In November 2018, USAID launched a new Education Policy. It lays out key priorities, including improving education outcomes for displaced school-aged children. New funding opportunities are available through the USAID Development Innovation Ventures (DIV) programme.
DIV is USAID’s open innovation programme to test and scale breakthrough solutions to any global development problem. DIV empowers anyone, anywhere to propose an idea at any time. To meet the urgent needs of displaced youth, we encourage you to submit your basic education innovations by March 22, 2019.
As outlined below, DIV’s funding is flexible, and designed to test new ideas, take strategic risks, build evidence of what works, and advance the best solutions. It can help lower the barriers to entry for innovators. Its flexibility and its unique application and award management process enables any organisation from a small, local social entrepreneur to a medium-sized implementing partner to a large academic institution (or coalitions) to apply and use these funds.
The information and links provided below will hopefully encourage you to apply to DIV to advance education for displaced school-aged children. Should you require more information, please do not hesitate to contact the DIV team at div@usaid.gov.
What is DIV?
DIV is another tool USAID has to catalyse and support innovative products, services or applications in development. It provides grant funding to test new ideas, take strategic risks, build evidence of what works, and advance the best solutions. Here is a link to the DIV one-pager.
- Scope of DIV. Any organisation can apply to DIV. DIV is not sector, issue, or geographically specific. It is designed to test and scale creative solutions to any global development challenge. It funds both innovations and research and evaluation of them.
- Funding structure.
Tiered funding. DIV’s tiered funding is divided into three levels (below) and seeks to fund innovations with rigorous evidence of impact, cost-effectiveness, and a clear pathway to scale and sustainability:
- Stage 1: Proof of Concept (Up to US$200,000 over 3 years)
- Stage 2: Testing and Positioning for Scale (US$200,000 to US$1,500,000 over 3 years)
- Stage 3: Scaling (US$1,500,000 to US$5,000,000 over 5 years)
Evidence grants. DIV provides grants up to US$1.5 million to support research and evaluations that generate rigorous evidence of an innovation’s impact, cost-effectiveness, and potential for expansion.
- Deadlines. There are no deadlines. Applications are considered on a rolling basis.
For more information about DIV and the application process, you can visit https://www.usaid.gov/div/, learn about the innovators DIV has supported and the application process, and read the DIV FAQs.