USAID turning bright ideas into global solutions | Apply for Development Innovation Ventures (DIV)

For the Development Innovation Ventures, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) invites applications from anyone, including businesses, not-for-profit organizations, researchers, faith-based entities, and governments till September 30, 2021.

Development Innovation Ventures (DIV) is  an open innovation program that funds breakthrough solutions to the world’s most intractable development challenges.

Through a year-round grant competition, DIV sources proposals for development innovations that improve the lives of people living in poverty in the developing world. DIV provides tiered funding to pilot, test, and transition to scale those innovations that demonstrate evidence of impact, cost-effectiveness, and the potential to scale.

By funding innovation and focusing on rigorous evidence, DIV impacts millions of lives at a fraction of the usual cost.

DIV supports innovations across all countries and development sectors in which USAID operates, including health, education, water, energy, economic development, and other sectors.

DIV offers three stages of funding to maximize impact per dollar spent. This allows for risk at early stages and mitigates risk at later stages, ensuring that funding is targeted to the most cost-effective innovations.

DIV provides grant funding to innovators and researchers to test new ideas, take strategic risks, build evidence of what works, and advance the best solutions. DIV looks for solutions that demonstrate rigorous evidence of impact, cost-effectiveness, and a viable pathway to scale and sustainability.

DIV offers the following funding:

• Stage 1: Pilot (Up to $200,000)
• Stage 2: Test and Position for Scale (Up to $1,500,000)
• Stage 3: Transition to Scale (Up to $15,000,000)
• Evidence Grants (Up to $1,500,000)

Their three core principles are: (a) rigorous evidence of impact, (b) cost-effectiveness, and (c) a viable pathway to scale and sustainability via the market or public sector. DIV assesses each applicant through the lens of these principles, commensurate to the stage or type of funding sought.

Step 1: Prepare your application

Draft your application in MS Word using our sample application form. This document contains sample applications for all Stages and for Evidence grants.

Step 2: Submit through our online application portal

You will need to create an account on the DIV application portal so that you may work on the application over time and check the status of your application. Applications submitted via any method other than the online application portal will not be reviewed. It is simple to paste your answers in the portal from the draft you created in Step 1.

All applications received through the DIV application portal are reviewed by the DIV team. After initial review, applications are either moved into the due diligence stage (Step 3) or declined. Applicants usually receive feedback within 2 to 3 months after submitting an application.

Step 3: After the initial review – Due Diligence

Applicants who pass the initial review move onto the due diligence stage. During this stage, applicants have the opportunity to provide more information on their proposal so the DIV team can better understand the proposed solution.

The DIV team will conduct additional interviews, request supplementary materials, contact references or partners, engage other USAID or external experts, and gather any other information necessary to fully evaluate the application.

The due diligence process usually takes 2 to 5 months, depending on a variety of factors, such as the proposal’s technical complexity.

Step 4: After Due Diligence – Negotiation and Finalization

After collecting sufficient information, the DIV team will convene a Decision Panel. If the Panel makes a funding recommendation, the applicant will receive an official “Notice of Intent to Award.” Once recommended for funding, applicants start the process of negotiating milestones and finalizing the award with USAID.

In addition to submitting various materials and completing documents required by the Agency, an important part of this process is negotiating the project milestones that will structure the award payments. DIV provides funding only when specific results and milestones are achieved.

The process to negotiate milestones and finalize the award can take 2 to 3 months.

Step 5: Receive DIV Funding!

If you’ve been selected for DIV funding, subject to funding availability and satisfaction of U.S. government procurement requirements, USAID will award the grant.

From the date you submit an application to the date of award finalization, the process usually takes between 6 to 12 months.

For more information, please refer to this link.