Beginning September, 14 2009 the General Services Administration will put into place the Mentor-Protégé program to broaden the number of small businesses that are awarded contracts. The goal of the program is to help small businesses gain a foothold in the federal marketplace and foster long-term relationships between small and large companies, which typically hold valuable contracts.
If you are a small business with little or no government contract experience I highly recommend looking into the Mentor-Protégé program. Under this program small businesses can become protégés and receive assistance in their development as federal contractors. “Mentors” are typically established large companies with considerable experience in government contracting that can offer business guidance. Small businesses may also have the opportunity to mentor other small businesses.
I truly believe similar to obtaining a government certification (e.g., DBE) the Mentor-Protégé program will provide the kind of leverage that small businesses need to successfully enter the federal marketplace. Government typically continues to do business with large companies that they know and trust. Small companies can network and partner with these companies and take advantage of opportunities that will help them get ahead.
GSA expects the program to increase the overall number of small businesses receiving GSA contracts and subcontracts. However, GSA won’t measure the program’s success on the basis of awards and dollars alone. Officials plan to consider success as an increase in the number and value of subcontracts awarded to protégé companies by mentors. They also want to see expanded expertise by the protégé firms by seeing them enter industries that have they have not traditionally worked in.
To encourage companies to become mentors, the program allows contracting officers to look more favorably at bids from mentor/protégés. They can consider prime contractors’ compliance with its subcontracting plans as a factor in evaluating the company’s past performance.
For more information on the Mentor Protégé program go to the official site.
Please feel free to provide comments below regarding how useful you think this program will be for small business.
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