Elevating Local Organizations for Sustainable Global Impact

MarketEdge bridges the gap between USAID, implementing partners (IPs), and local actors by facilitating engagement for local organizations and strengthening high-impact local partners to drive sustainable, collaborative solutions. This shift goes beyond reallocating funds: MarketEdge 1) helps USAID and IPs refine their approach to engaging and managing risks with local partners, and 2) accelerates the capabilities of local organizations, equipping them with the skills and authority to achieve impactful, market-driven outcomes. This balanced approach ensures both sides meet in the middle, generating measurable business and development ROIs through mutually beneficial partnerships.

Accelerating Long-term Capacity Strengthening of Local Organizations

MarketEdge’s Local Engagement and Resilience Accelerator (LERA) drives systemic change by sourcing, strengthening, and scaling market-based solutions across sectors, ultimately reducing long-term reliance on donor funding.

Sourcing: MarketEdge transforms USAID and IP engagement by sourcing and mapping local organizations to identify promising partners, manage risks, and evaluate USAID readiness alongside organizational viability and market value. We find that USAID readiness is often highest among organizations with a strong value proposition and well-developed operational systems. To assess these capabilities, we focus on three key areas: (1) USAID Readiness, including NUPAS requirements, (2) Operational and Financial Viability, and (3) Market Value. Our unique bi-directional self-assessment with PartnerAI tool (see text box) enables local partners to immediately evaluate, learn, and strengthen their own capacities. For select partners, we conduct in-depth 1:1 sessions to align on long-term goals and prioritize investments that build both viability and USAID readiness. MarketEdge also leads open innovation challenges, designed to attract non-traditional, innovative organizations through a collaborative ecosystem, streamlined applications, sponsored partnerships, and dynamic 'shark-tank' events to source the best solutions.

Strengthening: Our team understands that USAID’s investments in local systems are only effective if organizations can sustain themselves without ongoing donor support. After selecting local organizations for acceleration—whether through Pay4Results grants or tailored technical assistance—we use co-creation principles to identify needs collaboratively. Our inductive and collaborative approach ensures local actors define their priorities for sustainable growth and impact. We provide hands-on support and coaching, fostering open collaboration throughout the process. For specific needs, such as enhancing a partner’s marketing strategy, we bring in external vendors like local PR firms. Treating local partners as clients, we continuously assess satisfaction and impact to ensure our support aligns with their strategic goals.

Shifting: MarketEdge is committed to driving sustainable growth for local organizations and fostering systemic change across the entire development ecosystem. We facilitate peer exchanges among innovators, partner with business associations to champion breakthrough solutions, and mitigate risks to help large companies test and integrate local, enterprise-driven solutions into their supply chains. Through co-creation workshops, we align the interests of USAID, local partners, and major American companies, unlocking market-based solutions to address complex development challenges.

Our Current Partners

Foundations for Development Management (FDM)

FDM is Nepal's premier research, monitoring and evaluation (M&E), capacity building and institutional development firm.

M-Vector

M-Vector is a leading Central Asian research and consulting agency with offices in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

Orient Integrated Development Consultants Incorporated.

OIDCI is a Philippine-based consulting firm with a proven track record in integrated area and rural development, environment and natural resource management, governance, and institutional development.

Project Development Consultancy (PDC)

PDC is an Eastern and Southern Caribbean (ESC) research, development and data management company based in Guyana.

Sambodhi Research and Communications

Sambodhi is one of India's leading firms in customized solutions for monitoring and evaluation, research, and analytics

STECIA Consulting

North African consulting firm based in Tunisia that specializes in the analysis and development of agri-food value chains.

Mwenezi Development Training Centre (MDTC)

A Zimbabwean community-driven NGO focused on food security, access to information, technical and entrepreneurial skills, and gainful employment, ensuring that all people live in dignity and security.

Mwenezi Development Training Centre (MDTC), Zimbabwe

“Your approach to capacity assessment and capacity building is awesome. MDTC is still benefiting from the skills that you taught us. Due to your support, we presented our new strategic direction to our annual general meeting and are in the final stages of finalizing our new strategic plan.”