Mentor Protégé Program Broad Agency Announcement

The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) has issued a Broad Agency Announcement for its Mentor Protégé Program, soliciting eligible mentor and protégé firms to participate in the Department of Defense's permanent Mentor-Protégé Program. This two-step open solicitation seeks to enhance small business capabilities in key MDA mission areas including hypersonic systems, quantum science, radar upgrades, missile defense systems, and innovation collaborations through technical and business development assistance. Mentor firms must propose developmental assistance where at least 50 percent of costs are dedicated to engineering and technical assistance, with the remainder supporting general business development for protégé companies. White papers will be evaluated based on technical merit, importance to agency programs, and cost considerations, with successful submissions advancing to the formal proposal stage. The solicitation period runs from August 30, 2025, through August 30, 2028, with white papers currently being accepted and formal proposals only requested after initial screening.

This opportunity does not utilize any set-aside designations and will be administered through the DoD Office of Small Business Programs Mentor Protégé Program Intermediary, Move America, Inc., which will establish sub-awards based on MDA selections. Individual awards are structured as cost-reimbursement agreements that will not exceed $1,000,000 per government fiscal year, with typical awards averaging between $500,000 and $750,000. The program anticipates multiple awards throughout the three-year solicitation period, focusing on reimbursable agreements that provide incentives for major DoD contractors to support smaller protégé firms. White paper submissions are limited to 15 pages and will undergo initial pass/fail screening for program eligibility before detailed evaluation. The initiative represents MDA's commitment to developing the small business industrial base while advancing critical missile defense technologies and capabilities.