The Development Innovation Ventures (DIV) Fund is currently accepting applications for its open innovation funding programme. Designed as an evidence-driven discovery engine for global development, the Fund supports solutions with the potential to cost-effectively improve the lives of millions of people living in poverty in low- and middle-income countries.
Building on the proven model originally developed within USAID’s Development Innovation Ventures programme, the independent DIV Fund provides tiered grant funding to pilot new ideas, rigorously test what works, and scale the most promising innovations. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis throughout the year, with no fixed annual deadline.
What the DIV Fund Supports
The Fund is deliberately open across sectors and solution types. It backs innovations in health, agriculture, education, climate, livelihoods, and other areas, provided they have the potential to deliver measurable impact at scale. Eligible innovations can include new technologies, policy or social innovations, improved delivery models, business models, process improvements, or rigorous evidence generation for widely used approaches that currently lack strong data.
The core evaluation criteria are consistent across all stages:
-Evidence of impact — A credible theory of change, with stronger causal evidence required at higher funding levels.
-Cost-effectiveness — Greater impact per dollar than existing alternatives.
- Durable scale — Potential to reach at least one million people over ten years, with a viable pathway to long-term financial sustainability (public, commercial, or hybrid).
Funding Stages and Amounts
The DIV Fund uses a tiered model that matches the size of the award to the maturity and evidence base of the innovation:
- Stage 1: Pilot — Up to USD 200,000
Supports real-world pilots of post-prototype innovations. Funding helps test user demand, feasibility, early outcomes, and financial viability. By the end of Stage 1, applicants should demonstrate that the innovation works in practice and shows enough promise for further investment.
– Stage 2: Test & Position for Scale — Up to USD 500,000 (up to USD 750,000 in especially compelling cases)
Focuses on rigorous testing of impact, cost-effectiveness, and scale readiness. This often includes impact evaluations, market validation, or testing refined delivery models.
- Stage 3: Scale — Up to USD 1.5 million
Accelerates the expansion of validated innovations that already have strong evidence of impact and cost-effectiveness (or commercial viability). Funding supports adaptation to new contexts, technical assistance for public-sector adoption, further validation, or accelerated growth, with the expectation of sustained impact without ongoing DIV support.
Award periods can run up to five years. Applicants are encouraged to request only the amount genuinely needed. The Fund values catalytic support therefore grants should enable results that would not otherwise be achieved.
Who Can Apply
Applications are welcome from a wide range of organisations, including:
- Non-profit organisations
- Social enterprises and startups
- Private-sector firms
- Universities and research institutions
- Technical assistance providers
- Multi-organisation partnerships and consortia
Both locally led and global organisations may apply. Solutions must target challenges in low- and middle-income countries (as classified by the World Bank). The Fund does not fund individuals without a legally incorporated entity, pure high-income-country projects, pre-prototype ideas, basic laboratory research, or initiatives with limited scaling potential (such as large fixed infrastructure).
How to Apply
1. Carefully review the full Request for Proposal on the official website. It details stage-specific criteria, evaluation standards, and expectations for different pathways to scale (public, commercial, or hybrid).
2. Submit an application through the online portal using the Link provided 👉 Here
3. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Promising proposals advance to detailed diligence, followed by expert decision panels that convene several times per year.
4. Successful applicants move into a milestones-based grant agreement, with funding tied to agreed results.
Applicants do not need to progress sequentially through the stages. Organisations may apply directly to the stage that matches the current maturity and evidence level of their innovation.
Why This Opportunity Matters
In a constrained funding environment, the DIV Fund prioritises solutions that deliver high social returns. Its staged, evidence-based approach reduces risk while maximising the chance that proven innovations reach millions of people. Previous iterations of this model have supported innovations that have collectively reached hundreds of millions of beneficiaries.
If your organisation has a practical innovation with strong potential to improve lives cost-effectively at scale, this is a significant opportunity. Review the Request for Proposals thoroughly, ensure your proposal clearly addresses the three core principles, and submit via the official portal.
Pro Tip: Apply early to allow time for thorough preparation and potential diligence discussions.
