The FY2024 Development Innovation Ventures (DIV) Annual Program Statement (APS), issued by USAID, invites proposals for innovative solutions to address international development challenges in countries where USAID operates. This APS emphasizes a year-round, rolling application process to support initiatives at various stages of maturity that demonstrate potential to reduce poverty and improve lives through evidence-based, scalable approaches. DIV aims to back early-stage innovations with significant impact potential and supports proven projects ready to scale.
DIV offers four types of tiered funding grants—Stage 1, Stage 2, Stage 3, and Evidence Generation—based on the innovation’s development level and proof of concept. Stage 1 grants fund piloting, Stage 2 grants support further testing and scaling, and Stage 3 grants focus on transitioning proven approaches to new contexts or expanding them geographically. Evidence Generation grants are dedicated to rigorously evaluating existing, scaled interventions. DIV emphasizes funding projects that can become sustainable via commercial or public channels or a hybrid of both.
Eligibility for the program is broad; applicants can include businesses, individuals, nonprofits, researchers, and governments across all development sectors. Projects must be post-prototype, beyond the idea phase, and applicants must comply with the System for Award Management (SAM) registration requirements before final award. Although all applicants are eligible to apply directly, they must ensure they are legally recognized and able to execute federal funding agreements.
The application process involves an initial submission through USAID’s DIV portal. Following a multi-stage review process, applications are assessed based on six selection criteria: innovation impact, cost-effectiveness, evidence and evaluation, implementation capacity, potential for scale, and the strength of the project team. Cost-sharing and leverage arrangements are encouraged but not mandatory. Applicants that pass the initial review enter a due diligence and co-creation phase where DIV may recommend refinements or reclassify the application to a different funding stage.
DIV prioritizes funding projects with demonstrated value and sustainability potential, aiming for solutions that will be viable at scale. This APS remains open for applications until the extended deadline of November 30, 2024, as per Amendment Two to APS-7200AA24APS00001.
