DIV Fund: grants of up to USD 200,000 to pilot and up to USD 1.5 million to scale innovations with proven social impact, rolling applications

The DIV Fund is accepting rolling applications for development innovations that cost-effectively improve lives in low- and middle-income countries. Operating as an R&D engine, the program pairs risk-tolerant capital with evidence-driven evaluation to identify, test, and scale promising social solutions.

Funding is distributed across three stages: Stage 1 awards up to USD 200,000 for pilots, Stage 2 awards up to USD 500,000 for testing and positioning for scale, and Stage 3 awards up to USD 1.5 million for scaling validated solutions. Applications are reviewed year-round without a fixed closing date.

What is funded

The program provides non-repayable grant capital to support solutions that have already been tested in a real-world setting. Funded activities depend on the selected tier, ranging from early feasibility testing and understanding user demand to conducting rigorous impact evaluations and validating commercial or public scaling pathways.

Stage 1 grants finance real-world pilots to establish operational feasibility and user interest. Stage 2 grants support market validation, business model testing, and impact evaluations, while Stage 3 grants accelerate wide-scale adoption through external partnerships to ensure sustained impact without indefinite grant reliance.

Who can apply

Eligible entities include non-governmental organizations, startups, social enterprises, small and medium enterprises, universities, commercial companies, and consortia. Both non-profit and for-profit operational structures are welcome to apply.

The proposed activities must be implemented in a low- or middle-income country under the World Bank classification, which includes Ukraine. Applicants must demonstrate strong internal execution capacity along with the key partnerships required to carry out the proposed scope.

Conditions and requirements

Every proposal is assessed against three core principles: evidence of impact, cost-effectiveness, and durable scale. Projects must feature a credible theory of change and demonstrate the potential to deliver greater impact per dollar compared to existing alternative approaches.

Applicants must present a viable route to reaching over one million people at scale, supported by a pathway to long-term financial sustainability through public funding, market adoption, or philanthropic support. Approved funding is strictly grant-based, with no equity or debt components, and disbursements are structured around pre-agreed milestone completions.

How to apply

Applicants must review the Request for Proposals and submit their concept via the donor’s online portal. Submissions are accepted on a continuous, rolling basis throughout the year and are screened for strategic alignment, team strength, and potential additionality.

Proposals that clear initial screening proceed to due diligence, where applicants collaborate with the fund’s team to refine impact assumptions, verify evidence, and supply supplementary documents such as project budgets and study designs. Final decisions are made by expert panels that convene several times per year, followed by pre-award milestone negotiations.

Practical tip. Ensure your application is written with authentic, context-specific insights rather than relying heavily on automated writing tools. The fund explicitly reserves the right to reject proposals without review if they appear primarily AI-generated or lack clear human judgment and concrete operational context.

Applications are submitted on the donor’s page: div.fund.