Human health and social work activities

develoPPP Ventures is now accepting applications for its 2026 funding round supporting innovative startups with scalable and development-oriented business models across selected African markets.

The initiative is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented through:

The Fundación Alsea, AC, in partnership with World Vision México, has opened applications for the Alsea Foundation Prize for Research Projects 2026.

The international research funding initiative supports innovative and impactful research projects focused on food systems, nutrition security, sustainability, and public health, particularly projects benefiting vulnerable populations.

The programme aims to strengthen evidence-based solutions that improve food and nutritional security while contributing to sustainable development and informing public policy.

The UNICEF Venture Fund has launched the Climate Ventures 2026 Call for Applications, inviting startups developing frontier technology solutions at the intersection of climate change and children’s health to apply for equity-free funding and support.

The initiative is part of UNICEF’s five-year Climate Ventures investment programme aimed at supporting scalable, open-source technologies that improve climate resilience, healthcare preparedness, environmental monitoring, and child wellbeing in emerging markets.

The Development Innovation Ventures (DIV) Fund is a global funding programme that supports innovative, evidence-based solutions with the potential to improve millions of lives. The fund operates as an R&D engine for development, combining risk-tolerant capital with rigorous evidence and scaling pathways.

DIV’s core objective is to identify, test, and scale cost-effective innovations that deliver measurable social impact particularly in low- and middle-income contexts.

Funding Structure (Tiered Model)

About the Due Diligence Fund

The Due Diligence Fund (DDF) is implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), as part of the Sustainable Agricultural Supply Chains Initiative (SASI). Now in its fifth round, the DDF has already supported 30 projects across four previous rounds since 2022.

Opportunity Type: Research Funding / Seed Grant

Funding Organisations:
South Africa–Sweden University Forum (SASUF) & National Research Foundation (NRF)

Application Deadline: 10 June 2026
Project Duration: Up to 2 years (Starting 1 August 2026)
Number of Projects Funded: Up to 20 projects

Overview

This global Grand Challenge seeks innovative solutions to significantly reduce the cost of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) used to treat Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM), particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. 

The objective is to enable more children to access life-saving treatment by improving cost-efficiency across formulation, production, and supply systems. Proposals must demonstrate a minimum 30% reduction in the ex-factory unit cost of RUTF, while maintaining nutritional quality and regulatory compliance. 

This global Grand Challenge seeks to fund breakthrough innovations that significantly reduce the cost of diagnostic and screening tools for use in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The focus is on developing scalable, high-impact technologies that can deliver diagnostic results at approximately USD 1 per test or near-zero incremental cost, while maintaining quality, speed, and usability in low-resource settings. 

This global Grand Challenges call for proposals seeks to accelerate the development of innovative interventions targeting placental and maternal gut inflammation and oxidative stress to improve fetal growth outcomes.

Fetal Growth Restriction (FGR) remains a major contributor to neonatal mortality and long-term health complications, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. This call aims to support scalable, science-driven solutions that can generate decision-grade evidence and advance toward clinical application.

The Grand Challenges initiative has launched a global call for proposals seeking breakthrough innovations that can significantly reduce the cost of treating Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) while maintaining or improving treatment outcomes.