Seeds to Systems - Procedures

Participation Guidelines

All Seeds to Systems participants are expected to abide by OLS’s Code of conduct and community participation guidelines, which apply to all our community spaces, including online calls, Slack, etc.

Requirement for moving to the mentoring phase of the programme

To be paired with a mentor, your team needs to:

• Attend at least 80% of the cohort calls.
• Complete at least 80% of the activities proposed by trainers. These activities will be compiled into a team portfolio that will help your mentor understand your project and the support you need. Participation and asynchronous work can be shared across team members; not everyone needs to attend every session, but we ask that your team is represented in at least 80% of cohort sessions.

Graduation requirements

To graduate from the program, your team needs to:

• Attend at least 80% of the cohort calls.
• Complete at least 80% of your portfolio.
• Participate in all mentoring sessions.
• Deliver a 5-min presentation on your project at the end of the cohort (February 2027).
• Complete an initial and final survey

Microgrant Policy and Processes

Accepted Seeds to Systems participants are asked if they need a microgrant as part of their registration.

Personal items this policy covers from acceptance into the cohort

These are items to help you participate in online calls with the Seeds to Systems cohort. We are able to offer reimbursements of up to $100 USD for the following expenses:

• Mobile data top-ups.
• Broadband provider (Cable, DSL, Satellite).
• Coworking space
• Childcare

Applicant workflow

1. Requesting a microgrant: Members of teams that indicated in their application that they needed a microgrant will receive an email confirming their microgrant request has been accepted.
2. Record your purchase: Once your request has been confirmed, you should go ahead and purchase the items yourself. Please make sure to retain the receipt.
3. Request reimbursement: You will receive the link to the reimbursement request form to provide details regarding your purchases and bank account. The receipt is a requirement for processing the reimbursement. The OLS team might contact you if there are any problems or additional questions.

Microgrant FAQs

Who can apply for a microgrant? Microgrants are for participants accepted and registered into an OLS program to ensure they can fully participate.

How much money can I ask for? We can reimburse up to $100 USD for Seeds to Systems participants. We acknowledge needs differ and prices for items vary around the world. We try to be fair in our support and have as many people as possible profit from our microgrant programme, so we sometimes might ask you to prioritize your requests.

How long will the reimbursement take? We aim to process microgrants within six weeks of receiving your request. This timeline is dependent on Finance Team capacity.

Can I request a reimbursement for small equipment? In the current cohort, we are only able to offer reimbursements for mobile data top-ups, broadband services, childcare, and coworking spaces.

Will OLS cover transaction and conversion fees? We try to reimburse you in the currency of your preference to avoid conversion fees. Please note, we might not be able to make transfers of certain currencies to accounts in certain countries; we will let you know if that’s the case.

Can anyone request a microgrant? We are unable to award microgrants to any individual currently listed on the UK Sanctions List or those based in high-risk jurisdictions.