September 28, 2016
DoD Mentor-Protege Program: Major Changes Proposed
Source: SmallGovCon, Steven Koprince, September 26, 2016
The proposed rule, which was published in the Federal Register on September 23, 2016, makes a number of important changes, including adding new eligibility criteria, placing limits on the amount of time a protege can participate in the program, adding new required elements to mentor-protege agreements, and much more.
The DoD’s proposed rule responds to the 2016 National Defense Authorization Act, which called for the DoD to amend its mentor-protege program. The proposed rule makes the following important changes:
- Purpose. The current DoD mentor-protege program regulations (which are found in an appendix to the DFARS), describe the primary purpose of the program as being to “provide incentives to major DoD contractors . . . to assist protege firms.” The proposed rule switches the focus, stating that the primary purpose of the program is to “[e]nhance the capabilities of eligible small business concerns to perform as subcontractors under DoD contracts and other contracts and subcontracts . . ..”
- Mentor Eligibility Expansion. The proposed rule would expand the universe of potential mentors. The current definition primarily covers large businesses operating under at least one approved subcontracting plan negotiated with DoD or another federal agency. In contrast, the proposed rule would allow any eligible large business to serve as a mentor, regardless of whether the large business is operating under a subcontracting plan. The proposed rule would also allow small businesses to serve as mentors, if approved by the DoD’s Small Business Programs office. READ MORE….
Contact your nearest PTAC to learn more about the new program..
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