Science for Good
We dedicate capacity each year to partner with nonprofits and public initiatives where our scientific expertise can amplify meaningful change. These partnerships receive the same rigorous methodology as our enterprise clients,we customize project scope to align with mission constraints, never compromising on quality.
Evaluation Criteria
We select partnerships based on:
High-Leverage Definition
"10x impact" means measurable potential to:
- Reach 10x more beneficiaries through data/AI capability vs. status quo
- Reduce cost-per-outcome by 10x through automation or measurement
- Accelerate mission-critical outcomes by 10x through better decision-making
- Enable breakthrough scientific/research outcomes not possible without capability
Not high-leverage: General IT upgrades, website development, or projects with unclear impact thesis.
Selection Criteria
- Mission alignment: Public health, education equity, scientific research infrastructure, climate/environment
- Team readiness: Executive sponsor committed; willingness to share data and outcomes publicly
- Measurement commitment: Organization tracks outcomes and willing to instrument for impact validation
- Scale potential: Pilot can demonstrate path to broader adoption or replication
- Funding reality: Grant-backed, matched funding, or sustainable path to continued investment
- Blue Fermion fit: Project requires scientific rigor, measurement design, or AI/automation capabilities we uniquely provide
Partnership Models
Scope-Reduced Sprints ($25k–$50k)
- Typical scope: 4–6 weeks vs. 8–12 week standard sprint
- Focus on single high-impact workflow or capability
- Full telemetry and measurement included
- Success criteria: Measurable pilot results within 90 days
Matched-Funding Pilots ($30k–$75k)
- Blue Fermion contributes 30–50% value; client/funders cover 50–70%
- Ideal for organizations with partial funding but gap remains
- Requires demonstrated path to scale if pilot succeeds
Grant-Backed Advisory ($15k–$35k/quarter)
- Reduced-scope fractional advisory (8–12 hours/month)
- Focus on roadmap, measurement framework, grant proposal support
- Ideal for earlier-stage organizations building foundation
Pro-Bono Board Advisory (Select Organizations)
- Quarterly board meeting attendance + strategic guidance
- Reserved for organizations where Patrick's background provides unique value
- Maximum 1–2 simultaneous commitments
Typical Budget Range
$25k–$75k for pilots with instrumentation, go/no-go checkpoints, and impact measurement.
Budget depends on scope, timeline, and complexity,not on organization size or funding level.
Engagement Terms
- Application process: Submit via /book?type=impact with 1-page impact thesis
- Response time: We review applications quarterly (March, June, September, December)
- Selection: Evaluated against criteria above; not all applicants accepted
- Public outcomes: Selected partners agree to share anonymized outcomes for public benefit
- IP ownership: Standard client ownership model applies (same as commercial engagements)
- Pilot-to-scale pathway: If pilot demonstrates impact, path to continued partnership at standard commercial terms
What We Don't Do
To maintain impact focus, we do not accept:
- General IT consulting or staff augmentation
- Projects without clear impact measurement approach
- Organizations unwilling to share learnings publicly (anonymized)
- Requests where equivalent capability available at commercial rates from other providers
- Projects primarily for operational efficiency vs. mission impact
Focus Areas
- Public health: Population health analytics, care coordination, outcome measurement
- Education equity: Learning analytics, intervention measurement, access optimization
- Scientific research infrastructure: Data platforms, experiment design, reproducibility tools
- Climate/environment: Impact measurement, resource optimization, decision support systems
Application Requirements
Submit via /book?type=impact with:
- Impact thesis (1 page): What 10x outcome are you pursuing? How does data/AI enable it?
- Measurement approach: How will you validate impact? What baseline exists?
- Team readiness: Who's the executive sponsor? Technical lead?
- Funding status: What funding is secured? What gap remains?
- Scale potential: If pilot succeeds, what's the path to broader adoption?
Next Steps
Request consideration: /book?type=impact
Applications reviewed quarterly. Selected partners notified within 2 weeks of review cycle.