Notice No.13, Monday 4 April, 2022: USAID Grants Programs - DEVELOPMENT INNOVATION VENTURES (DIV)

The Mission wishes to draw your attention to the USAID Development Innovation Ventures (DIV) programme which is a USAID open innovation fund that invests in breakthrough solutions to some of the world’s toughest development challenges. DIV provides flexible grant funding to test new ideas, build evidence of what works, and solutions that could impact millions of lives at a fraction of the usual costs. The window for the annual USAID - DIV grant opened in November, 2021 and closes in October, 2022.

Built on the idea that game-changing ideas can come from anyone, anywhere, DIV accepts applications year-round from social entrepreneurs, non-profit organizations, researchers, private sector companies, and others, working across every sector and country in which USAID operates. The National Technology and Business Center (NTBC), a department under the Ministry of Science and Technology, has been tasked with the promotion of this opportunity to all Zambians. The grants are not limited to a specific sector, product or service and anyone can apply. Applicants are, therefore, required to respond to the level that best matches their current scale and evidence base.

The Embassy of the Republic of Zambia in Washington DC and the Honorary Consulate of Zambia in California are working with the Ministry of Technology Science through the National Technology Business Center, to disseminate information and respond to any inquiries.
The USAID DIV program provides grant funding based on a tiered-evidence approach as follows:

• Stage 1 Grants: Pilot - Up to $200,000 to pilot innovations that are early in development and need real-world testing to understand user demand, social outcomes, and feasibility.

• Stage 2 Grants: Test and Position for Scale - Up to $1,500,000 to support impact evaluation, further market testing, or operational expansion of innovations that already conducted successful pilot testing.

• Stage 3 Grants: Transition to Scale - Up to 15 million to transition proven approaches to scale.

• Evidence Generation Grants: Up to $1.5 million to evaluate widely used approaches that lack sufficient evidence of causal impact and cost-effectiveness.

To this end the first virtual information session for potential applicants in Zambia and the United States has been scheduled for Tuesday, April 19th 2022 at: 5:00PM CAT (Zambia), 8:00AM PST (California), 10:00AM CST (Texas) 11AM EST (Washington DC) and will be coordinated the Mission through its Honorary Consulate and Chief of Post for the Republic of Zambia in California.

Register for the information session at: http://www.consulateofzambia.org/usaid---div-program.html Zoom link will be sent to the email address provided.

Attached is a brochure on the programme.
Contact Information:

• National Technology and Business Center:
info@ntbc.co.zm Telephone No.: +260 211 - 222355

• Embassy of the Republic of Zambia, Washington DC:
czzmkandawire@zambiaembassy.org +1 (202) 234 - 4111

• Honorary Consulate of Zambia in California:
robert@sichinga.com (424) 206 - 4455