DoD Mentor-Protege Program

The Department of Defense (DoD), Mentor Protege Program was established in October 1991 to expand and enhance small business participation in DoD contracting opportunities and expand the technical capabilities, capacity and overall growth of socio-ec

This listing serves US Industrial Base, Academia (Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority Serving Institutions), Social Economic Small Businesses (SBDs, WOSBs, SDVOSBs, HUBZones, Native American Businesses, and Entities that employ the severely disabled, Small Business Development Centers, APEX Accelerators (formerly Procurement Technical Assistance Centers),

Eligibility criteria for this assistance: 1. Small Disadvantaged Businesses (owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals) 2. Women-Owned Small Businesses 3. Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses 4. Historically Underutilized Business Zone Businesses 5. Native Hawaiian Organization, Native American Tribe 6. A small business concern that is a non traditional defense contractor or currently provides goods or services in the private sector that are critical to enhancing the capabilities of the defense supplier base and fulfilling key Department of Defense needs 7. DoD approved Mentor Companies

Mentor-Protege application that describes in detail the developmental assistance that will be provided to the protege firm. Included should be a detailed cost breakdown of the developmental assistance being offered as well as timeline. An example application is available at http://www.Business.Defense.gov

see description in Overview

Funding is available at any time during the Government fiscal year. Performance participation is on average up to 3 years. Awards are annually funded incrementally up to a 12 month period of performance for each performance timeframe. Recent legislation codified the program permanently after 30+ years as a pilot program. Assistance in this program is awarded incrementally for each approved mentor-protege agreement.

Before a mentor-protege application can be considered, the mentor firm must first apply and be approved as a mentor in the Program. Application via the MPP Portal available at Business.Defense.gov

Eligible applicants will respond to assistance opportunity announcements and adhere to the guidance issued under that announcement (issued via a DoD Contracting Activity) and apply with a proposal for a mentor protege agreement through the DoD Office of Small Business Programs or one of the other DoD Components for approval.

1. A call for mentor protege proposals will be announced 2. Assistance is awarded through DoD Contracting Activity 3. Approval is received from DoD Office of Small Business Programs and/or other DoD Components 4. Assistance is awarded as a cost reimbursement to the mentor firm

Extensions must be justified and requested through the approval Component and the DoD Office of Small Business Programs not to exceed a total period of performance of 5 years. A clear detail of additional assistance being provided is required along with detailed costs and timelines. Additional funding may be sought not more than $1M per year.

Because the approval is performed at DoD Component levels guidance pertaining to appeals/reworks/resubmissions are determined by their individual funding announcements.