included:

Launch Event: A dynamic kick-off providing guidelines and inspiration. Technical Workshops: Sponsors like Acala, Astar, and many more offered workshops spanning diverse Polkadot-related topics. Mentorship Sessions: Personalized one-on-one guidance from Encode's Programme Manager for project refinement.

Polkadot Decoded Hackathon (June, 2023)

The Polkadot Decoded Hackathon was a two day in-person event hosted in Copenhagen. The event brought together participants globally, including hackers from our online Polkadot Spring Hackathon!

Support from partners like Moonbeam, Subquery, Getblock, Ajuna, Bifrost, Interlay, Vara Network, and Zeitgeist played a crucial role in supporting the event. They provided resources, expertise, and challenges that enriched the participants' experiences.

Over 30 winners emerged from this event and prizes have been successfully paid to the successful teams. Hosting an in-person hackathon provided a platform for learning, networking, and skill enhancement. We anticipate continuing to facilitate such gatherings that drive innovation within the Polkadot ecosystem.