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  2. DoD Mentor Protege Program

DoD Mentor Protege Program

ACON 046
Definition

The purpose of the Program is to—

  1. Provide incentives to major DoD contractors, performing under at least one active approved subcontracting plan negotiated with DoD or another Federal agency, to assist protege firms in enhancing their capabilities to satisfy DoD and other contract and subcontract requirements;
  2. Increase the overall participation of protege firms as subcontractors and suppliers under DoD contracts, other Federal agency contracts, and commercial contracts; and
  3. Foster the establishment of long-term business relationships between protege firms and such contractors.
General Information

DoD’s Mentor-Protégé Program (MPP) is the oldest continuously operating federal mentor-protege program in existence. Originally established in November 1990 as a pilot program, the MPP helps eligible small businesses expand their footprint the defense industrial base by partnering as proteges with large business firms as their mentors. Under the program, eligible companies approved as mentor firms will enter into mentor-protégé agreements with eligible protege firms to provide appropriate developmental assistance to enhance the capabilities of the protege firms to perform as subcontractors and suppliers. Section 856 of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 authorized the DoD Mentor-Protégé Program on a permanent basis. On 26 March 2024, DoD issued a final rule amending the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) to implement a section of the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 that permanently authorizes and modifies the DoD Mentor-Protégé Program.

 

A protégé may have only one mentor during the term of an agreement. However, because the statute allows a protégé firm to participate in the DoD MPP for a 5-year period beginning on the date the protégé firm enters into its first mentor-protégé agreement, a protégé may have more than one mentor during the 5-year period as long as the protégé is not a party to more than one mentor-protégé agreement at a time. As such, a protégé firm under the DoD MPP may still benefit from having more than one mentor during its participation in the program.

 

It is important to understand that DoD’s MPP should not be confused with the All Small Mentor Protege Program (MPP) administered by the Small Business Administration (SBA). Effective August 24, 2016, SBA implemented the All Small MPP for all small businesses which is separate and independent of the DoD MPP. For additional information on the All Small Mentor Protege Program visit the SBA website.

 

DoD’s MPP is administered by the DoD Office of Small Business Programs (OSBP), but executed through participating DoD components. The participating components award contracts to mentor firms to provide for either credit or reimbursement assistance.

 

Each year OSBP honors the participation of its mentor and protege firms through the Nunn-Perry MPP Awards.

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