The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is accepting new applications for the Development Innovation Ventures (DIV) program. Anyone, anywhere can apply at any time.
DIV is an open innovation program that tests breakthrough solutions to critical global development challenges to improve millions of lives at a fraction of the usual cost. DIV provides flexible, tiered funding for innovations that demonstrate rigorous evidence, maximum impact per dollar, and a pathway to scale and sustainability.
DIV funds innovation across three stages: Stage-One grants (up to USD200,000) test the feasibility and proof of concept of an innovative product, service, or business model in a developing country context; Stage-Two grants (USD 200,000 to USD1,500,000) test and strengthen a solution’s business or delivery model to build rigorous evidence of impact and prepare the solution for scale; and Stage-Three grants (USD 1,500,000 to USD5,000,000) fund partnerships to scale the innovation to a new context or to demonstrate that they can be replicated.
In addition to tiered funding, DIV provides separate evidence grants (up to USD1,500,000) for research and evaluations that generate rigorous evidence of a solution’s impact, cost-effectiveness, and potential for expansion.
Since 2010, DIV has invested in over 190 solutions across 46 countries and all sectors in which USAID invests, and has directly affected more than 30 million lives. Over half of DIV grantees had never received USAID funding before, and DIV has mobilized USD4.60 of external funding for every USD1 from the American people.