Reducing Poverty Through Growth

Fact Sheet

April 3, 2008 www.mcc.gov

Private Sector Initiatives: 

MCC’s Gateway to Private Sector Engagement

The goal of Private Sector Initiatives is to increase the level of private sector activity and investment in MCC 

partner countries. If you are interested in collaborating with MCC, please contact the Private Sector Initiatives 

team by email at psi@mcc.gov or by phone at (202) 521-4073.

Investing in Performance

Like any investor, the MCC rewards performance and results. Only the “best of the poorest”—those countries 

that are actively reforming, fighting corruption, helping their people and encouraging business development—

are able to participate. These same characteristics make MCC countries attractive to the private sector. With 

this in mind, MCC organizes a Trade and Investment Seminar in conjunction with each Compact signing and 

conducts private sector outreach with and on behalf of its partner countries throughout the process.

Private Sector Input

When developing MCC-funded programs, recipient countries conduct intensive consultative processes with 

their private sector and civil society to identify key constraints and opportunities for growth. MCC has developed a process for a private sector dialogue to provide a parallel forum for the international private sector to 

identify impediments and potential for their investments. MCC countries then have the opportunity to address 

these constraints through compact programs and encourage domestic and international investment. This input 

could be provided in a number of ways, including seminars, roundtables, one-on-one meetings, and in writing, 

depending on the partner country’s preference.

Procuring Projects from MCC Compacts

There are opportunities for direct engagement with MCC in the Compact development and due diligence phases 

and in Compact programs through procurements in a wide range of activities. The pre-Compact procurements 

are mainly conducted by MCC in Washington. The program procurements in MCC countries are administered 

by country partners who follow MCC Program Procurement Guidelines to competitively select contractors and 

vendors. For more information on procurement opportunities, please visit www.mcc.gov/procurement.
Millennium Challenge Corporation

Fact Sheet: Private Sector Initiatives: MCC’s Gateway to Private Sector Engagement 2

Collaborating with Business

On October 22, 2007, MCC signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Microsoft and other U.S. government agencies to promote international development in areas such as economic growth, health, governance, 

and education. MCC welcomes other MOU opportunities with the private sector that can serve as a framework 

for future projects. MCC has also worked with entities such as the Business Council for International Understanding (BCIU), the Corporate Council on Africa (CCA) and the Business Council for Capacity Building 

(BCCB) on Investment and Procurement Forums. 

MCC is always looking for opportunities to develop public-private collaborations and recognizes the potential 

contributions of a wide range of organizations, including US and non-US private businesses, multinational corporations, small and medium-sized enterprises, business and trade associations, labor unions, foundations, and 

philanthropic leaders, including venture capitalists.

Leveraging Compact Funding

MCC’s partner countries have an opportunity to leverage their Compact grant funding with private sector 

investment and financing. To help its partner countries take advantage of this opportunity, MCC is identifying 

potential innovative and collaborative uses of its grant funding that can make MCC’s investment more sustainable while enhancing both the efficiency and developmental benefits of MCC projects. This could open the door 

to further participation by the business community in investments, financing and trade through mechanisms 

underpinned by Compact funding.