Amendment 0006 to MCC APS NOFO No. 95332419N0001 Conformed Copy 20210402.pdf

MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORPORATION (MCC)

ANNUAL PROGRAM STATEMENT (APS)

NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY (NOFO) NO.: 95332419N0001

PARTNERSHIPS with MCC Program

VERSION 7 / Amendment 00061

Amendment Issued: April 02, 2021

NOFO Issue Date: March 26, 2019

NOFO Closing Date: March 31, 2023

CFDA #: 85.002 MCC Foreign Assistance for Overseas Programs

Pursuant to the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 and the authority contained in the Millennium Challenge Act of 2003, as amended, the United States Government (USG), as represented by the Millennium Challenge Corporation (hereinafter referred to as "MCC"), is pleased to launch this Annual Program Statement (APS) No. 95332419N0001 for opportunities to support MCC in advancing our mission via partnership.

The APS facilitates a co-creative process to scope, design, and launch partnerships that leverage the unique capabilities of MCC and external entities. Partnerships enable MCC and external organizations to achieve outcomes that either party working alone could not realize. Through partnership, MCC seeks to increase the impact, scale, innovation, and sustainability of programs that advance our mission of poverty reduction through economic growth.

The purpose of this APS is to disseminate information to prospective applicants so they may develop and submit applications for MCC funding. Through this APS, MCC and external organizations can discuss their respective objectives and goals, determine how those interests align, and jointly identify ways to leverage and combine resources via partnership. This APS: (A) describes the types of activities for which applications will be considered; (B) describes the funding available and the process and requirements for submitting applications; (C) explains the criteria for evaluating applications; and (D) refers prospective applicants to relevant documentation available on the internet.

MCC is seeking concept papers for the following partnership opportunities (see Section A.6. for details related to each opportunity):

1. Empowering African Women through Data Skills – Due Date: Closed

2. Environmental Economics Partnership – Due Date: Closed

3. Women’s Entrepreneurship Partnerships – Due Date: Closed

4. Collaborative for Data Science in Africa – Due Date: Closed

5. Geospatial and Earth-Observation Analyses for Africa – Due Date: Closed

1 Any amendments that change the terms of this NOFO or the associated Partnership Opportunity Statements will be highlighted in an updated copy of the NOFO as part of the amendment package in grants.gov. It is MCC’s intent to ensure that the version of the NOFO posted on Grants.gov at any point in time captures all changes and updates made to date.

6. Strengthening Evidence and Economic Modeling Partnership – Due Date: Closed

7. Fiscal Analysis Partnership – Due Date: Closed

8. Community Engagement to Achieve Social License Agreements with Tourism Investors in the

Solomon Islands – Due Date: May 07, 2021, 5:00pm ET

9. Increasing Access to Rural Infrastructure – Due Date: May 07, 2021, 5:00pm ET

10. Women’s Data Lab and Network (WDLN) project in Côte d’Ivoire – Due Date: May 07, 2021, 5:00pm ET

To be eligible for award, the applicant must provide all information and be fully responsive to all directions as required under this APS and meet eligibility standards in Section C. Eligibility Information.

This funding opportunity is posted on www.grants.gov, and may be amended. Interested applicants should check the website regularly to ensure they have the latest information pertaining to this Annual Program Statement.

Issuance of this NOFO neither constitutes a binding commitment on the part of the Government to issue an award nor commits the Government to pay for costs incurred in the preparation and submission of any concept papers, engagement, collaboration, co-creation, or full applications. MCC solely reserves the right to fund any or none of the applications submitted under this APS.

We hope you will consider responding to the partnership opportunity statements contained in this APS.

Sincerely, Andrew E. Lee Agreement Officer http://www.grants.gov/

Table of Contents

ACRONYMS

A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

A.1. AUTHORIZING LEGISLATION

A.2. OVERVIEW OF THE MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORPORATION (MCC)

A.3. INTRODUCTION

A.4. ANNUAL PROGRAM STATEMENT DESCRIPTION

A.5. OVERVIEW OF THE APS PROCESS

A.6. PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITY STATEMENTS

B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION ................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

B.1. ANTICIPATED NUMBER AND TYPE OF AWARDS

B.2 ANTICIPATED PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE FOR NEW AWARDS

B.3. SUBSTANTIAL INVOLVEMENT

B.4. ANTICIPATED AWARD BUDGETS

C. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

C.1. ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

C.2. COST SHARE OR MATCHING

C.3. LEVERAGE FUNDING

C.4. PROFIT OR FEE UNDER ASSISTANCE AWARDS

D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

D.1. APS DOCUMENT INFORMATION

D.2. APPLICATION SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

D.3. STAGE I – CONCEPT PAPER PRE-APPLICATION SUBMISSION

D.4. STAGE III – TECHNICAL APPLICATION SUBMISSION FORMAT AND CONTENT

D.5. STAGE III – BUSINESS/COST APPLICATION AND OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION

D.6. UNIQUE ENTITY IDENTIFIER AND SYSTEM FOR AWARD MANAGEMENT (SAM)

D.7. FUNDING RESTRICTIONS

E. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

E.1. APPLICATION EVALUATION REVIEW PROCESS

E.2. MERIT REVIEW CRITERIA

E.3. COST EVALUATION (STAGE III ONLY)

E.4. ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR AWARD (STAGES I AND III)

F. FEDERAL AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

F.1. AWARD NOTICES

F.2. QUESTION SUBMISSIONS

F.3. PRE-AWARD RESPONSIBILITY DETERMINATION AND RISK ASSESSMENT

F.4. AWARD ADMINISTRATION

F.5. PROGRAM INCOME

F.6. BRANDING AND MARKING

F.7. REPORTING

G. FEDERAL AGENCY POINTS OF CONTACT

G.1. EMAIL ADDRESS FOR QUESTIONS AND APPLICATION SUBMISSIONS

G.2. MCC APS POINTS OF CONTACT (POCs)

H. OTHER INFORMATION

H.1. BACKGROUND INFORMATION REGARDING ANNUAL PROGRAM STATEMENTS AT MCC

H.2. KEY WEBSITES, APPLICABLE REFERENCES AND REGULATIONS

H.3. REVIEW OF APPLICATION MATERIALS BY EXTERNAL PARTIES

H.4. DISCLAIMERS TO APPLICANTS

H.5. CLOSED PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITY STATEMENTS (not currently open for applications) . 53

H.6. LIST OF ANNUAL PROGRAM STATEMENT ANNEXES

ACRONYMS

AO Agreement Officer APS Annual Program Statement CFR Code of Federal Regulations CGM Contracts and Grants Management DCO Department of Compact Operations DPE Department of Policy and Evaluation MCA Millennium Challenge Account MCC Millennium Challenge Corporation NOFO Notice of Funding Opportunity SAM System for Award Management UEI Unique Entity Identifier USG U.S. Government

A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

A.1. AUTHORIZING LEGISLATION

The authorizing legislation is the Millennium Challenge Act of 2003, as amended. The award will be subject to 2 CFR §200 Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards and MCC’s Standard Provisions for Assistance Awards (see Annex A).

A.2. OVERVIEW OF THE MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORPORATION (MCC)

The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) is a government corporation as defined in section 103 of title 5, United States Code, established by the U.S. Congress in the Millennium Challenge Act of 2003, 22 U.S.C. §7701, et seq. MCC’s mission is to provide assistance that will support economic growth and poverty reduction in carefully selected countries that demonstrate a commitment to just and democratic governance, economic freedom, and investments in their citizens.

Eligible countries develop, in coordination with MCC, a program agreement (Compact) that is then implemented in five years. MCC also supports programs to assist countries seeking to attain eligibility for Compacts by supporting targeted policy and institutional reforms (“Threshold Programs”). Our model is defined by core principles of selectivity, country ownership, transparency, and a focus on results.

MCC provides selected well-performing countries with large-scale grants, in the form of compacts, to fund country-led solutions for reducing poverty through sustainable economic growth. MCC compact and threshold programs complement other U.S. and international development programs. Countries that receive MCC assistance are referred to as “MCC Partner Countries.”

The accountable entity designated by each country to oversee implementation of its MCC-funded program is often referred to as a Millennium Challenge Account (or “MCA”). During implementation of the MCC-funded program, MCC maintains an oversight role, including a rigorous and transparent program of funds control and monitoring and evaluation. For more information on MCC, please visit www.mcc.gov.

A.3. INTRODUCTION

Partnering is widely recognized as a powerful multiplier of development impact. MCC pursues a variety of co-created and co-funded partnerships at the global and country levels that align public, private, and civil sector resources and acumen to reduce poverty and drive economic growth. Partnerships with the private sector enable businesses and institutional investors to align public and private sector funding, value chains, ecosystems, activities, and innovations with MCC and country counterpart programs.

Partnerships with academic and research institutions enable technological advancement in how MCC designs, monitors, and measures the effectiveness of programs. Partnerships with foundations enable MCC to leverage the financial investments and networks of like-minded funders to reduce risk or extend the impact of programs. Partnerships with non-governmental organizations enable MCC to align efforts to promote inclusive economic growth and strengthen national systems. MCC seeks to partner with organizations that share our goal of achieving poverty reduction through economic growth.

https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/retrieveECFR?gp=&SID=c3a348de5af0be1685ea7424cab2c58e&mc=true&n=pt2.1.200&r=PART&ty=HTML https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/retrieveECFR?gp=&SID=c3a348de5af0be1685ea7424cab2c58e&mc=true&n=pt2.1.200&r=PART&ty=HTML http://www.mcc.gov/

MCC is issuing this APS in order to develop partnerships2 with organizations that share compact and threshold program and MCC institutional goals and align with the needs of MCC’s current portfolio. MCC partnerships take many forms and benefit both MCC and our partner organizations by increasing our respective access to cutting-edge research, knowledge, data, technologies, networks and expertise, as well as co-funding. Partnerships can help open new markets, scale programs, drive innovation, and transform the lives of people around the world. Successful partnerships are expected to involve collaboration between MCC and partner staff and support MCC’s ability to achieve its mission and programmatic goals.

Partnerships must concentrate on priority development activities which fall within MCC’s mission of poverty reduction through economic growth and align with its core principles of results, good policies, and accountability. MCC funds activities in the public sector where the government role is clear and preeminent, but through partnership hopes to draw more broadly on non-governmental partners to stimulate additional investment and innovative development practices.

MCC recognizes that partnerships offer the possibility of promoting greater effectiveness and sustainability in programming, and thus offer an opportunity to substantially increase the impact of MCC programs. Partnerships may support program priorities and objectives through every stage of the compact and threshold cycle – selection, development, implementation, and closeout – and the organizational effectiveness of the agency.

A.4. ANNUAL PROGRAM STATEMENT DESCRIPTION

This Annual Program Statement (APS) is issued to enable MCC to advertise, receive, and consider partnership opportunities and ideas for collaboration; and to make grant and/or cooperative agreement awards in an open, fair and competitive manner for the partnership opportunity statements detailed in this announcement. The APS enables MCC and select prospective partners to co-create partnerships around shared objectives and to align effort, resources, and risk.

With this APS, MCC is soliciting interest in innovative, co-funded partnership opportunities. In determining whether to provide such funding MCC will consider the nature of the concept paper and application, available funding, and the appropriate funding mechanism.

This APS will focus on co-funded partnerships in situations where partners would require funding from MCC to engage in partnership activities. MCC aims to create partnerships via this APS that are co-created during partnership formation and highly collaborative between MCC and partner teams in their implementation. MCC encourages applicants to consider what non-financial contributions (e.g., expertise, innovations, technologies, data, networks, etc.) they would bring to a prospective partnership; as well as what forms of engagement or non-financial contributions they would need from MCC in order to make the partnership successful. Additionally, prospective partners are asked to provide cost share or matching in line with 2 CFR §200.306 as part of their application. Additional details regarding cost share requirements are found in Section C.2. Applicants are also encouraged to consider additional sources of leverage in addition to the required cost share.

2 MCC’s Policy Regarding MCC Partnerships defines a partnership as “A collaborative relationship between two or more entities -- governmental or nongovernmental -- in which the partners work together to achieve a common purpose or undertake a specific task and to share risks, responsibilities, resources, competencies, and benefits, and mutually determine the goals, structure, governance, roles, and responsibilities of their collaboration.” As used in this APS, the term “partnership” is not intended to mean or be construed as a partnership as defined by law.

https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/retrieveECFR?gp=&SID=ce2eacfce6539472b87fc6cd876f3b93&mc=true&r=SECTION&n=se2.1.200_1306

It is important to note that MCC is committed to country ownership, and some partnerships will be subject to concurrence by or engagement with MCC Country Partners. Where appropriate, MCC will support and facilitate this relationship to achieve effective and meaningful partnerships based on mutual interests and objectives. Therefore, applicants are hereby notified that concept papers and complete applications may potentially be shared with MCC Partner Countries during the co-creation and evaluation process.

This APS is designed to facilitate partnerships between MCC and external entities. MCC Partner Countries may also choose to utilize partnerships to facilitate the design or implementation of compact and threshold programs. Partner Country-led partnerships are facilitated via a separate MCA Funded Program Partnership Solicitation (PPS) process and not via this APS. Additional information about MCC and MCA partnering opportunities can be found on the “Partner With Us” page of MCC’s website (www.mcc.gov/work-with-us/partnerships).

The anticipated period for submissions under this annual program statement is 48 months. At its discretion, MCC may issue addenda or updates to this APS, such as when new partnership opportunities arise, and when existing partnership opportunities close.

A.5. OVERVIEW OF THE APS PROCESS

The APS uses a four-stage, competitive application process for partnership formation that fits within the parameters of USG assistance awards:

• Stage I: Concept

• Stage II: Co-Creation

• Stage III: Application

• Stage IV: Award

A.5.1. STAGE I: CONCEPT

Organizations are invited to review the Partnership Opportunity Statements in Section A.6 and to submit a Concept Paper in response to any/all opportunities where your organization’s capabilities and resources would align to or advance MCC’s partnership goals.

Each Partnership Opportunity Statement has a unique and defined time window for response, and MCC will review all concept papers received by the respective partnership opportunity statement due date.

Concept papers are reviewed by MCC technical teams, which are comprised of subject matter experts from MCC, and potentially other entities, including MCC Partner Country Counterparts. The technical teams will review the concept papers on a pass/fail basis and recommend to the Agreement Officer which applicant(s) should be considered for co-creation discussions (Stage II). Applicants who submit a successful Stage I – Concept Paper and who fall within the criteria set forth in this APS may be invited to participate in the next stage of the APS process. MCC may choose to advance one or more applicants (or no applicants) to co-creation for a given partnership opportunity. Details about the required format and content of the concept paper can be found under D.3. STAGE I – CONCEPT PAPER PRE-APPLICATION

SUBMISSION.

http://www.mcc.gov/work-with-us/partnerships

MCC will publish the organizational name, address, point of contact, and point of contact email address for all organizations that submit a Concept Paper on https://www.mcc.gov/work-with-us/partnerships.

MCC will not publish the actual Concept Papers. Best efforts will be made to notify applicants of the MCC’s decision regarding their Concept Paper within 90 days of receipt.

A.5.2. STAGE II: CO-CREATION

Successful applicants who pass the Concept stage will receive a notification letter inviting them to participate in the next stage of the process, Co-Creation. Co-Creation is a creative and deliberative stage where relevant teams from MCC and the prospective partner organization(s) work together to mutually shape a partnership project that could meet the objectives outlined in the Partnership Opportunity Statement.

MCC conducts separate partnership co-creation discussions with each organization that successfully moves from the Concept to Co-Creation stage, and may eventually award zero, one, or more than one awards for a given Partnership Opportunity Statement.

During Concept Paper review, MCC may determine that several concepts are worth a co-creation discussion and may contemplate combining multiple concepts. In such case, MCC may request those applicants to form a teaming arrangement (one prime and one or more subrecipients). This is not an obligatory requirement and any of the applicants may opt out of such arrangement at any time before award, at which point MCC will reassess how and whether to proceed with the next steps. Once the team has been formed, MCC will invite the collective team for co-creation. If during the co-creation process, an agreeable project is not reached with the team, MCC may request a re-arrangement of the team and/or may hold individual co-creation sessions with the applicant(s) who individually meet the criteria per subsection E.2. Merit Review Criteria. At any time in the process, MCC may also decide to not move forward with either the team arrangement or the individual applicant(s).

During co-creation, MCC and the prospective partner(s) explore the “why,” “what,” “where,” “when,” and “how” aspects of the prospective partnership to gain a clear understanding of the shared goals and resources each party will provide or facilitate. Co-creation provides an open space for brainstorming, idea sharing, innovation, dialogue, and feedback. During the co-creation session(s), MCC and invited prospective partner(s) will map prospective approaches and challenges to addressing the needs outlined in the Partnership Opportunity Statements detailed under Section A.6. MCC and invited prospective partner(s) will discuss scope and implementation strategies, potential capabilities and contributions each partner might bring to a partnership; risks and challenges to successful implementation; funding and cost sharing expectations, and the envisioned benefits of and approaches to a potential partnership.

The co-creation process may be completed in a single, day-long (or multiple days-long) workshop; or progress over a series of shorter technical conversations between MCC and the prospective partner(s).

MCC prefers that co-creation include at least one in-person design session at the MCC Headquarters in Washington, DC, though co-creation may also be conducted at a prospective partner’s location, an alternate location, or virtually, as mutually agreeable to the parties.

Following Co-Creation, MCC will decide whether to invite one or more organizations to submit a full technical application as well as a cost application in Stage III: Application. If a mutually agreeable, compelling vision is not arrived at during the Co-Creation stage, MCC will notify the applicant accordingly and the process will end for that applicant.

https://www.mcc.gov/work-with-us/partnerships

MCC will publish the organizational name, address, point of contact, and point of contact email address for all organizations that are invited to Co-Creation on https://www.mcc.gov/work-with-us/partnerships. MCC will not publish a summary of nor information shared during co-creation discussions.

A.5.3. STAGE III: APPLICATION

Successful applicants who pass the Co-Creation stage will be invited to submit a technical and cost application as part of Stage III. When the Agreement Officer notifies the prospective partner that they are invited to Stage III, if applicable, MCC will clarify pre-award requirements and any additional instructions and criteria for full application submissions, beyond those detailed under SECTION D.

APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION below. After receipt of the full application package, additional clarifications/negotiations regarding the technical and cost application and/or the terms of the award may be necessary.

Applications are reviewed by MCC technical teams, which are comprised of subject matter experts from MCC, and potentially other entities including MCC Partner Country Counterparts. The technical teams will review the applications and recommend to the Agreement Officer which applicant(s) should be considered for award. The Selection Committee can recommend all, some, or no applications for award.

MCC can eventually issue more than one award if funds are available and partnership objectives align;

there does not need to be only one winner.

Though co-creation should provide ample insight for both MCC and the prospective partner(s) about the goals, governance, milestones, funding, and implementation plan for a given partnership, MCC reserves the right to invite Applicants to make pre-award oral presentations and teleconferences in support of their applications, and also may request to interview the Applicant’s proposed key personnel.

A.5.4. STAGE IV: AWARD

Once MCC has decided to proceed with the award of a cooperative agreement or grant to an external organization based on the results of the Application stage, MCC will work with counterparts from the prospective partner organization to negotiate any unique terms and conditions, finalize and sign the award agreement, and announce the partnership.

MCC will publish the organizational name, address, point of contact, and point of contact email address for all organizations that receive awards via the APS process on https://www.mcc.gov/work-with-us/partnerships. MCC will not publish the actual applications received from prospective partners. MCC and the awardee(s) may also choose to announce or promote the partnership in other forums besides mcc.gov (e.g., via press releases, events/convening, etc.).

MCC will not reimburse prospective partners for any costs associated with developing concept papers, participating in co-creation, or submitting technical/cost applications.

A.6. PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITY STATEMENTS

MCC is currently inviting Concept Papers for the following Partnership Opportunity Statements.

Additional partnership opportunities may be added over the course of the APS announcement period and partnership opportunities will be closed and removed as MCC’s partnering interests are met.

https://www.mcc.gov/work-with-us/partnerships https://www.mcc.gov/work-with-us/partnerships

A.6.1. PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT #1

Empowering African Women through Data Skills

Concept Paper Due Date: CLOSED

A.6.2. PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT #2

Environmental Economics Partnership

A.6.3. PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT #3

Women’s Entrepreneurship Partnerships

A.6.4. PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT #4

Collaborative for Data Science in Africa

A.6.5. PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT #5

Geospatial and Earth-Observation Analyses for Africa

A.6.6. PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT #6

Strengthening Evidence and Economic Modeling Partnership

A.6.7 PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT #7

Fiscal Analysis Partnership

A.6.8 PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT #8

Community Engagement to Achieve Social License

Agreements with Tourism Investors in the Solomon Islands Estimated Federal Budget: To be discussed during Stage II, Co-Creation3

Concept Paper Due Date: May 07, 2021, 5:00pm ET

The Government of the United States of America, via the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), and the Solomon Islands Government (SIG) expect to sign a Threshold Program Grant Agreement in 2021 totaling US $23 million to support a 4-year policy and institutional reform program that leads to a reduction in poverty through economic growth. The 4-year timeline for the Threshold program is expected to begin in 2021. Using this Partnership Opportunity Statement, MCC seeks partners (henceforth referred to as the “Community Engagement Partner”) with which to collaborate and jointly define and implement an approach to achieve the Community Engagement objectives of the Solomon Islands Threshold Program, Accessing Land for Tourism Investment Facilitation (ALTIF) Project, Land Identification and Establishment of Social License Activity, as described herein.

Background and Context

After completing a Constraints to Growth Assessment in 2019, SIG and MCC identified two sectors as vital to economic growth in Solomon Islands: the tourism sector and the forestry sector. The Solomon Islands Threshold Program consists of projects in these two key sectors: The Accessing Land for Tourism Investment Facilitation (ALTIF) Project and the Forest Value Enhancement Project (FoVEP). Organizations interested in this Community Engagement Partner opportunity are encouraged to review materials from MCC’s Solomon Islands Threshold Program Industry Day, which was held virtually on February 24, 2021.

The Industry Day materials include more information about these two projects and the roles of other implementing partners that will support these projects.4

The ALTIF project seeks to improve access to land to stimulate new investments and develop government capacity to solve related problems. ALTIF has three activities: 1) Land Identification and Establishment of Social License; 2) Investment Facilitation; and 3) Facilitated Governance Reform. The expected results and public goods created by ALTIF include the conclusion of at least one new tourism investment (3-to-4-star accommodation/resort), new employment opportunities for community members nearby tourism investment sites, and increased capacity of SIG officials to attract investment and resolve problems that slow the investment flow into Solomon Islands.

Access to land for investment is a constraint to economic growth in Solomon Islands. Investors require the certainty afforded by registered (non-customary) land to realize an investment. Currently, only 13 percent of land in Solomon Islands is registered; the vast majority of land is held informally under a customary tenure regime resulting in few parcels being available to investors. Even registered land that might be available often has poor tenure security. While title to registered land may seem clear on its face, historical interests in land by local communities often causes disputes over land and frequent court

3 As announced during the MCC’s Solomon Islands Threshold Program Industry Day, which was held virtually on February 24, 2021, MCC will reveal the Estimate Federal Budget for this partnership opportunity during Stage II, Co-Creation.

4 Beta.SAM.gov: https://beta.sam.gov/opp/207614047a264a18944cec0f06c193f2/view https://beta.sam.gov/opp/207614047a264a18944cec0f06c193f2/view challenges to titles. The resulting uncertainty over land tenure discourages investment in land and stifles economic activity.

To ensure successful and lasting investment outcomes, an investor and the local community must reach an understanding that an investor’s occupation of nearby land is legitimate and can provide the community and its members with certain benefits that encourage support for and cooperation with the investor. This win/win scenario is the essence of social license and, despite the presence of a formal title for a registered land parcel, is needed to establish the land tenure security required for an investor to occupy and invest in land in Solomon Islands.

The ALTIF project seeks to address the land constraint by focusing the Land Identification Activity on identifying registered land parcels whose title holders are interested in leasing land to tourism investors and then working with the investors to secure access to that land through long-term lease and social license agreement with the nearby community.

A Public International Organization (PIO), with whom MCC seeks to work as an implementing partner of ALTIF via a process outside the scope of this APS opportunity, has completed the initial land identification work in Solomon Islands. By the start of the ALTIF, a number of registered land parcels in the Western Province should be screened and ready for marketing to potential investors. This will require various ALTIF implementing partners, including the Community Engagement Partner (see “Program Activities and Implementation & Evaluation Partners” diagram below) to coordinate engagement with the investor, title holder, and community to secure a lease agreement for the land between the investor and the title holder and an agreement on social license between the investor and the community, along with other agreements necessary to realize any investment. The PIO will work with the investor (and land title holder) on social license. The Community Engagement Partner will work with the community to secure social license. MCC and SIG will work with both the PIO and Community Engagement Partner to ensure that the outreach and messaging to the investor, title holder, and community related to social license is consistent and aligned. Finally, as needed the Community Engagement Partner will be expected to conduct pro-active communications relevant to the project activities and to cooperate with other implementing partners to deliver a uniform message to the public and target audiences on key issues.

MCC will consider expanding this work to other geographic areas contingent on SIG providing MCC with a business case and economic justification that a new tourism investment in areas outside of Western Province can be economically viable and stimulate tourism investment, economic growth, and jobs for the community.

Partnership Scope

Achieving and maintaining agreements between an investor and community around social license is critical to the viability of any tourism investment in Solomon Islands; without agreement on social license that is long lasting and built on trust, no tourism investment will be viable. Social license cannot be considered a one-off agreement between the parties, rather it is an ongoing relationship of trust and support between the parties that must be nurtured for it to last. For this reason, the Community Engagement Partner must develop a detailed understanding of each community with which it works and use that understanding to set appropriate expectations with the community leadership and members for the benefits that may come from long-term cooperation with a tourism investor/operator. The

Social License is an indigenous community's acceptance of an investor using nearby land as legitimate. Often social license includes sharing of benefits from the investment with the community members.

Community Engagement Partner should expect to provide initial information and preliminary consultations to one or more communities around each of the 10-15 parcels targeted for investment promotion by the SIG. The Community Engagement partner will more deeply engage with a community(ies) once a tourism investor(s) expresses interest in a specific land parcel(s). MCC expects that several tourism investors will investigate opportunities around targeted land parcels and that ALTIF will conclude at least one tourism investment agreement resulting in a new 3- to 4-star accommodation. The Community Engagement Partner is expected to support the community throughout the process of reaching an agreement on social license with a potential investor, helping the community to document any agreements (e.g., meeting minutes, Memorandum of Understanding, or other forms) and to put in place appropriate monitoring structures to ensure the investor and community follow the agreement and any benefits agreed upon are shared with the community and its members. This work should include a focus on gender and social inclusion and community governance such that decisions around social license are made inclusively and any benefits from social license agreements are shared equitably among community members. The Community Engagement Partner will also work directly with SIG officials (Ministry of Culture and Tourism) when engaging with communities, partly to provide the Community Engagement Partner with legitimacy and partly to build capacity of the SIG to social license with tourism investors.

Cooperation between the Community Engagement Partner and other ALTIF implementing partners will be important. The chart below (first column) shows the three ALTIF implementing partners: a Public International Organization (PIO); the Community Engagement Partner; and the Cross-Cutting Support Services Contractor. These three organizations must cooperate closely with each other, MCC, and the Solomon Islands Government to achieve the objectives of the ALTIF project. For the Community Engagement Partner, cooperation and coordination with the PIO is of primary importance, as the PIO will handle the investor-facing aspects related to the land identification activity while the Community Engagement Partner will handle the community-facing aspects of that activity, requiring close coordination on work plans and messages delivered to the investors and communities. The Community Engagement Partner will cooperate with the CCPS Contractor on Facilitated Governance Reform activities by reporting to the Tourism Investment Task Force on progress on social license agreements and providing inputs as the Task Force identifies problems related to community engagement and establishment of social license that need resolution.

Program Activities and Implementation & Evaluation Partners

Using a partnership to design and implement the Community Engagement sub-activity, MCC seeks to:

1) Provide information to communities in Solomon Islands that are located nearby registered land parcels targeted for tourism investment about opportunities for cooperation with tourism investors and reaching agreements on social license for use of land;

2) Help set reasonable expectations and advise communities as they engage in discussions around social license with potential tourism investors;

3) Build the capacity of community members to engage in participative and inclusive ways with potential investors, and

4) With prior MCC written approval, in limited cases, facilitate and assist a community to formalize its rights to land held under a customary regime such that an investor and community can reach agreement on social license.

The Community Engagement Partner should bring to the partnership the local knowledge and experience in dealing with indigenous communities to achieve social license agreements and MCC will bring funding and material resources to support social license arrangements between an investor and community around at least one targeted investment site. MCC will also facilitate coordination with SIG entities.

Together the Community Engagement Partner and MCC will collaborate in documenting lessons learned around the importance of social license and successful approaches to achieve and maintain social license.

MCC recognizes that to reach an agreement on social license around one site, the Community Engagement Partner may have to work with several communities at varying levels of engagement around the estimated 10-15 parcels targeted for investment promotion and in which tourism investors express interest.

The Concept Paper submitted in response to this Opportunity Statement should address the following issues:

1) The Applicant’s approach to working with communities to reach agreement around social license with a tourism investor. The Applicant should describe how its team will develop a detailed understanding of each community, as community dynamics, social relations, and governance structures vary greatly depending on location. MCC prioritizes the need for a locally driven approach to reaching agreement around social license. Furthermore, the Applicant should describe how its approach will assess gender dynamics in local communities, including risks related to gender based violence and trafficking in persons, and how it will facilitate ways to mitigate those risks.

2) The Applicant should describe how it proposes to cooperate and coordinate with the SIG and MCC, as well as the implementing partners -- the PIO which will handle investor facing aspects of the land identification activity, and the Cross Cutting Program Support Contractor, which is responsible for the Facilitated Governance Reform Activity -- to achieve the objectives of the Project, including building SIG capacity to replicate the social license related tasks in the future.

3) The Applicant should describe its team’s experience with social license issues and how it’s team will use this experience to achieve the stated objectives. The Applicant should demonstrate successful past performance in development contexts similar to the Solomon Islands.

The period of performance for this partnership is expected to be approximately October 1, 2021 through September 30, 2025.

Evaluation Criteria

THE FOLLOWING STAGE 1 CONCEPT NOTE REVIEW CRITERIA WILL BE UTILIZED FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY IN ADDITION TO THE STANDARD APS CONCEPT NOTE REVIEW CRITERIA FOUND UNDER SUBSECTION E.2.1 – STAGE I – CONCEPT PAPER MERIT REVIEW CRITERIA STATED BELOW UNDER SECTION E. APPLICATION

REVIEW INFORMATION.

For the Stage I – Concept Paper review process, Concept Paper submissions will be evaluated on a pass/fail basis based on the merit review criteria provided below:

Factor #1: Strategic Fit: a) Demonstrated strategic fit and consistency with MCC Threshold Program ALTIF Project organizational and project objectives as described in the opportunity statement and b) Proposed concept that describes activities that are likely to yield benefits to Solomon Islands communities over the long term through agreements on social license with a tourism investor(s).

Factor #2: Technical Approach: a) The degree to which the proposed technical approach and methodology can reasonably be expected to produce the intended outcomes. MCC will place a premium on locally oriented approaches that describe a detailed understanding of the environment and common community social structures and an ability to navigate these structures to build trust and develop strong working relationships with each community that lead to agreements on social license and b) The degree to which the proposed approach describes an effective cooperation and coordination structure with SIG, to build capacity of officials to replicate community engagement work in the future, and other implementing partners, specifically the CCPS contractor, which will be responsible for the Communications and Facilitate Governance Reform sub-activities, and a PIO, which will be responsible for the investor facing land identification activities.

Factor #3 Organizational Capacity/Past Performance: a) Past experience relevant to the proposed Partnership Opportunity Statement and b) The applicant and subrecipients/partners have demonstrated organizational experience and bring expertise to successfully conduct and manage the project.

After the MCC selection committee reviews the Stage I – Concept Paper submissions, a pass/fail determination will be made on each Concept Paper. Best efforts will be made to notify applicants of the MCC’s decision regarding their Concept Paper within 90 days of receipt.

Please note that the Selection Committee evaluating the concept paper submissions may include individuals from the SIG and PIO working on the Solomon Islands THP.

COST SHARE REQUIREMENT

None. Applicants may offer cost share or matching, but it is not required for the Community Engagement Partner opportunity.

A.6.9 PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT #9

Increasing Access to Rural Infrastructure

Estimated Federal Budget: $335,000 Concept Paper Due Date: May 07, 2021, 5:00pm ET

The primary goal of this partnership is to increase access to infrastructure by rural communities, specifically secondary schools in the San Pedro and Gbeke regions of Côte d’Ivoire, through last-mile pedestrian paths and bridges.

MCC seeks partners with which to collaborate and jointly explore needs and solutions for increased pedestrian access by future students (i.e., compact beneficiaries) of the New Secondary Schools for Equitable Access Sub-Activity of the compact with Côte d’Ivoire. The scope of this compact sub-activity includes the design, construction and equipping of between 74 and 84 new secondary schools, many of which are expected to be located in rural areas within the San Pedro and Gbeke regions of Côte d’Ivoire.

Isolation caused by lack of transportation infrastructure affects almost every facet of life for the rural poor. The World Bank estimates that nearly a billion people worldwide lack access to an all-season road within two kilometers and suffer from limited “last mile” access. In some isolated rural communities, rainfall induced flooding can cause increased seasonal uncertainty. Without adequate local transportation infrastructure, families cannot access employment, schools, health care, or local markets to sell and buy goods.

In collaborating with a partner in an activity adjacent to MCC’s existing investments, aims to increase and retain educational benefits and reduce risks to sustainable results achieved through compact-funded investments under the Increase Access to New Secondary Schools for Equitable Access sub-activity of the compact with Côte d’Ivoire. In addition, findings and methodologies on pedestrian access to essential infrastructure such as schools may increase economic growth in past, current and future compact programs. Evaluation of the recently completed trail-bridges in rural areas of Nicaragua, Rwanda and Liberia indicates local impacts include a 25% to 30% increase in household income, 12% increase in school enrolment and 18% increase in health clinic patient visits. MCC believes that comparable increases may be achievable in providing reliable, year-round pedestrian access to compact-funded secondary schools, some of which may be difficult to access or may be vulnerable seasonal weather hazards such as riverine flooding.

While this partnership opportunity does not include MCC funding pedestrian transport infrastructure itself, the compact with Côte d’Ivoire provides an opportunity for a partner to access data and information obtained through compact and threshold programs and engage with stakeholders in ways that could help partner(s) fulfill their mission(s) related to access to infrastructure and services by the rural poor.

The scope of the proposed partnership is to identify and develop complimentary opportunities to increase access by rural poor to essential infrastructure and services. Potential partnership achievements include co-creation of novel tools that synthesize geospatial information systems with cost-benefit analyses and standardization of rural access infrastructure interventions. MCC envisions this partnership to identify approximately five (5) access problems between homes of students and a new schools that may warrant pedestrian infrastructure investments external to the compact. Options for solutions to access problems as identified through the partnership may be discussed with Côte d’Ivoirian government partners, stakeholders, other donors and philanthropists. The partnership may encourage other funders to contribute to “last-mile” pedestrian infrastructure complementary to MCC’s investment in new schools in

Côte d’Ivoire. Furthermore, MCC envisions learning more generally methods to design, construct, monitor and evaluate increased pedestrian access to infrastructure and services by the rural poor to inform the development of future compacts.

The potential timeline for this partnership is a period of six to twelve months to explore pedestrian access needs in the San Pedro and Gbeke regions starting in the fall of 2021. MCC will then invite prospective partner(s) to propose an appropriate duration for the partnership in its entirety.

MCC envisions providing data and information pertaining to potential pedestrian sites in the San Pedro and Gbeke regions, access to stakeholders within Côte d’Ivoire, funding for engineering designs and field investigations, and funding for monitoring and evaluation of rural infrastructure that may increase student enrollment, retention and graduation. MCC envisions potential partner(s) to provide expertise and leverage existing or new, external funding sources to fund the construction of rural infrastructure including but not limited to pedestrian trailbridges. MCC hopes that partner(s) will leverage funding from external sources for the construction of approximately five (5) pedestrian bridges that are expected to increase access to new secondary schools funded under the compact with Côte d’Ivoire.

MCC intends on funding our contribution under the partnership with due diligence funding, which may be used for MCC discovery, assessment, monitoring or evaluation of program needs and methods. MCC envisions this level of funding would equate to approximately 20% of the total construction cost of trailbridges funded by external sources.

In order to be eligible for award, non-profit entities applying under this NOFO must commit to a minimum cost share of 25% of the Federal funding amount proposed in the cost application budget.

In order to be eligible for award, for-profit entities applying under this NOFO must commit to a minimum 1:1 match ratio (100%) based on the Federal funding amount proposed in the cost application budget (i.e., the for-profit entity must match or exceed the Federal funding amount on a dollar-for-dollar basis).

A.6.10 PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT #10

Women’s Data Lab and Network (WDLN) Project in Côte d’Ivoire

Estimated Federal Budget: $2,500,000 Concept Paper Due Date: May 07, 2021, 5:00pm ET

MCC is seeking support of an international, West African regional or local Ivorian organization (the “Applicant”), or multiple organizations which come together to form a consortium (the “Applicant Team”), to finalize the design and implement the “Women’s Data Lab and Network” (WDLN) Project.

Applicants are encouraged to independently apply or develop a consortium of regional, international, and local partners with different capabilities, to provide a comprehensive strategy and team that can successfully address the project outcomes with the opportunity to generate program income resulting from this project.

One or more Ivorian-native organizations must be involved and 70% of funding under this project must be allocated to Ivorian-native (or Ivorian-based) organizations, for expenditure inside Côte d'Ivoire.

This project seeks to leverage the Applicant / Applicant Team’s collective experience, creativity, and know-how, and, in collaboration with MCC, develop a strategy, identify targeted geographic areas and the right mix of interventions to achieve specific outcomes and optimize impact within a period of approximately three years.

Purpose

MCC invites organizations that work with small- and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) – particularly women-owned or women-led SMEs (W-SMEs) and female innovators and entrepreneurs – to contribute to the design and implement a program with MCC in Côte d’Ivoire. The program aims to empower women entrepreneurs and W-SMEs with digital and data skills to effectively participate in the digital economy and grow their businesses. The program will provide tailored resources, access to business information and mentors, and encourage the creation of W-SME networks. The Applicant / Applicant Team will be expected to develop a strategy that is impactful and sustainable.

Informed by their experience, market information and foundational studies, the Applicant will propose project activities and services to achieve specific outcomes described in this Partnership Opportunity Statement within the period of performance. MCC also expects the Applicant to build in mechanisms to ensure the sustainability of the WDLN program beyond the period of performance.

Problem and Need

Globally, women-owned and led businesses are smaller and less profitable than those owned by men.

They face many hurdles: lower literacy and numeracy rates, exclusion from male-dominated business networks, insufficient access to market information, lower digital literacy and data analysis skills, insufficient digital access – and, importantly, fewer opportunities to access training, resources, and the mentors they need to help them succeed.

At the same time, the global gender digital divide detailed in the 2019 McKinsey report on the Future of Women at Work will only further expand if women are not equipped to use data and technology.