Applications are open for the DIV Fund, an evidence-based innovation fund offering grants of up to US$1.5 million to organisations developing, testing and scaling solutions that can improve the lives of people living in poverty.
The Fund supports innovations addressing challenges in low- and middle-income countries and is open across sectors. Eligible innovations may include products, services, policies, programmes, delivery models or improvements to existing approaches.
Rather than focusing on a specific sector, DIV evaluates proposals around three principles: evidence of impact, cost-effectiveness and potential for durable scale.
Three Funding Stages
- Stage 1 — Piloting: Up to US$200,000: Stage 1 supports early-stage innovations that are ready for real-world testing. Applicants should already have moved beyond the idea or laboratory stage and be prepared to test their solution with real users. Projects can use funding to assess demand, test delivery models, understand implementation costs and establish whether an innovation has sufficient potential for further investment.
- Stage 2 — Testing and Positioning for Scale: Up to US$500,000: Stage 2 is intended for innovations that have completed successful pilot testing and are ready to build stronger evidence of impact, demonstrate market viability or prepare for wider adoption. Most Stage 2 grants will be below US$500,000, although exceptionally strong proposals may be considered for awards of up to US$750,000.
- Stage 3 — Transitioning to Scale: Up to US$1.5 Million: Stage 3 supports proven innovations ready to move towards widespread adoption. Applicants should already be able to demonstrate rigorous evidence of impact and cost-effectiveness, commercial viability, or an appropriate combination of these depending on their pathway to scale. DIV expects innovations at this stage to have credible plans for long-term financial sustainability and widespread adoption.
Who Can Apply?
Applications are accepted from nonprofit organisations, social enterprises, businesses, universities, research institutions, technical assistance providers supporting government innovation, and partnerships involving different types of organisations.
DIV supports public, commercial and hybrid pathways to scale. Applicants do not have to begin with Stage 1 and may apply directly to a later stage if their innovation already satisfies the relevant evidence and maturity requirements.
A central consideration is scale: DIV generally looks for innovations with the potential to improve the lives of at least one million people over ten years, alongside a credible path to financial sustainability.
Importantly, idea-stage or pre-prototype innovations are not eligible even for Stage 1. Applicants should have already tested or used their innovation in a real-world setting.
Application Timeline
The DIV Fund accepts proposals on a rolling basis throughout the year. Applications are submitted through its online portal and promising proposals progress through additional review, due diligence and a funding decision process.