The DIV Fund Relaunches Year-Round Calls for $1.5M Health Innovation Grants

Building evidence-backed health interventions that achieve lasting scale requires flexible, patient capital. The DIV Fund Health Innovation Grants initiative provides non-dilutive funding to back bold, evidence-driven health solutions across low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), offering African founders and researchers a clear, tiered pathway to scale.

DIV Fund Health Innovation Grants Call Overview

The DIV Fund: Evidence-Driven Innovation Funding

• Funding Body: The DIV Fund (led by the leadership team behind USAID’s Development Innovation Ventures, chaired by Nobel laureate economist Michael Kremer and CEO Sasha Gallant). Backed by GiveWell, Coefficient Giving, Livelihood Impact Fund, CRI Foundation, and Global Development Incubator.

• Target Applicants: Nonprofits, social enterprises, startups, private firms, universities, research institutions, and technical assistance consortia in LMICs. Individual applicants without a legal entity and direct government funding are excluded (public entities must collaborate as partners).

• Eligible Scope: Under the DIV Fund Health Innovation Grants framework, eligible health interventions must possess a clear, defensible theory of change and a plan to demonstrate impact per dollar. Previous portfolio successes include mobile healthcare management platforms (Maisha Meds) and frontline health worker toolkits (Dimagi).

• Key Exclusions: Basic laboratory research, pre-prototype concepts, immobile infrastructure, projects implemented exclusively in high-income countries, or solutions lacking generalizability across broader LMIC settings.

• Grant Tiers & Amounts:

  • Stage 1 (Pilot): Up to $200,000 USD for early real-world testing of working prototypes.

  • Stage 2 (Test & Scale): Up to $500,000 USD (rising to $750,000 USD for exceptional cases) to generate rigorous evidence of causal impact and cost-effectiveness.

  • Stage 3 (Scale): Up to $1,500,000 USD for scaling validated, highly cost-effective health solutions to reach 1,000,000+ beneficiaries.

• Deadline: Rolling / Year-Round (No fixed deadline; apply when your cost-effectiveness evidence is fully defensible).

• How to Apply:

  • Apply directly online via the official portal at div.fund/apply.

  • Application Tip: Avoid applying for higher stages without rigorous data; entering at Stage 1 or 2 with clean unit economics and an explicit plan for generalizability beyond a single sub-region is the surest route to success.

Strategic Research Insights and DIV Fund Health Innovation Grants Impact

Non-dilutive capital at this scale allows African health tech innovators, digital health developers, and clinical researchers to build long-term sustainability without surrendering equity. Utilizing DIV Fund Health Innovation Grants to establish rigorous impact-per-dollar data not only unlocks multi-year grant funding but also positions your platform to secure major government adoption and commercial health insurance contracts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are the DIV Fund Health Innovation Grants open on a rolling basis?

Yes. The fund accepts applications year-round without a fixed deadline, allowing teams to refine their unit economics and evidence base prior to submission.

Can a startup or enterprise apply without equity dilution?

Yes. The fund awards 100% non-dilutive grant capital across all stages, offering no debt or equity instruments.