> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://cardano-wiki.gitbook.io/cardano/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://cardano-wiki.gitbook.io/cardano/governance/governance-contents/project-catalyst.md). # Project Catalyst Project Catalyst is a program that allows ada holders to directly vote on and allocate funds from the Cardano Treasury to start-up projects building applications, tools and products for Cardano. Catalyst brings governance to Cardano by allowing the community to self-determine priorities for growth. To do this, Project Catalyst is divided into a series of funds, which are deployed approximately every twelve weeks. These funds are used to elicit ideas in the form of proposals from participants. Each proposal is focused on a challenge issued by the Project Catalyst team or the Project Catalyst community. The proposals then go through a community refinement process where they are vetted for feasibility, auditability, and impact by a group of incentivized community advisors. Once the proposals have been finalized, they are voted on by the community and ada funds are distributed to the successful projects. Catalyst enables people to realize great ideas and implement them, but funding is only part of the journey towards success. Other factors, such as education, mentorship, collaborations, and product roadmap development are also needed to nurture projects and help them formalize a business plan and effective go-to-market strategy. --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter: ``` GET https://cardano-wiki.gitbook.io/cardano/governance/governance-contents/project-catalyst.md?ask=&goal= ``` `ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. `goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.