8 Mentor-provided assistance can be sought for any or all of the
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LOCAL & FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
following activities:
• Management and technical assistance: internal
business management systems, accounting processes,
marketing and business/strategic planning assistance,
technology transfers, and manufacturing assistance
• Financial assistance: equity investments and loans, as
well as bonding
• Contracting assistance: contracting processes,
capabilities, acquisitions, and performance
• Trade education: international trade business and
strategic planning, finding markets, and learning how
to export
• Business development assistance: strategy, and
identifying contracting and partnership opportunities
• General and administrative assistance: business
processes and support, human resource sharing,
security clearance support, and capacity building
The purpose of the mentor-protégé relationship is to
enhance the capabilities of the protégé, assist the protégé
with meeting the goals established in its SBA-approved
business plan, and improve the protégé’s ability to
successfully compete for contracts.
Detailed information about the All Small Mentor-Protégé
Program and its many benefits can be found at sba.gov/
federal-contracting/contracting-assistance-programs/allsmall
mentor-protege-program.
ELIGIBILITY
• Protégé must qualify as small for the size standard
corresponding to its primary or secondary NAICS code(s)
and identify that it is seeking business development
assistance under that specific secondary code.
• Protégé must be an organized for-profit.
• Protégé must have a place of business located in the
United States, operate primarily within the U.S., or
make significant contributions to the U.S. economy
through the payment of taxes or use of American
products, materials, or labor.
• Mentors must be able to demonstrate that they
can fulfill their obligations under the mentorprotégé
agreement (MPA) and that they are a
federal contractor in good standing with the
U.S. government.
• Mentors cannot appear on the federal list of debarred
or suspended contractor firms, and must disclose any
other MPAs with other federal agencies.
• Mentors may be for-profit businesses of any size.
However, if a prospective mentor owns, or plans to
own equity interest in a protégé firm, the amount
cannot exceed 40%.
Applications from prospective participants will only be
accepted using the new online application through certify.
sba.gov. Any application received prior to October 1, 2016, or
received in any other format other than through the certify.
sba.gov web portal will not be considered.
MENTOR-PROTÉGÉ PROGRAM
Beginning October 1, 2016 the Mentor-Protégé Program is
open to all small businesses, not just 8(a). Learn more at
bit.ly/sbaprotege.
PROCUREMENT CENTER REPRESENTATIVES (PCRS)
Located at various SBA area offices, PCRs help small
businesses in obtaining federal contracts by initiating
small business set-asides, reserving procurement for
competition among small business firms, providing small
business sources to federal buying activities, and counseling
small firms. For more information, contact your local
PCR office by searching the online directory at sba.gov/
federal-contracting/counseling-help/procurement-centerrepresentative
directory.
WASHINGTON DC METROPOLITAN AREA
U.S. SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
409 3rd Street, SW, Floor 2, Washington, DC 20416
(202) 205-8800 · sba.gov/dc
/sba.gov
/sba.gov
/sba.gov
/sba.gov
/dc