DIV Fund Opens Application of up to $1.5M for African Innovators
The DIV Fund is accepting applications from organisations with evidence-backed solutions tackling poverty across low- and middle-income countries. If that’s you, here’s everything you need to know.
The Development Innovation Ventures (DIV) Fund, an independent nonprofit backed by $48 million in private philanthropy has officially opened its global Request for Proposals. African innovators working on scalable solutions to development challenges are among the most eligible applicants on the planet.
The model is simple: the more evidence you have, the more funding you can access.
What’s on the Table
The DIV Fund uses a tiered funding structure, starting small and scaling up as evidence of impact grows:
Stage 1 — Piloting: Up to $200,000 to test your idea and gather early evidence.
Stage 2 — Testing for Scale: Up to $500,000, with select projects eligible for up to $750,000, for innovations ready to generate rigorous proof of scalability.
Stage 3 — Transitioning to Scale: Up to $1.5 million for solutions with strong evidence that are ready to grow significantly.
The fund also offers standalone evidence grants of up to $1.5 million to support research and evaluations, giving innovators the data they need to attract future investment.
Who Can Apply
The DIV Fund is open to virtually any type of organisation:
- Nonprofits and NGOs
- Social enterprises and startups
- Universities and research institutions
- Businesses, and multi-stakeholder partnerships
The fund is sector-agnostic — health, agriculture, education, energy, financial inclusion, WASH, governance, and beyond are all in scope. Your solution just needs to target a low- or middle-income country and meet three core criteria:
- Early evidence of impact — proof that your solution works, even at a small scale
- Cost-effectiveness — a clear case for impact per dollar at scale
- A pathway to reaching at least one million people within ten years
Deadline and How to Apply
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, there is no fixed deadline. Early submission is strongly recommended given global interest in the fund. Apply here.
