The USAID Development Innovation Ventures (DIV) Fund is an open, global grant competition that provides tiered funding from $200,000 up to $1.5 Million to social enterprises, researchers, and innovators tackling global poverty challenges.
| 📅 Application Deadline | Open / Rolling Basis (Apply Anytime) |
| 📍 Target Regions | Low, lower-middle, and upper-middle-income countries |
| 💰 Value / Funding | $200,000 up to $1,500,000 USD (Tiered Grants) |
| 🏢 Host Institution | USAID (Development Innovation Ventures) |
| 💡 Sectors | Any sector (Health, Education, Climate, Tech, Agriculture, etc.) |
About the USAID DIV Fund Grant
The Development Innovation Ventures (DIV) Fund serves as an investment engine for global development. By treating funding like venture capital, DIV searches for breakthrough solutions that can dramatically improve the lives of people living in poverty worldwide.
The grant supports innovations that are post-prototype and ready for real-world application. DIV looks for solutions that offer a distinct improvement over current practices, demonstrate clear cost-effectiveness, and possess a viable pathway to scaling to reach millions of people.
Funded Tiers & Grant Amounts
The DIV Fund uses a tiered model to balance risk and scale. Applicants can apply directly to the stage that best fits their project’s maturity:
- Stage 1: Pilot (Up to $200,000) – Supports the real-world testing of an innovation to assess user demand, basic operational feasibility, and initial financial viability.
- Stage 2: Testing & Positioning for Scale (Up to $500,000) – Built for innovations that have survived a pilot and are ready for more rigorous testing and evaluation to prove causal impact and cost-effectiveness.
- Stage 3: Transitioning to Scale (Up to $1.5 Million) – Reserved for scaling proven innovations to a massive national or international level through commercial markets or public sector integration.
Eligibility Criteria & Who Can Apply
The DIV Fund is highly flexible and accepts applications from a wide variety of legal entities globally:
- Eligible Organizations: Registered non-profit organizations (NGOs), private for-profit startups, social enterprises, universities, research institutions, and multi-organization partnerships.
- Exclusions: The fund cannot issue grants directly to individual persons.
- Geographic Scope: Projects must be executed in and benefit low-income to upper-middle-income countries (including sub-Saharan Africa).
- Core Requirements: All proposals must demonstrate a strong Theory of Change backed by evidence, outline an eventual pathway to scale to benefit over 1 million people within 10 years, and prove cost-effectiveness.
Evaluation Criteria
Your application will be rigorously evaluated against three fundamental pillars:
- Evidence of Impact: The strength of your data or existing evidence showing that the innovation genuinely solves a critical development challenge.
- Cost-Effectiveness: Delivering a much higher social return and impact per dollar compared to traditional approaches.
- Pathway to Scale: A realistic plan to grow sustainably via public sector adoption, private sector commercialization, or a hybrid model.
How to Apply for the DIV Fund
Because applications are processed on a rolling basis, there is no hard cutoff deadline, allowing organizations to apply when their project is ready.
- Review the RFP: Carefully read the official USAID Request for Proposals (RFP) to align your text with their core criteria.
- Submit the Initial Application: Complete the online forms through the official USAID online application portal detailing your innovation and budget expectations.
- Due Diligence Phase: If your initial pitch passes the first screening, you will enter a detailed review phase to submit budgets, letters of partnership, and experimental designs.
Official Portal Link
To review the operational guidelines and launch your application portal, visit the official link below: