Sponsorship for active devs and community members during Polkadot Symbiosis in Buenos Aires

Ecosystem
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Sponsorship for active devs and community members during Polkadot Symbiosis in Buenos Aires

We share this proposal to Forum to receive feedback from the community before present the proposal onchain.

This proposal aims to fund a sponsorship for 34 builders, developers and active members of the Polkadot ecosystem to attend The Polkadot Sub0 Symbiosis Conference in Buenos Aires. This is mainly to cover the transport and accommodation costs.

Context of the proposal

During 2022 and 2023 the Web3 Foundation sponsored active and reputable ambassadors or community members to participate in Decoded and Sub0.

In June 2024 for Decoded the community team sponsored 38 active members: 18 people based in Europe, 2 in Africa and 18 in Asia and Americas. The initiative was supported by the community.

Now, the community team is focused on sponsoring active builders, developers and active members of the Polkadot ecosystem to attend The Polkadot Sub0 Symbiosis Conference in Buenos Aires: 12 members based in Americas, 6 in Asia, 6 in Africa and 10 in Europe.

Problem statement

Polkadot Sub0 Symbiosis Conference is where the two most important events in the ecosystem, Decoded and Sub0, come together but some talented and active people of Polkadot and members of active projects in the ecosystem can’t attend this event without a sponsorship to cover the high cost of the travel and the hotel.

The Polkadot Sub0 Symbiosis Conference is an opportunity to have many developers and community members in the same place working together.

To have global representation at this technical and non technical event represents an opportunity for the development and growth of the network. And to increase:

1.- Interchange of ideas and knowledge

  • Sub0 as a global event represents a space where people from different cultures, backgrounds and experiences come together to share their ideas, knowledge and insights about the network.

2. Increase opportunities for developers to collaboration:

  • Collaboration between people from different regions is critical to the development of innovative projects and the growth of the network .

3. Increase the technical adoption of Polkadot and PolkaVM:

  • Extending the reach of this technology to different regions is crucial in order to create solutions that are adapted to the problems of each space, thus collectively driving innovation and creating new opportunities for all.

4. Building a Sense of Belonging

  • Events and Activities: These kinds of activities strengthen the sense of belonging within the community.
  • User Stories and Feedback: Give community members space to share experiences, successes, and feedback. This not only adds value to the community but helps build a narrative around the project.

The goal of the proposal

This sponsorship seeks to help, support, facilitate the access to the event and networking opportunities in the Polkadot ecosystem, giving members and developers, regardless of their resources, the opportunity to participate in this first class event. Achieving this way to foster a more inclusive, motivated and prepared community to promote their ideas in Polkadot.

In addition, this proposal also seeks to enhance the development of projects in Polkadot by giving teams of builders the opportunity to immerse themselves in the ecosystem, meet experts in the field and discover the tools and resources needed to bring their ideas to the ecosystem, all while allowing them the opportunity to attend Sub0.

Proposed solution

We set up a team to coordinate the welcoming, networking and incentivization of active developers and community members, using a transparent method of selection, guided by the community.

Team:

Lorena Blockya from Latam team, Adrian from Mythos, Patricia from OpenGuild, Bekka from Polkadot Africa and Michael from Scytale.

Selection process

How to make the sponsorship application

  • To be eligible it is required to write a post on the Polkadot Forum https://forum.polkadot.network/ (as a reply to this post).

  • The post needs to include:

    • Name or nickname.

    • Country and region.

    • A summary of the last six months of activities as an active developer/community member (including github) where mention and demonstrate compliance with the following selection parameters and process. Repositories or personal github links to check the contributions in the last year.

    • A paragraph explaining why the applicant would like to benefit from sponsorship.

  • Post the application by September 25, 2025 at 23:59 UTC.

  • Due to limited time and necessity for people to handle their visa, hotel and flight bookings, we will begin the selection process before the decision deadline.

  • Should the proposal not pass, all applicants will be notified that sponsorship is not possible.

  • If anyone does any bookings before confirmation of approval, we can not be held liable for any financial repercussions.

The selection parameters and process:

The criteria parameters:

Each developer or community member will receive points:

1.- Representatives of projects that are building on Polkadot/Kusama or have demonstrated a public and notorious interest in wanting to build on PolkaVM or to migrate their existing project to Polkadot. (15 points)

2.- Creation of technical content focused on Polkadot or any Polkadot parachain during the 3 months prior to Sub0 (5 points. Depending on the number and quality of the content).

3.- Proof of work, including github activity. Repositories or personal github links to check the contributions in the last year. (5 to 10 points).

4.- Proposals made in OpenGov in the Polkadot ecosystem focused on building a project/tool in Polkadot or a parachain. (5 points + 1 point for the other proposals in parachains).

5.- W3F Grant (5 points).

6.- Alumni PBA (5 points).

In the event of a tie among participants, the proposals with the most support among the community will be evaluated as a tie-breaker.

Active Polkadot Community:

1.- Active and continuous participation in the community during the 2024 and 2025 period. (5 points).

2.- Having held positions of responsibility within the community: Discord/Telegram Moderator on official Polkadot channels, Event Organizer, Workshop Mentor, Meetup Organization, Participation in Spaces/Lives (5 - 10 Points).

3.- Participation as a Speaker at important sector-specific technology events. Note: Business/Professional Web2/Web3 events. (10 - 15 Points).

4.- Content creation on X/YouTube (5 - 10 Points).

5.- Artists within the ecosystem (5 - 8 Points).

6.- Polkadot Community Leaders and Core Contributors: This area focuses on individuals who contribute to regional Polkadot grassroots communities. ( 5 points).

The selection Process

The Team sponsorship will follow the criteria parameters per region, and decide who can benefit from the sponsorship based on:

1.- Criteria parameters
2.- Motivation to go to The Polkadot Symbiosis 2025 and activities during the event (if the candidate is a speaker, MD etc).

3.- The overall activities in the last 6 months.
4.- No other funding is available for these people to travel to the event.

The Team sponsorship will be in charge of evaluating the information provided by the participants. It will be the sole and exclusive responsibility of the participants to be able to present in their application all relevant data that matches and supports the evaluation parameters. Any information that is not provided by the participants cannot be evaluated by the Team sponsorship.

The team sponsorship will try as much as possible to offer sponsorship for people from different countries within one region, in order to ensure a global participation of the entire community. The maximum to reimburse is 10 for Europe, 12 Americas, 6 Asia and 6 Africa.

If there is not reached the cap for a region, the Team sponsorship will select nominees from other regions. The budget will be spent in its entirety, yet should some USDC remain, it will be returned to the treasury.

Results

On October 17, a post will be published by the Team sponsorship to announce the people who will benefit from sponsorship to attend The Polkadot Flagship Conference.

Timeline

  • Submissions on Polkadot Forum.

    • Deadline: September 25 2025 at 23:59 UTC.

  • Selection by the Team sponsorship.

    • Deadline: October 17 2025 at 23:59 UTC.

  • Sponsorships announced in the Polkadot Forum.

    • October 17 2025.

  • Receipts to be sent by November 20, 2025.

  • Reimbursements payable in USDC by December 2, 2025.

    Budget

    Due to the variation in flight costs, we have classified the maximum amount to be subsidized differently according to the different geographic regions and their respective travel costs.

    The amounts shown below are the maximum amounts that can be requested according to the region in which the applicant is located. The subsidy is paid retroactively against receipts, without ever exceeding the maximum indicated here.

  • Region: Americas maximum 600 USD

  • Region: Asia maximum 2500 USD

  • Region: Africa maximum 2000 USD

  • Region: Europe maximum 800 USD

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    We aim to spend the entire budget. So, if there are not enough applicants from a certain region, we will use the funds to cover more applicants per region.

    Should there be any amount remaining after this team’s objectives for the Polkadot community have been met, these can be returned to the Polkadot Treasury.

    Success metrics

    Fairness:

    • All non-funded participants support the selected participants.

    • The signatories of this proposal are not eligible to participate and get funded.

    Transparency:

    • Each participant who submits their reports and receipts, agrees that these documents will be shared in a publicly visible folder.

    • Any unused will be return the treasury

    • All questions are posted and answered out in the open.

    Efficiency:

    • Each selected participant who submits their report and receipts in time, will get their funding before the deadline.

    • Everyone has a positive experience: feedback, on average, is at least 8 out of 10.

    Coordinated action

    • Participants arrange at least one common get-together or action during the event.

    Impact

    • All funded participants represent Polkadot before, during and after the event, and briefly outline what their positive impact has been.

    • All the funded participants will act actively in social media with posts about Sub0 and their experience.

    • This initiative serves as an example for decentralized volunteer coordination, by the community for the community.

    • Create a sense of belonging among the participants, so that they have a greater commitment at the time of building in Polkadot.

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I would like to express my full support for this sponsorship proposal for developers and active community members to attend the Sub0 Symbiosis Conference in Buenos Aires.

As an active member of the community and part of the Mexican Collective :mexico:, I believe that initiatives like this are essential to ensure inclusion, diversity, and global representation within the ecosystem. Many of us, despite being deeply committed to the growth and promotion of Polkadot in our regions, face economic challenges that make it difficult to attend such an important event.

The opportunity to connect, learn, and collaborate with builders and experts from around the world not only strengthens personal networks but also boosts the growth of local and regional projects that can bring significant value to the ecosystem.

I am convinced that proposals like this are an excellent way to continue building a stronger, more prepared, and truly representative community aligned with the global vision of Polkadot.

I truly hope this proposal will be approved so that I have the opportunity to attend, contribute my experience, and continue learning alongside other committed members of the ecosystem.

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I fully support this proposal for community travel funding, as it is essential for keeping motivated and active those members who continue to faithfully support the Polkadot network. This initiative was already funded and backed in the 2023 and 2024 editions of Polkadot Decoded. However, as the events were held in Europe, the selection of grants for the LATAM region was very limited. Furthermore, many of the scholars selected at the time are no longer active in the ecosystem. Therefore, I strongly endorse this proposal because its focus is specifically directed at LATAM. This is a crucial region that is in the sights of other blockchains like Solana, Sui, and Ethereum. Polkadot must provide more support to active members in LATAM, as they are the heart of maintaining a united and growing community.

As a member of Polkadot Mexico and co-founder of this community, having been active in the ecosystem since 2022, I especially value that this initiative’s focus is on developers and active members.

whether this proposal is approved or not, I’ll see you all at Polkadot Symbiosis! :fire:

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I’d like to thank the team for putting forward this sponsorship proposal, it’s an excellent initiative that can make a meaningful difference for community members worldwide.

Based on these average round-trip flight prices (economy) for November 2025 I would suggest changing the sponsorship amount.

  • Europe → Buenos Aires: ~USD 1,200–1,300 (average fares cluster around this range across major hubs such as London, Paris, Frankfurt, Brussels).

  • Asia → Buenos Aires: ~USD 1,250–1,300 (averages across Tokyo, Singapore, Beijing, Delhi, and Seoul).

  • Africa → Buenos Aires: ~USD 1,150 (averages across Johannesburg, Cape Town, Nairobi, Lagos, and Casablanca).

  • Americas (North, Central & South) → Buenos Aires: ~USD 800 (cheapest region overall — e.g. Miami, SĂŁo Paulo, Santiago).

Suggestion

Because flights from Europe, Asia, and Africa consistently fall in the USD 1,100–1,400 band, a USD 2,000 sponsorship cap per person would be fair to ensure travel and accommodation costs are covered.

For participants from the Americas, where round-trip flights are substantially cheaper, a USD 1,200 cap seems sufficient.

This tiered approach reflects realistic travel costs and ensures fair support for contributors from all regions.

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Thank you for the feedback.
We want to support many developers and ecosystem leaders from all around the world and we will take this comment about budget into consideration.

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I support this proposal and consider this is the way to ensure that we have true diversity in terms of participants and worldwide representation of our entire ecosystem at the Polkadot Flagship Conference in Buenos Aires.

It is exciting to have the conference take place in LATAM, a region with high potential of adoption of our technology. I agree that this initiative will allow many to travel there when they would otherwise be unable to attend.

I join @SpectraCV in his recommendation to adjust the sponsorship amount for Europe based on average plane ticket costs.

Looking forward to the proposal and to applying!

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Hey @lorena,
Thank you very much for this initiative, which could allow me (and others) to attend this wonderful conference.

I must agree with @SpectraCV post, especially for Europe. Unfortunately, $800 would not cover the round-trip ticket.

This is a wonderful initiative. Let’s try to make it as fair as possible by basing it on actual prices.

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Great initiative!

I’d just like to ask: if I understood correctly, in the approved event proposal the WebZero team mentioned that around 10% of the budget would be reimbursed from sponsorship revenues. Rather than simply returning those funds to the treasury, could we explore the option of submitting a proposal to redirect them toward sponsoring community members? This could be a constructive way to create direct value for the community while also reducing the need for additional treasury spending.

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Hello @mar1dev @florentina57 @spectraCV , thank you so much for your feedback on the European amount :slight_smile: – Adrian <3

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Hello @thewhiterabbitM I have to clarify that this sponsorship proposal is not related with WebZero proposal. And I want to avoid any confusion in the community.
This proposal is for sponsorship focus on devs and community members and leaders and will follow the process of OpenGov.

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Thank you for the clarification @lorena. My intention was simply to suggest an alternative approach for managing the budget already available from the WebZero sponsorship revenues. This could represent a more streamlined solution, still subject to OpenGov approval but without requiring any additional expenditure from the treasury, as these are funds that WebZero would otherwise return. It was merely an observation regarding the management of resources directly connected to the event itself. That said, I would be supportive of either path.

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Thank you @thewhiterabbitM for the comment. But I still consider we should keep separate both proposals

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I support this proposal. And look forward to applying. I was considering attending but cost justification is obviously a factor

@lorena I see the reservations with regards to amount but I think the sponsorship should not fully cover the attendance cost, but rather lower the cost to make it similar to attending to an event in the applicant region, making it easier to build global bonds.

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Thank you for the feedback.

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I think it’s a very good proposal! this type of sponsorship that Polkadot provides to its most committed and active technical community is a highly valuable initiative for the ecosystem.

The Sub0 and Decoded conferences are where the most important announcements in the ecosystem occur, and they undoubtedly provide significant value to the community.:laptop::clap:t3:

I hope this proposal is approved and receives the community’s full support​:crossed_fingers:t2::fire:

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Fantastic initiative.
I would be delighted to participate in this event.
Below, following your instructions, I’ll provide my application information:

Name: Gonzalo
Nick: gSan71
Country: Spain
Region: Valencia

What can I contribute to the event?
I’m Gonzalo, with over 30 years of experience in the IT sector. Technology isn’t just my profession; it’s also my passion. Attracted by the Web3 potential, I’m actively promoting its adoption through Polkadot. It’s Web3’s values that truly resonate with me, leading me to identify as a Web3 activist.

I am currently a rank II Polkadot Ambassador and champion of my group, I am also one of the few ambassadors who registered on-chain.

Also an ambassador for ecosystem projects: peaq, acurast, denet, ig3, etc…

My bio:
Very active within the Spanish-language community, participating in several reference groups and joining initiatives such as the Spanish-language bounty to promote news from the Spanish-language ecosystem.

Significant Content Creation on X (Currently #29 on Kaito): I’m actively creating content on X and currently rank 29th on Kaito for my contributions.

https://x.com/gSan71C/status/1909544177437651172

  • Highly Active on Discord (Currently Top 5): My consistent engagement places me in the top 5 contributors on our Discord server.

https://mee6.xyz/es/polkadot

  • Proud of Content Reach on X: While I consider myself a small content creator, I’m proud that some of my posts achieve significant visibility. For me, reaching ~18,000 views is a big milestone.

https://x.com/gSan71C/status/1907464571599634870

  • Active Participation in Governance: I also engaged in governance by joining a decentralized voices group, although we were ultimately not elected.

  • Furthermore, I’m excited to highlight that I’ve organized the very first Polkadot Meetup in Valencia

https://x.com/gSan71C/status/1911465263578460346

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Hello Gonza, Thank you for your request :slight_smile: We’re awaiting Opengov’s decision on the proposal so we can continue opening applications to fam. Likewise, thank you – Adrian <3

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Olé! Gonzalo, I’m glad you joined the race. I’m definitely happy about the activity. Olé!

I’m certainly a testament to Gonzalo’s social media activity in the Telegram and Discord groups, as well as his attendance at Meetup.

To me, you would be a great representative of the Spanish-speaking Polkadot ecosystem.

:100:

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Thank you for the feedback, if the community suppot the initiative, the team will present the proposal to opengov

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Thank you to the proposing team for putting forward this initiative. Sponsoring dedicated builders and community members to attend Sub0 Symbiosis is a worthy goal that I fundamentally support. The team’s proven track record from previous events inspires confidence in their ability to execute the selection process transparently and fairly.

However, to fully endorse a proposal of this size ($48,510), I have two primary concerns that I believe need to be addressed to strengthen the proposal before it goes on-chain.

1. Budget Realism for the Americas Region:

The maximum subsidy of $600 USD for the Americas region appears significantly underestimated. Current research shows round-trip flights from Mexico City (MEX) to Buenos Aires (EZE) for the event dates start at a minimum of $625 USD. This already exceeds the allocated budget before even considering accommodation, which is also mentioned as a cost to be covered.

Furthermore, the proposal only explicitly covers “transport and accommodation costs.” There is no mention of essential daily expenses such as meals, local transport (viáticos), or other incidental costs incurred during a multi-day event. For a sponsorship to be meaningful and truly inclusive—especially for high-value contributors—it must allow attendees to focus on the event and networking, not on how to pay for their next meal. The current structure risks either excluding valuable candidates or placing an unexpected financial burden on them, negatively impacting their experience.

  • Question: Is the team willing to reconsider the maximum allocation for the Americas region to reflect real-world costs?

  • Suggestion: Could the budget provide a more detailed breakdown (e.g., $X for flight, $Y for hotel, $Z for daily expenses) to ensure transparency and adequacy?

2. Strategic Value Beyond Travel: Networking & Measurable Impact:

While bringing people together is the first step, the ultimate value for the treasury lies in what these sponsored attendees do together. The proposal would be greatly strengthened by detailing the strategy to facilitate high-impact interactions.

  • Question: Beyond covering logistics, what specific activities or facilitated dynamics does the team have planned to ensure these 34 builders maximize their time together? For instance:

    • Will there be organized networking sessions, workshops, or dinners exclusively for this group?

    • Are there plans for “innovation circles” or roundtables to tackle specific ecosystem challenges?

  • Question: Regarding success metrics, the proposal focuses on operational fairness but could better define ecosystem impact. Could we add metrics that track:

    • A commitment from sponsored attendees to share key learnings with the wider community post-event (e.g., a forum post or workshop)?

    • Follow-ups to see if these connections lead to tangible outcomes like new collaborations, project proposals, or OpenGov referendums in the months following the event?

In summary, I am positive about this proposal’s intent. My support would be solidified by assurances that the budget is realistic and sufficient for its purpose, and by a clearer vision of how this investment will generate lasting, measurable value for the Polkadot ecosystem through structured networking and collaboration.

Thank you for considering this feedback. I look forward to the discussion.