Partnerships with MCC Program

The Partnerships with MCC Program is administered by the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), an independent U.S. government foreign assistance agency established in 2004. This Annual Program Statement (APS), under Funding Opportunity Number 95332419N0001, seeks to engage partners that align with MCC’s mission to reduce poverty through economic growth in developing countries. The APS is intended to foster innovative, collaborative partnerships that leverage external expertise, data, funding, and technologies to enhance the scale, impact, and sustainability of MCC’s compact and threshold programs. Through this opportunity, MCC is soliciting concept papers from eligible organizations that propose partnerships to co-develop solutions advancing MCC’s operational and policy goals. The program focuses on initiatives that reflect MCC's principles of country ownership, policy performance, and results-driven programming. Specific partnership opportunities will evolve during the APS period and cover diverse themes including infrastructure resilience, environmental modeling, women’s entrepreneurship, and data science collaborations. For example, a recent opportunity focused on developing a Manual of Practice for nature-based solutions in civil engineering. Funding under this APS will generally be issued as cooperative agreements, although grants may be used depending on the partnership's nature. The period of performance for awards ranges from 12 to 60 months, and MCC anticipates issuing multiple awards based on availability of funds and proposal merit. The maximum federal share for some opportunities, such as the Nature-based Solutions Manual of Practice, is $250,000 per year for up to three years. Cost share is required: non-profits must provide at least 25% of the federal amount, while for-profit organizations must provide a 1:1 match. Leverage funding from third parties is encouraged but not required. Eligibility is open to both U.S. and non-U.S. based non-profit and for-profit organizations. However, individuals and U.S. government entities, as well as government agencies from MCC partner countries currently implementing compacts, are not eligible. Entities from MCC partner countries may become eligible after their compact/threshold program has closed for at least one year. Applicants must be legally recognized entities under applicable law and meet U.S. Government standards prior to receiving an award. The application process consists of four stages: submission of a concept paper, a co-creation phase, a full technical and cost application (by invitation only), and final award. Concept papers are reviewed on a pass/fail basis and must adhere to defined page limits and content requirements. MCC may invite successful applicants to participate in co-creation workshops, leading to a full application and potential award. Applications are evaluated on criteria such as strategic alignment, technical merit, and organizational capacity. The APS remains open through March 31, 2025. Some partnership opportunity statements, like the Nature-based Solutions initiative, had specific deadlines (e.g., March 22, 2024), and additional opportunities may be announced during the APS period. Questions and submissions must be directed to apspartnerships@mcc.gov. Primary contacts for the program include Agreement Officers Jacqueline Naranjo, Taylor Wolf, and Terri Tutt Daniel, whose contact details are publicly available. Applicants are encouraged to monitor MCC’s “Partner With Us” page for updates on partnership opportunities and award announcements.

Proposals are selected based on strategic fit, technical merit, and organizational capacity. Strong cost share increases competitiveness. Clear division of roles and use of innovative approaches are prioritized.