Email Updates 
Font Size
Print
Download Reader
Small Business Mentor-Protege Program - FAQs:
The Mentor is solely responsible for selecting a Protégé with whom they believe they can develop a successful relationship. Mentors should consider the following when selecting a Protégé:
- A previous, established association is highly recommended between the Mentor and Protégé;
- Protégé’s geographic proximity to the Mentor;
- How the assistance aligns with the Protégé’s strategic vision;
- Protégé’s attitude regarding being mentored;
- Commitment to the relationship by both parties;
- Capabilities of the Protégé and how they interface with the Mentor;
- Stability of the Protégé’s management and financial status;
- Protégé’s past performance;
- Results of any contract/subcontract work between the Mentor and Protégé; and
- Subcontracting expectations.
All proposed agreements will be evaluated by the HHS Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization based on the following criteria:
- Merit of the developmental assistance to the Protégé firm;
- Perceived benefit/value of the agreement to HHS;
- Percentage of hours associated with technology transfer;
- Subcontracting opportunities available to the Protégé; and
- Proposed cost.
The developmental assistance provided under a Mentor-Protégé agreement is expected to be about 70% technical transfer. Though this is by no means an exhaustive list, examples of technical transfer tasks may include:
- Tooling design and fabrication
- Quality management programs: ISO 9000, SEI/CMMI
- Sensing and imagery
- Environmental remediation system design
- Metal machining
- Product assembly techniques
- Hazardous material control
- Lean Six Sigma (business improvement methodology)
The U. S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Mentor-Protégé Program (MPP) is open to HHS large prime contractors (may include non profit organizations and academic institutions) that demonstrate a commitment and capability to assist in the development of small business protégé's The program excludes firms on the Excluded Parties List System.
Before a government contract is awarded, mentors select a potential protégé and submit joint Mentor-Protégé Agreement (MPA) to the HHS Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) for review. Mentor firms will be solely responsible for selecting protégé firms.
After a contract is awarded, a mentor-protégé arrangement may be used to help meet the mentor's subcontracting requirements.
Also, see:
Mentor-Protégé arrangements are a good business decision for the mentor because they can develop long-term relationships with potential subcontractors which have critical skills. These skills can be used to complement or diversify their company while competing for HHS contracts. A good mentor-protégé relationship builds trust and loyalty between the mentor and protégé.
Mentor-protégé arrangements may provide the Government with greater assurance that a protégé subcontractor will be able to perform under the contract than a similarly situated non-protégé subcontractor.
Yes. Mentors in the Mentor-Protégé Program may receive credit toward attaining subcontracting goals contained in the HHS subcontracting plan(s) for Mentoring Program participation on a dollar by dollar basis by counting protégé developmental assistance costs in their various small business subcontracting categories, as appropriate, in addition to traditional subcontracts.
ALL small businesses that meet the definition of a small business concern (see FAR 19.001), based on their primary NAICS code, are eligible to be protégé firms. This includes:
- Veteran-owned small business (VOSB),
- Service-disabled veteran-owned small business (SDVOSB),
- Historically Underutilized Business Zone small business (HUBZone),
- Small disadvantaged business (SDB), and
- Woman-owned (WOSB) small business concerns.
Protégés either discuss the Mentor-Protégé Program with a larger firm they have been working with or are selected by a larger firm. In either instance, the mentor and protégé jointly submit an Mentor-Protégé Agreement to the HHS OSDBU for review. HHS does not keep a list of prospective mentors or protégés.
Important Note: Very seldom does a small business gain a HHS Mentor-Protégé agreement if they have not done business with the prospective mentor in the past. Since our program is a credit-only program, the mentor is unlikely to spend time, money and effort on providing developmental assistance to an unfamiliar small business.
Small Business Protégés gain opportunities to seek and perform government and commercial contracts through the guidance and support of mentors that may not have been available to them without the mentor-protégé relationship. The developmental assistance provided to the protégé often is a part of a subcontracting effort to the mentor.
Protégés may receive technical, managerial, financial, or any other mutually agreed upon benefit from mentors, in addition to the work that flows from a government or commercial contract through subcontracting or teaming arrangements. The assistance could result in significant small business development.
A Mentor is not limited in the amount of HHS Mentor Protégé Agreements (MPA) they may have at the same time, whereas a Protégé may only be in one active HHS MPA at a time. Additionally, a Protégé may not participate in the HHS Mentor-Protégé Program more than twice.
The HHS Mentor-Protégé Program is completely separate from any other Federal Agency Mentor-Protégé Programs, and thus Mentors and Protégés may participate in one or both of them at the same time, as long as the Protégé has the resources to be mentored under two different Programs.
The Mentor-Protégé Agreement is good for 36 months from the date of approval.
If a Mentor is disbarred or suspended from government contracts for any reason, their Mentor approval is automatically withdrawn and they may no longer participate in the HHS Mentor-Protégé Program.
