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We are now splitting the project into 2 stages for the funding lets look at how ‌does ‌Stage ‌2 build on Stage 1

The two-stage approach is a sequential R&D Deployment path.

Stage 1 will produce the technical and theoretical underpinnings, which Stage 2 will leverage to create a multi-platform live deployment: From Core Middleware to Cross-Platform Federation:

• Stage 1 (€25,000): Architecture mapping, Fediverse landscape analysis, flow documentation, core flow service, baseline frontend templates, desktop and mobile UX framework, baseline accessibility frameworks. It will map out and specify the technical specification for the trust-based media flow, and build the core routing middleware on the Emissary codebase to proof-of-concept trust content flows between test instances.

• Stage 2 (€20,000): Take the proven middleware, and extend ActivityPub content federation across divergent Fediverse software stacks (between Mastodon, PeerTube, and forum software such as Lemmy), and implement advanced trust-based moderation features such as temporal rollback filtering and multi-node trust flows.

From UX Framework to Deployed #makinghistory Environment

• Stage 1 (€25,000): Dual-layer UX framework, baseline frontend templates, accessibility frameworks.

• Stage 2 (€20,000): Deploy the full-on test user-facing #makinghistory test environment, populated with real historical archives from institutional partners (MayDay Room, Bishopsgate Institute, Peace Museum).

From Base Codebase to Tested, Audited Package:

• Stage 1 (€25,000): Public code repo setup, developer documentation, baseline hosting infrastructure.
• Stage 2 (€20,000): WP4 (Testing & Documentation) - grassroots community testing loops, deploying with institutional partners, public documentation, WCAG 2.1 accessibility auditing, European documentation translation.

Standalone Merit of Stage 1

If this project were only bid on for Stage 1 (€25,000) without Stage 2, it still produces deliverables that are immediately useful, as well as long-term utility for the broader open-source and ActivityPub communities

1. Published Technical Specification & Landscape Architecture: A published, fully-fledged technical specification on how trust-based routing logic and data flows work. Includes a landscape analysis on current interoperability gaps between different Fediverse software tools, which is a valuable open-source knowledge base for Next Generation Internet (NGI) developers.

2. Functional Open-Source Middleware Codebase: A functional proof-of-concept that builds on the mature Emissary codebase, this will demonstrate trust-based data flowing between federated instances can be achieved. Since it is released on open-source principles (#4opens), any independent developer or Fediverse project can take this logic and fork or integrate it into their own codebase.

3. Reusable UX Patterns for Trust & Moderation: Documentation of reusable UX design patterns for bottom-up community moderation flows, circumventing top-down censorship by each instance. Stage 1 will document the flow and logical design frameworks for bottom-up trust-based propagation that others can reuse.

4. Enhancements to the Emissary Infrastructure: Since Stage 1 code is built directly on Emissary, all core enhancements (improved search actor indexing, baseline ActivityPub flow routing) immediately benefit all existing Emissary installations and maintainers, regardless of downstream funding.

5. De-Risked R&D Milestone: Stage 1 is a low-risk "proof-of-concept and validation" milestone that de-risks the technical feasibility of trust-based media flows before investing in multi-platform deployment and partner integrations.

Stage 1: Architecture, Middleware & Flow R&D (€25,000)

• Months 1-5 (55% of total grant budget)
• Focus: Technical specification, Fediverse landscape mapping, core trust-based routing middleware code on the Emissary codebase.

Financial & Resource:

• Labour (113 Days @ €170/day = €19,210):
  • WP1 (Full - 40 Days / €6,800): Architecture mapping, Fediverse landscape analysis, flow documentation.
  • WP2 (Part 1 - 55 Days / €9,350): Core flow service, baseline frontend templates, dual-layer UX framework, baseline accessibility frameworks, basic ActivityPub integration and routing logic on Emissary.
  • WP3 (Part 1 - 18 Days / €3,060): Dual-layer UX framework, baseline frontend templates.
• Direct Expenses (€3,517):
  • Infrastructure: Development server hosting and tooling (€1,400).
  • Outreach & Events: 3 grassroots testing events (€1,200) + partner travel allocation (€517).
• Fiscal Hosting Admin (10%): €2,273 (OpenCollective fee on €22,727 subtotal).

Stage 1 Deliverables:

1. Technical Specification: Technical specification on how the trust-based flow architecture works.
2. Working Flow Prototype: Working codebase that routes trust-based content between two federated instances.
3. Public Code Repository: Public code repository set up and developer documentation.

Stage 2: Development Rollout - Cross-Platform Federation & #makinghistory (€20,000)

• Months 5-9 (45% of total grant budget)
• Focus: WP2 rollout across multiple platforms (Mastodon, PeerTube, Lemmy), deployment of the user-facing #makinghistory test environment populated with institutional archives, and completion of security auditing, accessibility compliance, and final documentation.

Financial & Resource:

• Labour (90 Days @ €170/day = €15,300):
  • WP2 (Part 2 - 25 Days / €4,250): Advanced trust-based moderation logic, temporal rollback filtering (#5F model), cross-platform ActivityPub federation rollout (between Mastodon, PeerTube, and Lemmy).
  • WP3 (Part 2 - 22 Days / €3,740): Deployment of the user-facing #makinghistory test environment, populated with archival collections from partner institutions (MayDay Room, Bishopsgate Institute, Peace Museum).
  • WP4 (Full - 43 Days / €7,310): Community testing loops, live deployment with institutional partners, public documentation, WCAG 2.1 accessibility auditing, and final iteration.
• Direct Expenses (€2,883):
  • Infrastructure: Remaining server hosting (€750) + formal security review and dependency audit (€400).
  • Outreach & Community: 3 grassroots testing events (€1,200) + partner travel (€427) + European documentation translation (€500) + rounding adjustment (+€6).
• Fiscal Hosting Admin (10%): €1,817 (OpenCollective fee on €18,183 subtotal).

Stage 2 Deliverables:

1. Cross-Platform Rollout Prototype: Interoperable ActivityPub content flows between at least 2 divergent Fediverse implementations (Mastodon and PeerTube).
2. Deployed #makinghistory Test Environment: Deployed, user-facing test environment populated with historical archives from MayDay Room, Bishopsgate Institute, and Peace Museum.
3. Security Audit & Final Ecosystem Package: Security review and audit report, WCAG 2.1 accessibility compliance report, reusable UX design patterns, translated documentation.