Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC)

Description

1) About

The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) is a bilateral United States foreign aid agency whose main aim is to lead the fight against global poverty and deliver smart US foreign assistance by advocating for good governance, economic freedom and investments in their citizens. MCC advances American values by delivering development assistance that promotes sound policy reforms, creates new opportunities for economic growth, and shares learning that makes the discipline of development effective and results-focused. It is an independent agency separate from the State Department and USAID therefore, the MCC Board of Directors selects countries which are eligible for MCC assistance. Transparency about the process and criteria that govern selection of country partners, is a hallmark of the MCC model. For a country to be selected as eligible for an MCC assistance program, it must demonstrate a commitment to just and democratic governance and investments in its people and economic freedom as measured by different policy indicators.

2) Thematic Interest

• Poverty reduction
• Economic development
• Food security
• Agricultural improvement
• Health
• Education
• Energy
• Water and sanitation

3) Focus countries

They operate in pre-defined focus countries worldwide (they are currently working with 45 countries).

4) Application Procedure

MCC provides the selected well-performing countries with large-scale grants to fund country-led solutions for reducing poverty through sustainable economic growth. These grants complement other U.S. and international development programs. MCC has approved over $10 billion in compact and threshold programs worldwide. Calls for proposals are published regularly on the respective MCC programs in the partner countries. For a country to be selected as eligible for an MCC assistance program, it must demonstrate a commitment to just and democratic governance, investments in its people and economic freedom as measured by different policy indicators. They also issue procurement opportunities that might be interesting for NGOs. There are two primary types of MCC grants: (1) Compacts: these are large, five-year grants for countries that pass MCC’s eligibility criteria; and (2) Threshold Programs: these are smaller grants awarded to countries that come close to passing these criteria and are firmly committed to improving their policy performance.

5) Contact

Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC)
1099 14th Street NW
Suite 700
Washington, DC
20005-3550
USA

T: +1 202 521 3600
E: please use the online form