GDA Business Model

Business Model For Public-Private Partnerships

USAID's Global Development Alliance (GDA) is the premiere model for public-private partnerships, helping to significantly expand and deepen the impact of development assistance by linking U.S. foreign assistance with the resources, expertise, and creativity of private sector partners. This innovative approach to partnership enables alliance partners -- corporations, foundations, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) -- to bring their strongest assets to bear to address jointly defined challenges to the long-term economic and social development of some of the world's poorest countries. Through this multi-stakeholder approach, we address issues and achieve solutions that no single actor could hope to tackle alone.

Ten years after launching this unique GDA partnership model, USAID has established itself as the global leader in alliance building. Since 2001, USAID has formed more than 1,000 alliances with over 3,000 distinct partners to leverage billions in combined public and private resources. Across nearly every industry and sector, USAID is working in partnership with both global and local corporations to increase our reach and the effectiveness of development projects.

Of course, partnerships are not a novel approach to development. Throughout USAID's history, there have been a number of examples of joint projects where government agencies and individual companies teamed up to support educational initiatives, deliver healthcare or address environmental concerns. But what makes for real development progress is sustainability and scalability. Against this backdrop, what makes the Global Development Alliance partnership model particularly successful and distinctive from other approaches is our focus on these elements.

Over the past decade, we've learned that to achieve this, alliances must have a strong connection to the core business mission around which any successful private company is built. More than just philanthropy or corporate social responsibility, our model of partnership relies upon market-based solutions to advance broader development objectives. When successful, the resulting alliances are both sustainable and have greater impact providing opportunity for social and economic growth.

To learn more about the GDA Business Model, see the Frequently Asked Questions.