Emergent Ventures is a high-risk, high-reward fellowship and rapid-grant program run by the Mercatus Center that backs individual entrepreneurs, researchers, and small teams pursuing “zero to one” ideas with the potential for large-scale social impact. It funds both nonprofit and for-profit approaches and has run time-sensitive initiatives (e.g., Fast Grants for COVID-19), with special geographic attention to India, Africa, and other underfunded regions. Grants range from small personal/career awards to six-figure rapid-response grants, and selection emphasizes bold, scalable ideas and strong individual capacity to execute.
Rolling, often fast decision-making; mix of one-time fellowships and rapid-response grants. Typical awards range from small personal grants (~$1,000) up to $50k for standard fellows, with program-specific awards (e.g., Fast Grants) up to $500k and region‑specific large grants (~$100k). Applications are mostly submitted online and many awards are made directly to individuals or small teams rather than established institutions.
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Apply through the Emergent Ventures online portal with a concise, persuasive statement of the idea’s transformative potential and a clear plan to scale; emphasize individual or small‑team capacity to execute. Use the rolling submission process—Fast Grants and other rapid programs expect quick, focused applications and can make decisions in days to weeks. Note special consideration for projects in India and Africa and for work addressing urgent problems (e.g., public health, criminal‑justice reform).
Current and upcoming funding from Emergent Ventures (program of the Mercatus Center at George Mason University) that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Applicants must be 13 years of age or older. The program seeks entrepreneurial thinkers and projects with highly scalable, transformative potential.
Deadline: No fixed deadline found in the provided content.
Who can apply: Founder Focus: All; Business Stage/Types: Impact-Driven,Early/Idea stage
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Create a free accountDeadlines and eligibility are summarized from public sources and may change — always confirm the details on the funder's official application page before applying.