WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Agency for International Development and HP today announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that is intended to help both organizations address urgent needs of the world's poorest people. USAID and HP will seek to collaborate on projects that promote science, technology, engineering, and mathematics programs, global health, the development of responsible mineral trading systems and other programs that support economic opportunity through entrepreneurship.

"Partnerships at USAID are more than just the dollars leveraged," said Dr. Maura O'Neill, USAID Chief Innovation Officer. "They provide access to expertise, technologies and innovations found in the private sector, which when combined with USAID's technical expertise and in-country knowledge, often result in high-impact development projects that can be sustained long after public funding ends. This MOU is an example of our commitment to integrating public-private partnerships into development," O'Neill said.

"HP's approach to corporate social responsibility is grounded in the belief that corporate success and social contribution are interdependent. We share USAID's commitment to public-private collaboration as it represents a sustainable high-impact approach to international development," said Gabi Zedlmayer, Vice President of Global Social Innovation, HP. "As a result of this Memorandum of Understanding, HP, in collaboration with USAID, will be able to apply technology in new and powerful ways to improve education, health and quality of life in more communities around the world."

As the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) recently proclaimed in a peer review of U.S. foreign assistance, USAID has been a global leader in the realm of public-private partnerships. Since the creation of the Global Development Alliance ten years ago, USAID has established more than 1,000 partnerships that helped produce cost- efficient development outcomes impacting the lives of millions of people around the world.

More information about HP (NYSE: HPQ) is available at www.hp.com.

For more information about USAID’s programs, please visit www.usaid.gov.