The F. M. Kirby Prize for Scaling Impact is an annual global prize of USD $150,000 in unrestricted funds that amplifies and accelerates the work of an enterprise working to scale its impact on social or environmental problems around the world.
The Kirby Prize recognizes enterprises pursuing strategic pathways to impact at scale, who are close to the challenges at hand, who center the voice and experience of the populations they serve, who have demonstrated traction, and who embody courageous and collaborative leadership. This prize is open to any legal form, geographic location, and any social or environmental impact area.
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Now in its fifth year, this program is administered by the Center for Advancement of Social Enterprise (CASE) at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business in partnership with the F. M. Kirby Foundation.
Honoring Fred Morgan Kirby’s entrepreneurial spirit, the Kirby Prize recognizes enterprises pursuing strategic pathways to impact at scale, who are close to the challenges at hand, who center the voice and experience of the populations they serve, who have demonstrated traction, and who embody courageous and collaborative leadership. This prize is open to any legal form, geographic location, and any social or environmental impact area.
The F. M. Kirby Foundation and Center for Advancement of Social Enterprise (CASE) at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business selected Solar Freeze as the winner of the 2024-2025 F. M. Kirby Prize for Scaling Impact.
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Solar Freeze is a Kenya-based social enterprise tackling post-harvest loss and energy poverty through an innovative, climate-smart solution: mobile, solar-powered cold storage units for smallholder farmers. By offering affordable, off-grid refrigeration, Solar Freeze is helping to extend the shelf life of crops, increase farmers’ incomes, and reduce food waste. The model is both environmentally sustainable and economically inclusive, enabling farmers — especially women and youth — to access essential infrastructure via a pay-as-you-store system. With its scalable technology and community-centered approach, Solar Freeze is transforming agricultural livelihoods across sub-Saharan Africa.
The prize, consisting of $150,000 in unrestricted funds, is designed to help amplify and accelerate an enterprise’s impact on social or environmental problems around the world. In the 2024-25 application year, four finalists were chosen from more than 200 applicants. The four finalists represent a mix of nonprofit and for-profit enterprises working in Colombia, Eastern Africa, and across the world. Their innovative solutions span impact areas including economic development, affordable treatments for a common birth defect, and scalable sanitation infrastructure.
Location:
OnlineBenefits
- The prize consists of $150,000 unrestricted fund, designed to help amplify and accelerate an enterprise on social and environmental problems around the world.
Eligibilities
The F.M. Kirby Impact Prize is open to all impact enterprises (nonprofit, for-profit, or hybrid), working anywhere in the world, that meet the following criteria:
- Strong evidence of impact over at least 3 years and a thoughtful plan for how to use the prize to scale that impact in the next 3-5 years.
- Minimum operation budget of at least $250,000 USD. The strongest applications historically have an annual operating budget between $1-3 million USD.
- For tax reasons, international enterprise applicants must have an established presence in the US, whereby they are a US taxpayer and hold a federal taxpayer identification number. This could include those recognized as an organization exempt from federal impact tax under IRC section 501(c)3 status, a US-based fiscal sponsorship agreement, or other.
- Exemplary leadership that aligns with the core values of Fred Morgan Kirby, including integrity, resourcefulness, resilience, meaningful collaboration, and diversity.
The Kirby Prize Selection Committee, composed of CASE staff and selected MBA students, will evaluate all applications based on three main dimensions: Impact, Readiness to Scale, and Leadership.
IMPACT: The solution is very effective in addressing the main challenge identified, and there is demonstrated need and demand for the solution among those impacted. While we do not weigh the achievement of broad versus deep impact differently, we do consider the order of magnitude for the number of people or environmental elements impacted relative to the depth of impact experienced.
READINESS TO SCALE: The enterprise is clear on the key elements of their program, product, or principles that are critical to the impact they seek as they scale, and have begun testing likely pathways to scale.
LEADERSHIP & TEAM: The enterprise and its leadership demonstrate the core characteristics of early social entrepreneur Fred Morgan Kirby, including integrity, resourcefulness, and resilience. The enterprise and leadership also prioritize meaningful collaboration, and proximity to the problem as a means to find the best solutions.
Eligible Regions: Open for allApplication Process
PHASE 1 APPLICATION
Phase 1 application opens for all eligible enterprises
December 3, 2025 11:59 PM EDT
Phase 1 application closes
The selection committee will review up to the first 250 applications submitted. There are no exceptions to this deadline.
January 9, 2026
All applicants notified of their status
A subset of applicants will be invited to Phase 2
PHASE 2 APPLICATION
January 9, 2026
Phase 2 application opens for invited applicants
January 26, 2026
Phase 2 application closes
March 3, 2026
All Phase 2 applicants notified of their status
FINALIST ROUND
March 3, 2026
Finalists invited to interview round
March 26-April 7, 2026
Finalists participate in final review, including virtual 60-minute interview with selection committee
May 2026
Winner will be notified.
WINNER ANNOUNCED
June 2026
Application Deadline: December 4, 2025
Application ClosedOfficial link
