There are multiple aligned investment opportunities in which partners bring their own resources, aligning efforts with MCC without receiving funding from MCC or its counterpart Millennium Challenge Accounts (MCAs). Such partnerships form through direct consultation and co-creation of a shared vision and plan, considering the resources and interests of partners and how to achieve public good through collaboration.
MCC and MCAs are interested in aligned investments with partners in each of the following areas:
MCC understands that access to financial services is essential for people to start and grow their businesses, have safer and more transparent ways of transferring money, and build their asset base through financial history. In several partner countries, MCC is currently looking at different approaches to integrate access to financial services to better service micro, small, medium and large enterprises, as well as to enable resettlement, utility, and social service payment programs supported by the Compacts. Access to financial services is also important to MCC’s support to productive sectors and women’s economic empowerment.
If you are interested in partnering to support access to financial services in an MCC program country, please contact partnerships@mcc.gov.
Growth in agriculture is, on average, at least twice as effective in reducing poverty as growth in other sectors and is known to reduce poverty directly by raising farm incomes, and indirectly by generating employment and reducing food prices. Nonetheless, economic growth and food security objectives can be difficult to achieve for a number of reasons, such as poor roads, drought, low soil quality, inefficient crop watering systems, lack of proper crop storage, unhealthy livestock, lack of access to financing, and an absence of secure land rights. MCC investments in agricultural sector development in select countries cover a wide range of projects that target transportation and storage infrastructure, irrigation systems, access to finance, farmer training and nutrition and sanitation.
If you are interested in partnering to support agricultural sector development, please contact partnerships@mcc.gov.
Climate change is inextricably tied to poverty and economic growth, and it poses the greatest risks to low and lower-middle income countries, like those where MCC works. MCC recognizes that addressing the impacts of climate change is central to achieving MCC’s mission. MCC is interested in working with partner countries to develop innovative, climate-resilient solutions to combat poverty and help build climate-resilient economies that promote sustainable and inclusive growth, enhance resilience to future crises, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and adapt to new climate realities. Investing in sustainable infrastructure across all key sectors, including energy, roads, agriculture, and water; strengthening the integration of climate considerations in program design and assessment methodologies; and collaborating to expand use of blended finance tools to mobilize private capital into climate activities, MCC is well positioned to help many of the world’s most vulnerable communities meet the impacts of climate change.
See more on MCC’s climate action plan. If you are interested in partnerships to address climate change, please contact partnerships@mcc.gov.
Over the past decade, the digital economy has been growing two and a half times faster than global GDP. MCC partner countries are increasingly interested in how they can leverage the fourth industrial revolution to better serve their citizens and enable innovation, growth, and resilience. Investments in data and digital infrastructure, information and communication technologies and connectivity, human capital and the enabling environment are important components of many MCC investments.
A country’s ability to thrive in the digital economy depends on the quality of its information – and its ability to leverage data assets to optimize policy, program, and resource allocation decisions; to strengthen the government-citizen feedback loop; and to enable more inclusive growth and innovation from the ground up. Foundational investments in digital public infrastructure (ID, digital payment, civil registration and eGovernment systems) are also important. Civic engagement through access to information and digital tools could contribute to greater transparency and more empowered citizens better prepared to leverage “last-mile” opportunities associated with MCC – and other funder – investments.
If you are interested in partnering to support digital development innovation and civic technology, please contact partnerships@mcc.gov.
For MCC, the business case for investing in education is twofold. First, the skills-employment mismatch is costing firms money. This mismatch stunts economies and limits household consumption. Second, youth unemployment is not only an economic issue, but also a social one. Youth need the skills to participate, grow, and thrive in today’s global economy, and women’s participation is critical to the health and welfare of the next generation.
To match skills to demand, MCC supports reform that directly involves businesses in the policy, development, and delivery of skills and training programs. MCC’s is currently contributing $300 million to secondary and technical vocational education and supporting transition into employment in Morocco and Côte d’Ivoire. Programming to increase the quality of education in Timor-Leste and Belize is in development.
If you are interested in partnering to advance education and employability in relevant partner countries, please contact partnerships@mcc.gov.
MCC believes that private sector expertise and approaches are key to bringing innovation, cost-efficiencies, and sustainability to MCC programs. We are open to working with companies to identify employee engagement projects in furtherance of MCC’s mission and programmatic goals in MCC Partner Countries. Our programs range from youth engagement and employability to water and energy system improvement and access.
If you have an idea and would like to start a discussion on how to link your employee engagement program to our projects, please contact partnerships@mcc.gov.
MCC invests in the electricity sector to create self-sustaining electricity systems to meet current and future household and business electricity needs and attract private investment to stimulate economic growth. The bulk of MCC’s investments go into strategically identified electricity infrastructure, spanning the entire power sector value chain, government planning, and effective functioning of utilities. MCC also supports initiatives to facilitate safe and legal access to reliable electricity in markets and economic enclaves in urban and rural areas of certain partner countries.
If you are interested in partnering to support energy availability and use, please contact partnerships@mcc.gov.
Strengthening economic opportunities for groups of people structurally excluded from the benefits of economic growth is fundamental to MCC achieving its mission to reduce poverty through economic growth. As part of its data-driven model, MCC works with partner countries to address barriers that prevent inclusive participation by women, rural people, young people or other structurally excluded groups in countries’ economies.
MCC uses participatory procedures that elicit community voices, focuses on last-mile access, targets investments in neglected regions of partner countries, analyzes how different groups will benefit from MCC investments, and addresses policy and institutional reform to enable more inclusive benefits. MCC supports activities to expand income-generating activities and employment opportunities for women, increase women’s access to land, education, and skills development and enable women-owned businesses to take advantage of new market opportunities.
If you have an idea and would like to start a discussion on how to link your investments to our investments in gender and social inclusion, please contact partnerships@mcc.gov.
A healthy population is strongly linked to economic growth and poverty reduction. Taken together, MCC investments strengthen institutions and help governments provide critical, cost-effective health services that improve lives and build a more productive workforce.
MCC and the Government of Lesotho have signed a compact that supports health systems modernization. If you are interested in partnering to support this program, please contact partnerships@mcc.gov.
As part of MCC’s commitment to reduce poverty worldwide, the agency has invested $2.2 billion in clean water, sanitation, and natural resource improvement projects in partner countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America since 2004.
Access to clean water and adequate sanitation is a fundamental pillar for improving the livelihoods and well-being of the world’s poor. Water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) investments help reduce illness from water-borne diseases. Irrigation investments support increased agricultural productivity and farmer incomes. Investing in regulatory and utility strengthening is critical to improve sustainable access affordability, and quality service levels.
If you are interested in partnering to support water supply and access, please contact partnerships@mcc.gov.