In the rapidly evolving landscape of blockchain and decentralized ecosystems, open-source projects often begin with a spark of inspiration, and then stall amidst the challenges of scale, governance, and sustainability. Intersect recognizes that turning an idea into a thriving, community-led project requires more than code. That’s where the Project Incubation Process steps in.

Today, we’re unveiling how this process works, what it offers, and why it matters for teams looking to build in the Cardano ecosystem.

Why incubation matters

At its core, incubation is about fostering growth and resilience. Intersect doesn’t simply host projects; it helps them mature under disciplined mentorship and governance.

Here’s what you gain through incubation:

What You Get	Why It Matters
Structured support & mentorship	From the Open Source Committee, Technical Steering Committee, and relevant working groups, you gain experienced guidance in architecture, governance, and best practices.
Technical validation & peer review	Your project is scrutinized with a lens of quality, security, and longevity.
Contributor & community development	Improved documentation, onboarding workflows, and community engagement help attract more collaborators.
Visibility & alignment	You gain recognition within the Cardano ecosystem, helping with adoption, partnership, and credibility.
Sustainability planning	From funding models to governance options, your project is better positioned for long-term success.

What incubation isn’t

To set clear expectations: incubation does not mean:

• Intersect will write your code or take over development
• Incubation guarantees funding or sponsorship
• Project leadership or decision-making is ceded to Intersect
• Intersect manages domains outside your control (e.g, third-party dependencies).

You stay in charge. Intersect provides scaffolding to help your vision scale.

How to join the Incubation Program

Stepping into incubation is a methodical but transparent process. Here’s what the pathway looks like:

1. Review the Project Incubation Lifecycle Framework
   Understand the stages your project will pass through.
2. Meet the Acceptance Criteria
   Assess whether your project has a clear vision, a solid technical foundation, a documented roadmap, and a well-defined community plan.
3. Complete a self-assessment
   Honestly evaluate your project's maturity.
4. Submit via the official application form.
   Intersect’s OSC will vet your submission.

Once submitted:

• The Open Source Committee (OSC) ensures alignment with mission and open source best practices.
• The Technical Steering Committee (TSC) conducts a comprehensive technical review across governance, architecture, contributor patterns, and other areas.
• Based on their feedback:
  • Go - the project enters incubation.
  • No-Go - you receive feedback, and may reapply later
  • If the approval is split between committees, inter-committee review determines the outcome.

During incubation, progress is tracked via defined biannual milestones (MVP delivery, contributor metrics, documentation, etc.). 

Ownership and governance - your options

A critical choice at incubation is how you manage IP and governance. Intersect offers two primary models:

1. Foster IP under Intersect
   • You transfer the project’s intellectual property (repos, trademarks, licensing rights) to Intersect.
   • The contributing team continues as core maintainers, while Intersect becomes the neutral steward.
   • This model ensures ecosystem-wide confidence and trust by maintaining impartial governance.
     
2. Retain IP but align with Intersect
   • You keep ownership of IP
   • But you agree to follow Intersect’s governance, contribution rules, and repository standards.
   • Intersect may co-manage the repository, but daily development remains in your control.

Each path preserves your role as the driving force, while giving you flexibility in how oversight evolves.

Why this is a game-changer for the Cardano ecosystem

Intersect’s incubation framework is not just a support mechanism; it’s a long-term strategy to strengthen Cardano’s open-source infrastructure. By bringing rigor, transparency, and community focus, incubation helps identify and elevate projects with the highest potential.

• Ideas that would otherwise fade get a structured path forward
• Projects with promise can access deeper connections across the ecosystem
• The process encourages accountability and best practices from the outset

If you have a project (from prototype to functioning implementation) and want to scale it sustainably, incubation is a powerful engine to power that growth.

Take the Next Step

Don’t let your project languish in early-stage uncertainty. If you're building in the Cardano space, view the Project Incubation Process as a way to unlock mentorship, governance, community exposure, and strategic alignment.

✅ Ready to apply? Review the lifecycle framework, self-assess against the acceptance criteria, and submit your application.

✅ Questions or feedback? Reach out to Intersect’s OSC or relevant working groups;  they’re there to guide you.