D-Prize Global Competition

If you want to start an organisation that brings an established poverty solution to people who are not receiving it, the D-Prize Global Competition 2026 offers up to $20,000 in launch funding. The focus is distribution: getting an intervention that already works to communities that need it, rather than inventing an untested solution.

Applicants in Nigeria can consider this global competition. D-Prize particularly encourages applicants from low- and middle-income countries, although Nigeria is not individually named in the supplied eligibility information. Before preparing your application, check both the organisation-stage restrictions and the specific challenge you intend to address.

Opportunity Summary

About the Opportunity

D-Prize supports new organisations aiming to distribute evidence-based poverty interventions and grow their reach. Listed challenges cover areas including education, agriculture, health, clean water and government transparency. Examples include distributing reading glasses, improving foundational literacy and numeracy, providing quality agricultural inputs, and connecting patients with existing treatment services.

There is also a route to propose an intervention not on the list, provided it is backed by credible evidence. This is not an invitation to submit any general business idea: your proposal still needs to centre on distributing a proven poverty intervention.

The competition is listed as live. Its published timetable gives a launch date of 14 September 2026, an early submission deadline of 25 October 2026, and a regular submission deadline of 15 November 2026. Deadlines are at midnight Pacific Time. An extension deadline of 6 December 2026 is also listed, but applicants are instructed to register for an extension; do not treat it as an automatic later deadline.

Selection is highly competitive. D-Prize reports more than 3,000 submissions per competition, invites the top 5% to Round 2, and awards funding to the top 1%. An eligible application does not guarantee an interview or award.

Funding and Benefits

• Competitive funding of up to $20,000 to launch a new organisation distributing a proven poverty intervention.
• Funding is intended to support launch and piloting. The supplied information does not specify a fixed award amount for every winner or promise follow-on funding.

Who Can Apply?

• The competition primarily targets new organisations. Most awardees are first-time entrepreneurs who have not yet launched or raised outside funding; this describes the typical awardee rather than establishing a compulsory first-time-founder rule.
• Organisations with more than 18 months of full-time operations or more than $30,000 raised are typically not supported. If either applies to you, clarify your position before investing substantial time in an application.
• Existing organisations are considered only if their core focus is distributing an existing, evidence-based poverty intervention.
• Applicants from low- and middle-income countries are especially encouraged. Select a listed intervention or examine the evidence requirements for proposing your own.

What Nigerian Applicants Should Know

• Citizenship and residence: eligibility for applicants in Nigeria is supported by the global scope and encouragement of applicants from low- and middle-income countries. Nigeria is not individually named, and detailed citizenship or residence conditions are not supplied.
• Work permission and relocation: this is an organisational launch-funding competition, not an advertised job. No visa sponsorship, relocation support or work-permission entitlement is stated.
• Professional recognition: the supplied information does not establish professional licensing or recognition requirements. For a health-related intervention, verify any applicable requirements with the relevant authorities and delivery partners; receiving funding should not be treated as professional authorisation.
• Location and remote activity: the overview does not specify remote-working arrangements or detailed restrictions on where a pilot may operate. Confirm that your intended delivery location fits the chosen challenge before applying.

Required Documents

• A two-page concept note for Round 1.
• Résumé or résumés for Round 1. Consult the application packet to confirm whose résumés must be included and any formatting requirements.

How to Apply

1. 1. Choose your intervention. Review the available challenges and download the relevant challenge document. Make sure your proposed organisation addresses its distribution objective rather than only sharing its broad theme.
2. 2. Check your organisation's fit. Review its full-time operating history, money already raised and core activities against the eligibility restrictions. Consult the official FAQs if your circumstances fall near the stated limits.
3. 3. Download the application packet. Use it to confirm the complete Round 1 instructions, submission method and formatting rules. These details are not included in the supplied overview, so do not assume a particular portal or upload process.
4. 4. Prepare and submit Round 1. Submit the required two-page concept note and résumé or résumés according to the packet. Work towards the regular deadline of 15 November 2026 at midnight Pacific Time, or follow the extension-registration instructions if seeking the listed December deadline.
5. 5. Respond to Round 2 if invited. The top 5% of entrepreneurs are invited to answer short written questions and have two weeks to draft and submit their responses. Keep your underlying plans and assumptions organised so you can explain them consistently.
6. 6. Take part in final selection if shortlisted. Top entrepreneurs have phone and email interviews. Successful applicants then move into launching and piloting their organisations; the supplied overview describes the following few months as a period for testing the idea and building towards scale.

Visit the official application page

Application Tips

Optional preparation advice: build your proposal around a specific delivery problem. Identify who is currently missing out, what prevents access, and how your organisation would address that barrier. Keep the distinction between evidence for the intervention and assumptions about your delivery model clear.

Hypothetical example: if you choose reading glasses, explain how you would reach people who need them and organise distribution. Avoid presenting an unrelated product invention as though it automatically fits that challenge. Read the challenge document before deciding what your pilot should involve.

As an internal planning exercise, estimate the resources, activities and costs needed for a manageable pilot. This is preparation advice, not a confirmed separate budget-document requirement. Do not build your plans on receiving the full $20,000, because that is the maximum award rather than a guaranteed amount.

For your final check, confirm that the concept note is two pages, the required résumé or résumés are included, and your organisation's operating history and funding figures are accurate. Check the packet for formatting and submission instructions. Verify the Pacific Time deadline against your local time in Nigeria, and submit ahead of it where possible. If using the extension, complete the required registration rather than simply waiting until December.

Information checked 11 November 2026.