F.M. Kirby Prize for Scaling Impact: $150,000 Unrestricted Funding for Social Enterprises

Bridging the gap between promising digital innovations and transformative impact at scale remains one of development’s most persistent challenges. Many enterprises show early success in tackling critical social and environmental issues with emerging technologies, yet moving from proof of concept to systemic change often stalls due to:

• Critical funding constraints
• Strategic ecosystem uncertainties
• Complex realities of scaling across diverse global contexts

Scaling impact requires fundamentally different approaches than simply scaling organizations.

$150,000 in Unrestricted Funding
The F.M. Kirby Prize for Scaling Impact offers $150,000 in unrestricted funds to nonprofit, for-profit, or hybrid enterprises that have moved beyond the pilot phase and are ready to demonstrate what impact at scale truly looks like.

Unlike project-specific grants, unrestricted funding provides strategic flexibility, enabling organizations to invest in infrastructure, partnerships, and innovative pivots necessary for scaling impact effectively.

Investment Evaluation Framework
The Kirby Prize evaluates enterprises based on their readiness to scale impact, not just operations. Successful applicants show a clear understanding of their scaling pathway.

Social enterprises typically pursue one or more of four pathways to scale impact:

1. DIY (Do It Yourself): Expand geographically or add services while maintaining full control over implementation.
2. Partnering with Government: Leverage government networks, infrastructure, and authority through contracts or adoption of your solution.
3. Partnering with Private Entities: Enable other organizations to implement your solution via franchising, licensing, subcontracting, or open-source methods.
4. Influencing: Drive change in behaviors, policies, or markets by advocating and influencing others rather than direct implementation.

Apply Now
Deadline: December 3, 2025
This is a strategic opportunity for enterprises ready to take their solutions to scale and demonstrate real-world impact.   APPLY HERE