The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) is offering this RFI to solicit ideas for the El Salvador Investment Challenge (ESIC).

BACKGROUND
The Millennium Challenge Corporation (“MCC”) is a U.S. government corporation whose mission is to reduce poverty through economic growth in countries that are committed to good governance, economic freedom, and investments in people. In December 2011 and December 2012, El Salvador was declared eligible by MCC’s Board of Directors for a second Millennium Challenge Compact to reduce poverty through economic growth in El Salvador (the “Compact”).

As part of the proposal for the Compact, the Government of El Salvador (the “Government”) has launched the El Salvador Investment Challenge (“ESIC”). The purpose of the ESIC is to invest in public projects that catalyze private investments in tradeable goods and services thereby generating economic growth and poverty reduction. The first phase of the ESIC is a competitive call-for-ideas that would catalyze investments in El Salvador through public-private partnerships, whereby private entities identify public or quasi-public infrastructure and services that are necessary to support private investments aimed at increasing productivity and trade of goods and services in El Salvador. There is no maximum financing that may be sought under ESIC, but for references purposes, awards are expected to range from US$100,000 to $6 million and are only available to fund public or quasi-public infrastructure or services which directly support private investments. The private investment must exceed the amount of the grant (e.g., exceeds 1:1 private to public investment), and will be subject an Economic Rate of Return (ERR) analysis.

OBJECTIVE
The objective of this Request for Information (RFI) is to solicit Expressions of Interest from prospective investors for the ESIC public-private partnership program. There is no funding opportunity for this activity yet. The MCC will evaluate expressions of interest submitted prior to the RFI deadline in accordance with the SOW and Project Profile Form to assess the potential and feasibility of a future funding opportunity. The optimum number of funding opportunities, if any, will be determined as a result of the evaluation of the Expression of Interest submittals. If MCC determines that a funding opportunity exists, either the MCC or the Government of El Salvador may contact the applicant directly with a Request for Application.

SUBMITTAL INFORMATION
Prospective applicants are invited to submit an Expression of Interest in response to this RFI by 17:00 Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on Friday, April 26, 2013. Only e-mail requests for additional information, questions, and comments will be accepted at esic@mcc.gov by 17:00 EDT on April 12, 2013. Prospective applicants are responsible for electronically submitting an Expression of Interest, and any modifications or revisions, so as to reach the MCC via the email address above by the deadline on April 26, 2013.

Prospective applicants must provide, as part of their responses, all information concerning the project requirements listed as depicted in the SOW (NOTE: All questions/comments related to the SOW are not subject to the page limitation.)
Please Note: Neither this notice, nor any resulting Expression of Interest submittals, obligates MCC or the Government to award a grant or otherwise pay for the information provided in response. MCC and the Government reserve the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate. Any prospective applicant responding to this notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed to allow MCC and the Government to determine the proponent’s qualifications and the quality of the expression of interest. Prospective applicants are advised that MCC and the Government are under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to prospective applicants with respect to any information submitted.