Amendment 0014 to MCC APS NOFO No. 95332419N0001 Conformed Copy - v14 - 03.14.24.pdf

UNCLASSIFIED

MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORPORATION (MCC)

ANNUAL PROGRAM STATEMENT (APS)

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

PARTNERSHIPS with MCC Program

VERSION 15 / Amendment 00141

Amendment Issued: Marh 14, 2024

NOFO Issue Date: March 26, 2019

NOFO Closing Date: March 31, 2025

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: Closed

9. Increasing Access to Rural Infrastructure – Due Date: Closed

10. Women’s Data Lab and Network (WDLN) project in Côte d’Ivoire – Due Date: Closed

11. Partnership on Integrated Environmental-Economic Modeling – Due Date: Closed

12. Shared learning agenda and multistakeholder collaboration in the areas of financial inclusion for

MSMEs and transportation infrastructure in Indonesia – Due Date: Closed

13. Nature-based Solutions Manual of Practice Partnership – Due Date: March 22, 2024, at 12:00 pm EST

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, Terri Tutt Daniel 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

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)

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

A.6.9 PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT #9

Increasing Access to Rural Infrastructure

A.6.10 PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT #10

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

A.6.11 PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT #11

Partnership on Integrated Environmental-Economic Modeling

A.6.12 PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT #12

Shared Learning Agenda and Multistakeholder Collaboration in the Areas of Financial Inclusion for MSMEs and Transportation Infrastructure in Indonesia

A.6.13 PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT #13

Nature-based Solutions Manual of Practice Partnership Estimated Federal Budget: $250,000 per year up to three years

Concept Paper Due Date: March 22, 2024, Noon EST

Primary Goal: The goal of the partnership is to increase the benefits, resilience, and sustainability of infrastructure by strategically integrating engineered and natural solutions, with a particular focus on opportunities for nature-based solutions (NbS) in Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) partner and developing country context. This can be best achieved through the creation of a comprehensive manual of practice (MoP) for NbS in civil engineering. By collaborating with strategic partners, including leading accrediting or standards agencies in civil engineering, MCC aims to foster a standardized, science-based approach that promotes the integration of nature-based features into infrastructure planning, design, and implementation. The objective is to enhance infrastructure resilience, mitigate risks associated with climate change, and improve socio-economic and environmental outcomes within engineering projects.

Need: Currently, there exists a gap in comprehensively quantifying the resilience of complex systems within civil engineering using NbS. The lack of standardized, transparent, and quantitative metrics inhibits the effective measurement of the capacity to withstand and adapt to future changes sustainably. Challenges persist in integrating nature-based features into infrastructure projects across diverse environmental and sectoral contexts, including coastal areas, inland watersheds, cold regions, and urban settings.

While existing handbooks and guidance offer valuable insights into NbS (see below), there remains a significant gap in the availability of a comprehensive and quantifiable manual. The absence of an industry recognized manual can create challenges for practitioners seeking standardized methodologies.

A MoP would consolidate proven approaches, methodologies, and techniques, offering a structured framework for engineers to follow.

Current and Existing Guidelines for Nature-based Solutions:

1. The Nature Conservancy's Nature4Climate Handbook: This handbook provides an overview of NbS for climate change mitigation and adaptation. It covers topics such as reforestation, sustainable agriculture, coastal restoration, and urban green infrastructure.

2. IUCN Global Standard for NbS: The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has developed a Global Standard for NbS, which provides a framework for designing, implementing, and measuring the success of NbS projects. The standard provides an opportunity to create a global user community that helps guide implementation on the ground, accelerate policy development, and create conservation science on NbS.

3. The World Bank's Catalogue of Nature-Based Solutions for Urban Resilience: The catalogue of NbS for urban resilience has been developed as a guidance document to support the growing demand for NbS by enabling an initial identification of potential investments in nature-based solutions.

4. The International Guidelines on Natural and Nature-Based Features (NNBF) for Flood Risk Management: The international guidelines on NNBF provides practitioners with the best available information concerning the conceptualization, planning, design, engineering, construction, and maintenance of NNBF to support resilience and flood risk reduction for coastlines, bays, and estuaries, as well as rive rand freshwater systems.

Unlike the existing resources above, this collaborative effort strives to provide a standardized and science-based framework grounded in quantifiable methodologies for the engineering community by co-creating a Manual of Practice (MoP). It aims to bridge the gap by offering practical guidelines, standardized methodologies, and performance-driven engineering approaches essential for enhancing infrastructure resilience and sustainability.

Without standardized methodologies or practical guidelines, infrastructure projects often lack the incorporation of nature-based features crucial for enhancing resilience against climate change impacts, natural disasters, and environmental degradation. Constraints arise due to the absence of a unified approach, inhibiting consistent and effective implementation of NbS across diverse engineering projects and settings. Consequently, the need for a comprehensive MoP that provides clear guidelines, standardized methodologies, and performance-driven engineering approaches is necessary to bridge these gaps and drive sustainable infrastructure development forward.

Opportunity: MCC has deep expertise and experience fostering infrastructure development, which accounts for approximately 2/3 of the agency’s development investments. This experience, the planning and implementation of ongoing investments, and expertise within MCC’s Infrastructure, Environment and Private Sector (IEPS) division provides a strong foundation for this partnership.

Leveraging MCC's existing knowledge base and initiatives provides a foundation to integrate real-world experiences, including from developing countries, and evidence-based practices into the development of the MoP.

Through the partnership, there is potential to foster widespread adoption and implementation of NbS within civil engineering projects. By engaging strategic partners, such as leading accrediting or standards agencies in civil engineering, MCC seeks to create a MoP that sets a benchmark for standardized, science-based approaches in the field. This collaboration aims to enable engineers, planners, and stakeholders to effectively integrate nature-based features into infrastructure projects, thereby enhancing resilience and sustainability outcomes. The anticipated impact includes improved infrastructure resilience against climate change impacts, enhanced environmental sustainability, and https://www.nature.org/content/dam/tnc/nature/en/documents/TNC_Natural_Climate_Solutions_Handbook.pdf?vu=ncshandbook https://portals.iucn.org/library/sites/library/files/documents/2020-020-En.pdf https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/502101636360985715/pdf/A-Catalogue-of-Nature-based-Solutions-for-Urban-Resilience.pdf https://ewn.erdc.dren.mil/international-guidelines-on-natural-and-nature-based-features-for-flood-risk-management/%22%20/l%20%22:%7E:text=The%20International%20Guidelines%20on%20NNBF,and%20estuaries%2C%20as%20well%20as%22HYPERLINK%20%22https:/ewn.erdc.dren.mil/international-guidelines-on-natural-and-nature-based-features-for-flood-risk-management/#:%7E:text=The%20International%20Guidelines%20on%20NNBF,and%20estuaries%2C%20as%20well%20as https://ewn.erdc.dren.mil/international-guidelines-on-natural-and-nature-based-features-for-flood-risk-management/%22%20/l%20%22:%7E:text=The%20International%20Guidelines%20on%20NNBF,and%20estuaries%2C%20as%20well%20as%22HYPERLINK%20%22https:/ewn.erdc.dren.mil/international-guidelines-on-natural-and-nature-based-features-for-flood-risk-management/#:%7E:text=The%20International%20Guidelines%20on%20NNBF,and%20estuaries%2C%20as%20well%20as cost-effective solutions with evidence-based methodologies resulting from MCC's extensive international development project insights and industry experience through the following:

1. Decision-making frameworks tailored to incorporate NbS considerations in the identification, design, and implementation phases of MCC infrastructure projects.

2. Educational resources and training modules to build the capacity of MCC staff and stakeholders in understanding, implementing, and monitoring NbS in infrastructure projects.

3. Improved MCC business processes by integrating NbS considerations into project identification, design, and implementation, ensuring alignment with global sustainability goals.

4. Informed Decision-Making of MCC staff and stakeholders that integrates NbS in infrastructure development where appropriate.

This partnership will also provide a broader opportunity for enhancing NbS practice across other U.S.

government agencies and facilitate MCC’s partner country opportunities to adopt NbS as part of their own sustainable development. The published MoP would facilitate knowledge sharing among engineers, planners, policymakers, environmental practitioners, and stakeholders. It would also promote capacity building, enabling professionals to adopt best practices, leading to informed decision-making and implementation of NbS. Lastly, the MoP would enable the economic valuation of NbS, aiding in informed decision-making across the lifecycle of projects, which could lead to more cost-effective engineering solutions with positive social impacts.

Potential Scope: The partnership will be funded by MCC up to $250,000 per year up to three years, with partner(s) contributing in accordance with the cost share section below through expertise, authorship, and committee co-chairing in developing the MoP for NbS in civil engineering encompassing:

1. Development of Comprehensive Manual: The primary focus will be on collaboratively developing a comprehensive Manual of Practice (MoP) that consolidates science-based methodologies, standardized guidelines, and best practices for integrating NbS into civil engineering projects. This MoP will serve as a centralized resource for engineers, planners, and stakeholders involved in infrastructure planning, design, and implementation.

2. Technical Expertise and Guidance: Leveraging specialized expertise, the partnership aims to identify, develop, and provide technical guidance, methodologies, and standardized approaches, culminating in the production of the MoP. This involves outlining performance-driven engineering methods, reliability engineering, risk analysis, resilience measurement, and decision-making frameworks embedded in sustainability metrics.

3. Capacity Building and Knowledge Sharing: The partnership intends to facilitate capacity building among MCC and stakeholders, including engineers, environmental practitioners and policymakers, through knowledge-sharing platforms and dissemination of the manual's outcomes through publishing and digital availability on websites, inclusion in libraries, distribution through book retailers. This initiative targets enhanced awareness, understanding, and adoption of NbS in diverse environmental settings.

4. Real-world Case Studies: Incorporating real-world case studies and lessons learned from MCC's threshold and compact programs, potentially from Mozambique, Sierra Leone, and Zambia, will improve the manual with practical applications and examples. Case studies, including from MCC partner countries, will demonstrate successful NbS design and implementation, offering insights and guidance for future civil engineering projects.

5. Stakeholder Engagement and Dissemination: A key aspect involves engaging a wide network of engineers, practitioners, policymakers, and stakeholders to ensure the manual's relevance and applicability. Engagement and dissemination efforts will aim to reach key MCC stakeholders and a wider global audience through digital platforms and MCC's established networks, advocating for the adoption of NbS in infrastructure development.

Potential Timeline:

Milestone Time frame Develop technical committee: Two leads for each chapter selected; Paperwork coordinator selected

6 weeks

Initiation and Planning: Define project scope, objectives, and key deliverables.

Develop a detailed project plan outlining roles, responsibilities, and timelines.

Identify stakeholders, establish communication protocols, and secure necessary resources.

4 months

Research and Data Collection: Gather existing research, case studies, and technical literature on nature-based solutions. Collect data on various environmental contexts and engineering practices. Conduct surveys or studies to acquire additional insights.

6 months

Develop draft findings from the collected case studies. Formulate an initial framework for integrating Nature-based Solutions (NbS) into infrastructure projects.

3 months

Framework Development: Develop the foundational framework for the manual, including methodology selection, performance metrics, and assessment criteria.

Draft initial sections or chapters outlining guidelines and methodologies.

9 months

Technical committee conducts reviews and provides feedback. Iterative revisions based on technical committee input.

Ongoing

Final manuscript submitted for publication and copy editing 3 months

Likely Locations/Countries of Operation or Application: MCC and partners will work together to determine appropriate country case studies during co-creation during early-stage implementation. The potential choice of countries, such as Zambia, Mozambique, and Sierra Leone are strategic in terms of projects that offer diverse range of environmental and infrastructural contexts and sectors, and are still in the development phase. MCC already has active threshold and compact programs in these countries, focusing on infrastructure development, water resource management, and climate resilience and there is increasing recognition of the importance of NbS in addressing development challenges and enhancing infrastructure resilience and sustainability. This can include projects or sub-projects focused on NbS as well as incorporating grey/green design criteria as part of project design.

These countries encompass diverse environmental contexts, including coastal regions, inland watersheds, and urban areas. These programs may provide tangible, real-world projects that can serve as valuable case studies for the MoP. This diversity allows for the creation of a comprehensive MoP that can be applicable across various engineering projects and sectors, maximizing the manual's impact and applicability. However, the final decision on the specific countries of operation will be made in consultation with MCC country teams, MCAs, and relevant stakeholders to ensure alignment with local needs and priorities.

Ways That MCC’s Contributions/Involvement Could Help Partners Achieve Public Benefits: MCC's contributions and involvement in the partnership for developing the Manual of Practice (MoP) for NbS in civil engineering can significantly contribute to achieving public benefits in several ways:

1. Knowledge Dissemination: MCC's participation involves sharing insights, lessons learned, and technical expertise garnered through years of implementing development projects featuring infrastructure. This information, when incorporated into the MoP, becomes publicly accessible knowledge that benefits engineers, planners, policymakers, and other stakeholders working in civil engineering globally.

2. Capacity Building and Awareness: The partnership will allow for the incorporation of case studies and practical examples from MCC threshold and compact programs and elsewhere.

These real-world examples, integrated into the MoP, serve as educational tools, raising awareness and building the capacity of stakeholders in applying NbS across various engineering projects.

3. Open Access to Guidelines: MCC's commitment to disseminating the MoP can include making the manual publicly available through online platforms, libraries, and book retailers. This ensures open access to guidelines and methodologies, benefiting a wider audience interested in implementing nature-based solutions, thus democratizing knowledge, and fostering wider adoption.

4. Influence on Policy and Practice: Through MCC's involvement, the MoP can influence policies, regulations, and best practices related to NbS in engineering. By advocating and demonstrating successful implementation through its projects, MCC can encourage the adoption of sustainable infrastructure practices at local, national, and international levels.

5. Promoting Sustainable Infrastructure: The MoP's focused on NbS aligns with MCC's goals of promoting sustainable infrastructure. By supporting the integration of these solutions into engineering practices, MCC's contributions assist in achieving broader public benefits, including enhanced environmental resilience, more sustainable infrastructure, and greater socio-economic well-being within the communities where such projects are implemented.

Parameters for How MCC’s Funding Could Be Used:

1. Due Diligence and Manual Development: MCC's funding will primarily support due diligence activities, research, and the development of the Manual of Practice (MoP) for NbS in engineering. This includes costs associated with gathering data, conducting studies, assembling case studies, consulting with MCC staff and country teams, convening technical committees, drafting, reviewing, editing, and producing the MoP.

2. Dissemination and Access: MCC's funds can also cover expenses related to publishing, dissemination, and accessibility of the MoP. This involves formatting the MoP for online accessibility through MCC's website, libraries, and book retailers. Partner accrediting and standards agencies could disseminate through their networks.

3. Capacity Building and Stakeholder Engagement: A portion of the funding will be allocated towards capacity building initiatives, training, and stakeholder engagement activities to ensure effective utilization and understanding of the MoP's content.

4. Leveraging Partner Expertise: The partner will provide 25% in-kind support in the form of expertise, time consulting with MCC staff and country teams, authorship, and committee contributions for developing the MoP. These resources will contribute to the development and validation of methodologies outlined in the MoP as well as dissemination of learnings and manual itself.

5. Excluded from Implementation Competition: This stage does not involve the implementation of projects; hence, the partner's role in the due diligence or compact development stage will not necessarily lead to a subsequent implementation competition. This initial phase is focused on knowledge generation and sharing rather than the direct execution of projects. Any future steps for implementation will be determined based on the outcomes of the MoP's development phase.

Cost Share Requirement: The partnership between MCC and the accrediting or standards agency in civil engineering requires a minimum 25% cost-share contribution from the partner. This cost-share can be fulfilled through the partner's own resources, expertise, time consulting with MCC staff and country teams, authorship, and co-chairing committees involved in developing the Manual of Practice (MoP) for NbS in engineering. The in-kind contributions from the partner, as agreed upon, will be considered as a valuable contribution towards the development, review, and refinement of the MoP.

The cost-share requirement ensures a collaborative and shared commitment towards achieving the partnership's objectives, leveraging the strengths and resources of both parties to create impactful and sustainable outcomes.

COST SHARE REQUIREMENT

To be eligible for award, non-profit entities applying under this NOFO Opportunity must commit a minimum 25% Cost Share of the total Federal funding amount.

To be eligible for award, for-profit entities applying under this NOFO Opportunity must commit a 1:1 match ratio (100% Cost Share) based on the total Federal funding amount (i.e., the for-profit entity must match or exceed the Federal funding amount on a dollar-for-dollar basis).

B. FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

B.1. ANTICIPATED NUMBER AND TYPE OF AWARDS

MCC expects that it will primarily issue cooperative agreements as a result of this NOFO; however, MCC reserves the right to issue grants if appropriate to the specific partnership opportunity. The actual number of assistance awards, if any, issued under this NOFO is subject to the number of partnership opportunities, the availability of funds, as well as the viability of full applications received. There is no predefined minimum or maximum number of awards MCC will issue via this APS. MCC reserves the right to not award any cooperative agreements or grants if that is determined to be in the best interest of the

USG.

B.2 ANTICIPATED PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE FOR NEW AWARDS

It is expected that awards resulting from this APS will have a period of performance from 12 to 60+ months. Concept papers must be submitted by the established due date indicated in Section A.6.

Complete applications must be submitted by the mutually agreed upon due date identified in Stage III of the APS process.

When feasible, it is MCC’s goal to make awards within the same fiscal year an opportunity statement is advertised. Concept papers and/or applications received under this APS, but unable to be negotiated and awarded prior to the end of the fiscal year in which they are received, may be considered for award within the following fiscal year, subject to continued availability of funds.

B.3. SUBSTANTIAL INVOLVEMENT

Should a cooperative agreement be selected as the appropriate mechanism, MCC’s involvement during the implementation of the award will be mutually-defined during the co-creation process. In general, however, MCC’s role will be to assist the recipient in achieving the supported objectives of the agreement.

B.4. ANTICIPATED AWARD BUDGETS

The budget for each award issued under this NOFO will be discussed and negotiated during the co-creation phase based on the nature and scope of the proposed partnership opportunity. During the FY18 APS cycle, MCC made seven (7) awards ranging from approximately $30,000 to $1,500,000 in Federal funding (i.e., not including cost share); the average amount of Federal funding was approximately $600,000. See Section H.1 for additional background information on MCC’s FY18 APS. MCC may share our initial federal budget for some, but not all, programs. See Section A.6.

C. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

C.1. ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

Eligible applicants that may participate in this NOFO include but are not limited to:

• U.S.-based organizations

• Non-U.S.-based organizations

• For-profit entities

• Non-profit entities

An individual cannot apply as an applicant for MCC funding under this APS.

U.S. Government agencies (Federal, state and local) and host country government entities are not eligible to apply for MCC funding under this APS, neither as a prime nor as a consortium member.

Furthermore, cost applications may not contain level of effort or other related costs for host country government staff.

All applicants must be legally recognized organizational entities under applicable law. In order to be eligible to receive U.S. Government funding, organizations must meet certain requirements. While these requirements do not have to be met in order to submit a concept paper under the APS, they will need to be met if the applicant is requested to submit a full application. Details of these requirements can be found under Section D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION below.

Public or government entities of current MCC partner countries, including Millennium Challenge Accounts (MCAs), are not eligible for award consideration under this APS. However, government entities of MCC partner countries may become eligible after their Compact/Threshold Program has been formally closed for at least one year before the Phase I Concept Papers are due.

There is no limitation to the number of concept papers an applicant may submit under this APS.

C.2. COST SHARE OR MATCHING

Cost sharing or matching refers to the resources a recipient contributes to the total cost of an agreement, the portion of project or program costs not borne by the U.S. Government. Cost share may either be cash or in-kind contributions. Once committed to providing cost share and incorporation into an agreement's approved budget, the recipient is required to provide documentation showing that this obligation is met successfully. Cost Share/Matching funds proposed under this APS are pursuant to the uniform guidance under 2 CFR §200.306 – Cost sharing or matching.

Proposed cost sharing shall be used for the accomplishment of program objectives and shall consist of allowable costs under the applicable USG cost principles. Applicants invited to submit a cost application under Stage III – Application must identify in the budget submission, a separate budget category supported by detailed line items for the cost share. Information regarding the proposed cost share should be included in the SF-424 and the Budget and Budget Notes in compliance with the cost application instructions specified under Section D. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION.

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