Opportunity Information: Apply for MCC 16 RFA 0001
The Data for Local Impact Innovation Challenge Project is a Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) funding opportunity that seeks an East Africa based organization, legally registered and operating with a functioning office in either Tanzania or Kenya, to provide technical assistance through a cooperative agreement. The award is framed as the first announcement under a broader initiative called the Data Collaboratives for Local Impact Umbrella Program, which is designed to strengthen how data is accessed, combined, and used to drive practical decisions and measurable results at national and especially local levels. While the umbrella program includes multiple related investments, this solicitation is specifically for the Innovation Challenge component only, meaning applicants are asked to apply to run and support the challenge mechanism rather than the other program elements.
At the center of this opportunity is the creation and operation of a flexible platform, both online and operational, that can repeatedly run competitive funding rounds during the year. MCC describes these rounds as two to three "challenge windows" annually, with awards structured as grants and/or success-contingent prizes. These competitions would vary by theme and are intentionally limited to local, in-country groups, collaborations, and organizations, with the goal of surfacing and supporting homegrown problem-solvers rather than externally led teams. The intent is to identify, engage, and connect local innovators, entrepreneurs, advocates, and South-to-South collaborators who can help unlock existing datasets, address critical data gaps, and strengthen the overall data ecosystem in ways that align with local, subnational, and national priorities. The challenge is also expected to respond to select requirements tied to MCCs broader data collaboration work and the DREAMS partnership referenced in the notice.
Although applicants are only competing to support the Innovation Challenge, the opportunity is explicitly positioned as part of an interconnected three-part investment package. The second component, described for context, is a Tanzania Data Collaborative (the "Co-Lab"), envisioned as a physical venue and enabling technology platform where stakeholders can share, combine, and use data from multiple sectors and sources. This Co-Lab is meant to anchor the overall umbrella program in Tanzania by connecting national and subnational objectives with Tanzanian national priorities and global commitments, while building practical capacity so that open data and analytics become more routine inputs into government and stakeholder decision-making. The third component, still under development at the time of the notice, is Subnational Data Collaboratives focused on improving the ability of district or county institutions to produce actionable local data and increase participation by citizens, civil society organizations, infomediaries, and small and medium enterprises in using data to improve services and outcomes. MCC highlights that subnational areas often face the largest data gaps and receive less investment, even though decentralization trends make local decision-making increasingly important for real-world impact.
From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is listed as discretionary funding with a cooperative agreement as the instrument type, categorized under community development (CFDA 85.002). The funding opportunity number is MCC 16 RFA 0001, originally posted on 2015-11-20, with an original closing date of 2016-01-25. The notice lists an award ceiling of up to USD 4,000,000. In practical terms, a successful applicant would be expected to play the role of an implementing technical partner that can design and manage repeated challenge cycles, administer prize or grant processes, and build the supporting systems needed to identify local solutions that expand data availability and use while reinforcing broader data collaboration efforts in the region.Apply for MCC 16 RFA 0001
- The Millennium Challenge Corporation in the community development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Data for Local Impact Innovation Challenge Project" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 85.002.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2015-11-20.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2016-01-25. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $4,000,000.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Others.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1) What is the Data for Local Impact Innovation Challenge Project?
The Data for Local Impact Innovation Challenge Project is a Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) funding opportunity to select an East Africa based organization to provide technical assistance through a cooperative agreement. The selected organization would create and operate a platform that runs repeated competitive funding rounds (the "Innovation Challenge") intended to support locally led data solutions in Tanzania and/or Kenya.
2) Who is offering this funding opportunity?
The opportunity is offered by the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC).
3) What is the broader initiative this opportunity sits under?
This solicitation is described as the first announcement under a broader initiative called the Data Collaboratives for Local Impact Umbrella Program. The umbrella program is designed to strengthen how data is accessed, combined, and used to drive practical decisions and measurable results at national and especially local levels.
4) Is this solicitation for the entire umbrella program?
No. The solicitation is specifically for the Innovation Challenge component only. Applicants are being asked to apply to run and support the challenge mechanism, not to implement the other umbrella program elements described for context.
5) What type of applicant is MCC looking for?
MCC seeks an East Africa based organization that is legally registered and operating with a functioning office in either Tanzania or Kenya.
6) Where must the organization be based to be eligible?
The organization must be East Africa based, legally registered, and operating with a functioning office in either Tanzania or Kenya.
7) What is the main goal of the Innovation Challenge?
The main goal is to identify, engage, and connect local innovators and organizations that can unlock existing datasets, address critical data gaps, and strengthen the overall data ecosystem in ways that align with local, subnational, and national priorities.
8) What would the selected organization actually do?
The selected organization would act as an implementing technical partner responsible for designing and managing repeated challenge cycles, administering prize and/or grant processes, and building the systems needed to run the Innovation Challenge throughout the year.
9) How often are challenge rounds expected to run?
MCC describes running two to three competitive "challenge windows" annually.
10) What kind of funding would be awarded through the challenge windows?
Awards under the challenge windows are expected to be structured as grants and/or success-contingent prizes.
11) Who can compete for awards in the challenge windows?
The competitions are intentionally limited to local, in-country groups, collaborations, and organizations. The purpose is to support homegrown problem-solvers rather than externally led teams.
12) What kinds of participants does MCC want the challenge to surface and support?
The challenge is intended to identify and engage local innovators, entrepreneurs, advocates, and South-to-South collaborators who can contribute to improved data access and use.
13) What kinds of problems or activities is the Innovation Challenge meant to address?
The Innovation Challenge is meant to support efforts that unlock existing datasets, fill critical data gaps, and strengthen the regional data ecosystem so that data is more available and more routinely used for practical decision-making and measurable results.
14) Will challenge topics be the same each time?
No. The competitions are expected to vary by theme across different challenge windows.
15) Does the Innovation Challenge have to align with government priorities?
Yes. The notice emphasizes alignment with local, subnational, and national priorities, and positions the challenge within broader efforts aimed at improving how data supports decision-making and results at multiple levels.
16) How does this Innovation Challenge relate to MCCs broader data collaboration work?
The notice states that the challenge is expected to respond to select requirements tied to MCCs broader data collaboration work and the DREAMS partnership referenced in the notice.
17) What is the award instrument type for this opportunity?
The instrument type is a cooperative agreement.
18) What does it mean that this is a cooperative agreement?
The notice identifies the instrument as a cooperative agreement and frames the work as technical assistance and implementation support for a repeated challenge mechanism. (No additional administrative details beyond that are provided in the description.)
19) What is the funding category and CFDA listing?
The opportunity is categorized under community development and is listed as CFDA 85.002.
20) Is this a discretionary funding opportunity?
Yes. The notice lists the opportunity as discretionary funding.
21) What is the funding opportunity number?
The funding opportunity number is MCC 16 RFA 0001.
22) What is the award ceiling?
The notice lists an award ceiling of up to USD 4,000,000.
23) When was the opportunity posted and when was it originally due?
The opportunity was originally posted on 2015-11-20, with an original closing date of 2016-01-25.
24) What role does the online and operational platform play?
The selected organization is expected to create and operate a flexible platform, both online and operational, that can repeatedly run competitive funding rounds during the year.
25) What does MCC mean by a "flexible platform" in this context?
Based on the notice, it refers to a system (digital and operational) capable of running multiple competitive challenge windows per year, administering grants and/or success-contingent prizes, and supporting ongoing identification and support of local solutions.
26) Is this opportunity connected to other investments?
Yes. Although this solicitation is only for the Innovation Challenge, it is positioned as part of an interconnected three-part investment package under the umbrella program.
27) What are the other two components mentioned under the umbrella program?
The notice describes (for context) a second component called the Tanzania Data Collaborative (the "Co-Lab") and a third component called Subnational Data Collaboratives (still under development at the time of the notice).
28) What is the Tanzania Data Collaborative (Co-Lab), as described in the notice?
The Co-Lab is envisioned as a physical venue and enabling technology platform in Tanzania where stakeholders can share, combine, and use data from multiple sectors and sources. It is intended to help connect national and subnational objectives with Tanzanian national priorities and global commitments, while building capacity so open data and analytics are more routinely used in decision-making.
29) What are Subnational Data Collaboratives, as described in the notice?
They are described as a future set of investments focused on improving the ability of district or county institutions to produce actionable local data and increasing participation by citizens, civil society organizations, infomediaries, and small and medium enterprises in using data to improve services and outcomes.
30) Why does the notice emphasize subnational and local levels?
The notice highlights that subnational areas often face the largest data gaps and receive less investment, even as decentralization trends make local decision-making increasingly important for real-world impact.
31) Does applying to this solicitation mean you are applying to run the Co-Lab or the Subnational Data Collaboratives?
No. This solicitation asks applicants to apply to run and support the Innovation Challenge mechanism only. The Co-Lab and Subnational Data Collaboratives are included for context as part of the broader umbrella program.
32) What is MCC looking for the Innovation Challenge to achieve in practical terms?
In practical terms, MCC expects the implementing partner to run repeated competitive cycles that identify and support local solutions that expand data availability and use, while reinforcing broader data collaboration efforts in the region.
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