The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is accepting new applications for the Development Innovation Ventures (DIV) program. Anyone, anywhere can apply at any time.

DIV is an open innovation program that tests breakthrough solutions to critical global development challenges to improve millions of lives at a fraction of the usual cost. DIV provides flexible, tiered funding for innovations that demonstrate rigorous evidence, maximum impact per dollar, and a pathway to scale and sustainability.

DIV funds innovation across three stages:

• Stage-One grants (up to $200,000) test the feasibility and proof of concept of an innovative product, service, or business model in a developing country context;
• Stage-Two grants ($200,000 to $1,500,000) test and strengthen a solution's business or delivery model to build rigorous evidence of impact and prepare the solution for scale; and
• Stage-Three grants ($1,500,000 to $5,000,000) fund partnerships to scale the innovation to a new context or to demonstrate replicability.

In addition to tiered funding, DIV provides separate evidence grants (up to $1,500,000) for research and evaluations that generate rigorous evidence of a solution's impact, cost-effectiveness, and potential for expansion.

Since 2010, DIV has invested in over 190 solutions across 46 countries and all sectors in which USAID invests, and has directly affected more than 30 million lives. Over half of DIV grantees had never received USAID funding before, and DIV has mobilized $4.60 of external funding for every $1 from the American people.

USAID is committed to supporting creative, evidence-driven solutions from anyone, anywhere, and at any time. To build the most effective and sustainable solutions and to help countries along their journey to self-reliance, DIV advances local ingenuity and supports problem-solvers who boost local business skills and economies.

For more information, visit www.usaid.gov/div and subscribe to the Global Development Lab newsletter.