Cardano’s 2027 budget proposal would let funding stewards seek grants too
Cardano's proposed 2027 budget process would let three institutions help design funding assessments while remaining eligible to seek money from the same spending domains.
The proposed Cardano Ecosystem Budget Process (CEBP), published by Intersect on Oct. 28, would assign stewardship roles to Intersect, PRAGMA and the Cardano Foundation across six areas of spending. Delegated Representatives (DReps) would retain approval of the stewards, budget distribution and every treasury withdrawal.
For independent applicants, the balance depends on how conflicts are handled and how much funding remains available through Open Contributions, a proposed route that would let anyone approach DReps without a steward. The published framework leaves that route's allocation and common procedures for assessing steward-related funding unspecified.
In its Oct. 30 update, Intersect said feedback remained open ahead of a tentative Nov. 10 submission of the overall concept. The process would run as a trial in 2027 only if DReps approve.
Steward responsibilities and conflicts
Each proposed steward would help develop its domain's strategy, recommend a dollar-denominated budget cap in coordination with other stewards, and define how applications are collected and assessed. It could submit proposals itself or support others in bringing them to an on-chain vote.
The proposal expressly allows a steward to receive funding from its domain, provided that funding is transparently declared and accompanied by safeguards. An award would still require DRep approval.
The published framework promises a common public code of conduct in the planned information action, but common recusal, independent assessment and appeals procedures for funding proposals involving stewards remain unspecified in the published text.
Open Contributions and next steps
Open Contributions would be the seventh domain, with no steward. Any proposer could go straight to DReps. The Net Change Limit (NCL) sets the overall treasury withdrawal limit. The framework says the information action setting it would suggest moving a rejected stewarded domain's proposed budget into that open route.
In DRepTalk consultation feedback, the participant posting as SIPO proposed giving Open Contributions its own explicit share of the overall withdrawal limit. SIPO also sought disclosure of stewards' roles and relationships with applicants. Those suggestions remain part of the consultation.
Intersect envisages a second round in December 2026 or January 2027 covering domain arrangements and the 2027 NCL. The framework sets a goal of at least 51% DRep support for the concept and at least 60% DRep support for each domain's stewardship mandate.
Existing contracts are separate from those future choices. On Oct. 17, Intersect reported 25 vendor smart contracts worth 204,639,279 ADA from the 2026 budget cycle.
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