D-PrizeGrant

Up to $20,000 D-Prize Seed Grant

Nov 15, 2026 23:59:00 PT

Opportunity type

Grant

Funding

Fully Funded

Location

Global

Deadline

Nov 15, 2026 23:59:00 PT

About this opportunity

D-Prize gives seed funding of up to US$20,000 to people launching a new organisation that distributes a proven poverty solution, such as oral rehydration salts, water filters, reading glasses or farm inputs, to people who still cannot reach it. The money pays for a three-month pilot in a developing country, and founders pick one of D-Prize's published distribution challenges or propose their own evidence-backed intervention. The first round asks only for a two-page concept note and a CV, and you do not need a registered company or NGO to apply.

What you get:

Up to US$20,000 to run a three-month pilot of your new organisation; the average award is US$16,000
The award is made as a convertible grant
Help attracting further funding if the pilot succeeds
Access to the D-Prize network of past winners
Full written feedback for anyone who submits a Round 2 proposal, funded or not

What you'll do:

Choose one D-Prize distribution challenge, or propose a custom evidence-based intervention
Write a two-page concept note (three pages for a custom intervention) and a one-page CV per team member
If invited, answer Round 2 written questions on operations, budget and milestones within about two weeks
If invited to the final round, interview with judges by email and phone
If funded, live in your chosen country and personally run a three-month pilot on the ground

Key dates:

Competition launched September 2026
Early decision deadline: October 25, 2026 at 23:59 Pacific Time
Regular deadline: November 15, 2026 at 23:59 Pacific Time
Extension deadline: December 6, 2026 at 23:59 Pacific Time, only for applicants who register for an extension in advance at d-prize.org/extension (places limited)
Decisions aimed for within about four months of submission

More information:

Round 1 application packet: https://d-prize.org/Round1Packet
FAQs: https://d-prize.org/faqs
Past winners: https://d-prize.org/winners

Who can apply

Open to anyone aged 18 or over, from any country, applying alone or as a team
You must be launching a new organisation, or run a young one whose only focus is distributing one proven intervention
Organisations with more than 18 months of full-time operations, or more than US$30,000 raised in outside funding, are typically not eligible
You do not need a registered company or NGO to apply
The pilot must run in a developing country where extreme poverty exists; you do not need to be a citizen, but you must plan to live and work there during and after the pilot
You must be able to commit full-time and personally manage the launch on the ground for three months if selected
The intervention must be proven: pick a listed D-Prize challenge, or for a custom idea cite credible outside evidence (for example J-PAL, IPA, GiveWell, WHO, the World Bank)
D-Prize does not fund new inventions, prototypes, manufacturing, scholarships or general community projects
One proposal per person or partnership, written in English (grammar is not judged); files must be PDF under 4MB
Judging panel members and their immediate family cannot apply

AI Verification

✓ AI Verified

Our AI read the official sources and cross-checked the key facts. Here is what held up, and what it could not confirm.

This opportunity is run by an established organization, and we confirmed its key details against the official source. As always, never share sensitive personal or financial information until you are sure a request is genuine.

LOT Verification ScoreStrong

Cross-checked 10 of 12 key facts

Confirmed Our best read Not stated

Good to know

+Up to US$20,000 to run a three-month pilot of a new venture, with an average award of US$16,000
+The first round is a two-page concept note and a CV, with no fee and no registered company or NGO needed
+Open to anyone 18 or over from any country, solo or in a team, and English grammar is not judged
+At least 15 proposals are funded each round, and everyone who reaches Round 2 gets full written feedback
+D-Prize publishes its past winners and runs two competitions a year, so missing this one is survivable

Worth checking yourself

!If funded, you must live in the developing country where the pilot runs and work on it full-time
!The money is a convertible grant, and D-Prize does not explain the conversion terms on its site, so ask before you accept
!It must distribute a proven solution: new inventions, prototypes, manufacturing and general community projects are not funded
!Organisations running more than 18 months full-time, or with more than US$30,000 raised, are usually not eligible
!The regular deadline is Sunday 15 November at 23:59 Pacific time, but D-Prize writes it as UTC-7, which would make it 22:59. Submit before 22:59 to be safe

Sources checked

D-d-prize.orgApplyD-d-prize.orgApplyD-d-prize.orgApplyD-d-prize.orgApplyD-d-prize.orgApplyFOform.jotform.comOfficialD-d-prize.orgApplyD-d-prize.orgApplyD-d-prize.orgApplyD-d-prize.orgApplyD-d-prize.orgApply

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