In response to these dual legislative mandates, the SBA decided to forego establishing separate mentor-protege programs for WOSBs, SDVOSBs and HUBZone programs, and instead opened its mentor-protege program to all small businesses, regardless of socioeconomic designation.Īlthough separate programs, the 8(a) Mentor-Protege and All Small Mentor-Protege programs essentially share the same goals and member benefits. Second, under Section 1641 of the National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2013, Congress authorized the SBA to establish another mentor-protege program - similar in scope to the 8(a) program - for all small businesses. In light of the successes of the 8(a) Mentor-Protege Program, Congress passed subsequent legislation expanding the scope of this SBA program.įirst, under the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010, the SBA was authorized to create new mentor-protege programs for women-owned small businesses, or WOSBs, service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses, or SDVOSBs, and historically underutilized business zone, or HUBZone, programs. The older of the two programs, the 8(a) Mentor-Protege Program, was established in July 1998 with the stated purpose of utilizing mentors to assist in the development of 8(a) firms and to “improve ability to successfully compete for contracts” by providing various forms of technical, management, or financial assistance.”Īs the designation of this program implies, only a narrow subset of small-business contractors - i.e., those contractors who meet the SBA’s 8(a) program eligibility requirements - are eligible to participate in the program. The highlight of the proposed rule for many is the welcome consolidation of the two existing mentor‑protege programs into one. In addition, the SBA will hold a series of tribal consultation meetings around the country throughout January to address the potential impact of the proposed rule on Native American-owned corporations, Alaska Native corporations and Native Hawaiian organizations. The SBA is accepting comments on the proposed rule on or before Jan. The removal of this procedural hurdle - along with a variety of other proposed changes discussed below - may signal a favorable sea change in small-business teaming.īelow, we’ve provided a short history of the SBA’s mentor-protege programs and summarized key aspects of the proposed rule that will likely be of interest to all federal contractors - from large and small entities to Native American-owned, Alaska Native corporations and Native Hawaiian organizations. Teaming relationships are also addressed in the relief offered by the proposed rule for three-time contract award-winning joint ventures who would be freed from the burden of needing to form identical joint ventures to compete for new contracts. This proposed merger is welcome news for small-business contractors, as navigating the various requirements of the two current SBA mentor-protege programs can be confusing and burdensome. Small Business Administration issued a proposed rule announcing its intent to merge its 8(a) Business Development and “All Small” Mentor-Protege programs, in addition to, inter alia, proposing revisions to some of its size and socioeconomic status recertification requirements. Federal contractors can finally look forward to simplified small-business mentor-protege programs, but also must become keenly aware of wide-ranging changes affecting certain 8(a) business development and Native American-owned programs, new recertification requirements for certain multiple award contracts, or MACs, and small-business joint ventures.
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