Seva’s Call for Ideas (CFI) is a powerful tool for uncovering locally driven, innovative solutions that expand access to eye care. Since its launch in 2019 with Native Nations, CFI has grown to include global technology rounds and regional initiatives. 

Each CFI invites organizations to propose projects that improve access, build local capacity, and test scalable models. Winners receive grant funding and join a global network of Seva partners, gaining visibility, mentorship, and shared learning opportunities.

“The Call for Ideas invests in solutions that are locally identified and developed, with ‘locally’ being the key word,” said Chief Program Officer Heidi Chase. “It brings forward some of the unique barriers that people living in the communities where we work encounter, barriers we might not think of otherwise.” 

Standout winners have included Rocky Mountain University in Utah, whose idea combined school-based vision care on the Navajo Nation with research into traditional, plant-based eye medicine; and Visualiza Clínica in Guatemala for developing an app that connects telemedicine screenings from schools and Vision Centers to hospital-based diagnosis and treatment, while also managing payments, reminders, and chronic care.

These projects join a growing list of impactful innovations. In Africa, Seva’s first regional CFI in 2024 funded five community-based projects across Uganda and Tanzania. And globally, tech-focused CFIs have identified low-cost tools and digital solutions now benefiting hundreds of thousands.

Beyond grant funding, CFIs help discover new partners, support local ownership, and spark lasting innovations in eye health.