D-Prize is a nonprofit that seeds new organizations around one observation: many interventions already proven to reduce poverty never reach the people who need them. Each Global Competition asks entrepreneurs to pick a distribution challenge from D-Prize’s published menu — reading glasses, phone-based tutoring, water filters, kangaroo care, child immunization, post-harvest support and around twenty others — or to propose their own idea backed by credible research. The proposal must explain how the intervention would reach large numbers of people in a low- or middle-income country.
Winners receive up to US$20,000 to run a three-month pilot and then work toward scale. The competition is open worldwide, and applicants live and work in the country where the venture operates. D-Prize reports that the organizations it has seeded now reach 11 million people and have mobilized US$87 million in further funding.
Benefits & funding
- Seed grant of up to US$20,000 to launch a new organization; the average award is about US$18,000.
- Funds a three-month pilot, followed by a scaling phase.
- At least 15 proposals are funded per competition; awards go to roughly the top 1% of applicants.
- No fee and no equity — D-Prize is a grant-funded nonprofit.
- Winners join the D-Prize portfolio of seeded organizations, 94 of the last 100 of which were locally led teams with under US$5,000 raised beforehand.
Eligibility
- Open to applicants aged 18 or older, of any nationality.
- Applicants must be based in the developing country where the venture will operate, or have a clear plan to live and work there for the foreseeable future.
- Students, recent graduates, professionals and experienced entrepreneurs may all apply; solo founders are accepted, and prior sector experience is not required.
- Intended for new organizations: usually under 18 months of full-time operation and under US$30,000 raised in outside funding.
- An existing organization qualifies only when its core focus is distributing an already-proven poverty intervention.
- Recipients must commit full time to the venture if selected.
- Proposals must distribute a proven intervention. Manufacturing, product R&D, individual scholarships and infrastructure builds such as wells or schools are out of scope.
- Applicants from low- and middle-income countries are especially encouraged; this is a stated preference, not a requirement.
- All proposals must be written in English.
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
Decoded from the official rules. A free account checks them against your passport, degree and age in seconds.
Age requirement
≥ 18 yrs
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Application process
- 1Choose a distribution challenge from the D-Prize list, or prepare a custom intervention supported by credible evidence from sources such as IPA, J-PAL, GiveWell, the WHO, the UN or the World Bank.
- 2Write a two-page concept note — three pages for a custom intervention — and attach the founder resume or resumes as a PDF under 4 MB.
- 3Submit through the online Round 1 form by one of the three windows: early, regular or extended. One proposal per competition; emailed submissions are not reviewed, and entries cannot be edited after submission.
- 4Round 2: the top 5% of applicants answer a set of written questions within two weeks.
- 5Round 3: leading candidates complete interviews.
- 6Results are announced within 12 weeks of the final deadline, and recipients launch a three-month pilot.
Program timeline
Regular deadline, 2026 Global Competition
Jun 7, 2026
Extended final deadline, 2026 Global Competition
Jun 28, 2026
Within 12 weeks of the final deadline
results announced
next Global Competition opens
Fall 2026