USAID's Development Innovation Ventures (DIV) fund, housed in the U.S. Global Development Lab, is the Agency's venture capital-inspired, tiered, evidence-based funding model that invests comparatively small amounts in relatively unproven concepts, and continues to support only those that prove they work.
DIV applies 3 core criteria to its application review process - evidence of impact, cost-effectiveness, and potential to scale - and welcomes applications at any of its 3 funding stages:
- Stage 1: Proof of Concept / Initial Testing ($25k-150k, up to 3 years)
- Stage 2: Testing and Positioning for Scale ($150k-1.5m, up to 3 years)
- Stage 3: Transitioning Proven Solutions to Scale ($1.5m-15m, up to 5 years)
Since its founding in 2010, DIV has provided over $70 million in catalytic grant funding for more than 150 innovative interventions across 9 sectors and over 40 countries. DIV's support has ranged from randomized controlled trials to understand the impact and cost-effectiveness of different approaches to recruiting community health workers and use of incentives to boost immunization rates to refining education technology platforms and catalyzing significant private follow-on funding in off-grid solar start-up companies.
Additional information about the application process can be found here. Applications are expected year-round.