Government Agency Small Business / Mentor Protégé Programs (MPP)

The first two posts in this three part series discussed small business mentoring and development programs available through private industry and several professional associations in the construction industry.  The focus of this post as the finale is to provide an overview of mentoring programs available through government agencies.  Most government agencies have a Mentor-Protégé program that encourages agreements between large and small business prime contractors and eligible small business protégés.  Mentor-Protégé Programs are designed to motivate and encourage firms to assist small businesses with business development.  Also, many of the agency MPP websites include links to:

• The necessary documents for applying
• An overview of the application process
• Benefits to the mentor and protégé
• Lists of existing mentors, portages, and/or current program agreements

Please refer to the list at the end of acronyms and terms.

Small Business Administration 8(a) MPP

The 8(a) Business Development (BD) MPP is designed to enable successful firms to provide various forms of business development assistance. The goal of the 8(a) BD Mentor-Protégé Program is to enhance the capability of 8(a) Program Participants to be competitive and achieve entrepreneurial success.

Protégé Requirements	Mentor Qualifications
Must be an 8(a) BD program member and in good standing.	Must possess favorable financial health, including profitability for two years.
Must not have received an 8(a) contract previously.	Must possess good character.
Must meet certain size restrictions (see the SBA’s website for details).	Must not appear on the federal list of debarred or suspended contractors.
	Must be able to impart value to the protégé through practical experience gained through the 8(a) program.

See CFR 124.520 “What are the rules governing SBA’s Mentor/Protégé program?” for additional information.

Department of Defense (DOD)

The DoD MPP assists small businesses (protégés) to successfully compete for prime contract and subcontract awards by partnering with large companies (mentors) under individual, project-based agreements.  There are two types of agreements under the DoD program: Direct Reimbursement and Credit (refer to the website for additional information.

Protégé Requirements	Mentor Qualifications
A qualifying organization employing the severely disabled.	The Mentor firm must be currently performing under at least one active approved subcontracting plan negotiated with DoD or another Federal agency pursuant to FAR 19.702.
WOSB	Eligible for the award of Federal contracts.
HUBZone	New Mentor Applications must be approved and may be submitted to and approved by the OSBP of the cognizant Military Service or Defense Agency (if concurrently submitting a reimbursable Agreement) or to the DoD OSBP office prior to the submission of an Agreement.
SDB
SDVOSB
A businesses that are owned and controlled by an Indian tribe or a Native Hawaiian organization.

Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)

The purpose of the VA MPP is to provide developmental assistance to Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses and Veteran-Owned Small Businesses that will enhance their capabilities to perform as prime contractors and subcontractors on VA procurements.  If you are interested in applying, the VA program only accepts applications during specified open enrollment periods; refer to the website periodically for updates and announcements.

Protégé Requirements	Mentor Qualifications
Limited to protégés that provide goods or services the VA procures.	May be small or large business and either a prime or subcontractor.
Protégés must be verified by CVE as a VOSB or SDVOSB and maintain their status.	Must be able to provide appropriate developmental assistance.
VOSB or SDVOSB	Financial capacity to provide development assistance to the protégé.
Limited to one VA mentor at a time.

 

General Services Administration (GSA)

GSA’s MPP is designed to encourage and motivate GSA prime contractors to assist small businesses and enhance their capability of performing successfully on GSA contracts and subcontracts. The goal is to increase the overall number of small businesses receiving GSA prime contract and subcontract awards, resulting from mentorship and refined business practices.

Protégé Requirements	Mentor Qualifications
To be eligible for selection as a protégé, your small business can qualify by simply being a small business (SB, SDB, WOSB, HUBZone, VOSB, SDVOSB).	Must be a prime contractor on a GSA Schedule or GSA contracting vehicle, such as a BPA, IDIQ, or GWAC.  If your business is large, that vehicle must include an approved subcontracting plan as required by FAR 19.7
Your business must meet the definition of a small business concern outlined at FAR 19.001. Per this regulation, it is the Small Business Administration that establishes small business size standards on an industry-by-industry basis.	As a mentor, you must be able to guarantee that you can provide developmental assistance to enhance the capabilities of protégés to perform as Contractors, Subcontractors, and /or Suppliers
	A small business prime contractor is NOT required to have an approved subcontracting plan in place to qualify as a mentor.

Department of State

The DoS MPP is designed to motivate and encourage large business prime contractor firms to provide mutually beneficial developmental assistance to SBs, VOSBs, SDVOSBs, HUBZone small businesses, SDBs, and WOSBs.  The program is formulated to foster the establishment of successful long-term business relationships between State Department, large prime contractors and small business subcontractors thereby improving the performance of both.  The program is intended to strengthen subcontracting opportunities and accomplishments at the State Department.

Protégé Requirements	Mentor Qualifications
Small in the NAICS code for the services or supplies to be provided by the protégé to the mentor	Capable of providing appropriate developmental assistance to enhance the capabilities of protégés to perform as contractors and/or subcontractors.
An SB, HUBZone, SDB, WOSB, VOSB, or SDVOSB as those terms are defined in FAR 2.101	May be either a large or small business
Protégés may have multiple mentors. Protégés participating in mentor-protégé programs in addition to DoS’s program should maintain a system for preparing separate reports of mentoring activity for each agency’s program.	Will be encouraged to enter into arrangements with protégés and firms with whom they have established business relationships
	Mentors may have multiple protégés. However, the DoS reserves the right to limit the total number of protégés participating under each mentor firm for the Mentor Protégé Program

Other Agency Programs

Agency	Link
Department of Homeland Security (DHS)	http://goo.gl/56E8mK
Department of Energy	http://goo.gl/QuPqMX
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)	http://goo.gl/HQBxMf
Department of Treasury	http://goo.gl/BvPwl4
Federal Aviation Administration	http://goo.gl/mzAChH
NASA	http://goo.gl/3Fnncx
USAID	http://goo.gl/Tdy6zm

Acronyms and Terms

CVE – Center for Veterans Enterprise

FAR – Federal Acquisition Regulations

HUBZone – HUBZone Small Business

MPP – Mentor-Protégé Program

NAICS – North American Industry Classification System

OSBP – Office of Small Business Programs

PTAC – Procurement Technical Assistance Center

SDB – Small Disadvantaged Business

SDVOSB – Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business

VOSB – Veteran Owned Small Business

WOSB – Women Owned Small Business