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![HUBZone](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20130214201136im_/http://www.osbp.nasa.gov/newAug2012/images/c-mpp.png)
Mentor-Protégé Program (MPP)
Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible as a mentor, an entity
- must be a large prime contractor performing under NASA contracts with at least one active and approved subcontracting plan, as required by FAR 19.7;
- must be eligible to receive Federal contracting awards; and
- must apply and be approved as a mentor by the NASA Office of Small Business Programs. Mentors must establish initial eligibility by submitting their mentor application for approval. A template for the mentor application may be accessed electronically at http://www.osbp.nasa.gov.
To be eligible as a protégé, an entity must be one of the following:
- A Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB),
- A Woman-Owned Small Business (WOSB),
- A Historically Black College or University (HBCU),
- A Minority-Serving Institution (MSI),
- A Veteran-Owned Small Business (VOSB),
- A Service-Disabled Veteran–Owned Small Business (SDVOSB),
- A Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) Concern,
- A small business with an active NASA Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II contract, or
- A company participating in the AbilityOne program.
Purpose
The NASA Mentor-Protégé Program encourages NASA prime contractors to assist eligible protégés, thereby enhancing the protégés’ capabilities to perform NASA contracts and subcontracts, fostering the establishment of long-term business relationships between these entities and NASA prime contractors, and increasing the overall number of these entities that receive NASA contract and subcontract awards.
Types of Agreements
Credit Agreements
- In a credit-based mentor-protégé agreement, a mentor receives credit on a one-to-one basis toward its subcontracting goals. The credit is reported on the Individual Subcontract Report (ISR) for the specific contract, as identified prior to the approval of the agreement.
Award Fee Pilot Program
- Under the Award Fee Pilot Program, a mentor is eligible to receive an award fee at the end of the agreement period based upon the mentor’s performance of providing developmental assistance to its protégé. During the pilot program, only NASA SBIR Phase II protégés are eligible to participate with mentors.
NASA Responsibilities
- NASA Center Small Business Specialists are responsible for the overall administration and management of the mentor-protégé agreements submitted to their Centers. The NASA Center small business office will ensure that the requirements of NASA FAR Supplement 1819.72 and the NASA Mentor-Protégé Program guidance are met and will coordinate the agreement’s requirements with NASA OSBP.
- NASA contracting officers are responsible for adding mentor-protégé agreements to existing contracts through contract modification. A letter endorsing their support of the mentor-protégé agreement must be added to the agreement package before submission to NASA OSBP.
- The NASA Office of Small Business Programs is responsible for the administration, policy, and oversight of the NASA Mentor-Protégé Program. OSBP will approve all mentor applications and conduct annual performance reviews of the progress and accomplishments realized under approved mentor-protégé agreements.
More information on MPP small businesses can be found at http://www.sba.gov/content/mentor-protégé-program.
How To Participate
Below, you will find the basic steps necessary to establish a NASA mentor-protégé agreement. For a more detailed
explanation, please visit our Web site at http://www.osbp.nasa.gov.
- Locate a partner—Mentors and protégés are required to establish their own counterparts. Each company has
its own internal processes and procedures for locating partners. These processes are not mandated by NASA.
- Determine developmental assistance to be provided—Prior to filling out the agreement template, the
mentor must perform a needs assessment of the protégé to determine what type of developmental assistance
is required. Typical examples of developmental assistance may be related to technical transfer or business
infrastructure. The dollar value associated with the technical transfer tasks should be approximately 70 percent of
the proposed hours and cost. The remaining 30 percent may be related to business development tasks.
- Submit agreement for approval—The agreements are submitted to one of the NASA Centers for review and
endorsement.
If the agreement is endorsed at the Center level, it will be forwarded to the OSBP at NASA Headquarters for final
review and approval within 3 weeks of receipt. The agreement officially begins on the date of the incorporation of the agreement into a contractual vehicle via a contract modification signed by the contracting officer. Once the agreement begins, the mentor may start providing the developmental assistance outlined and reporting credit
is received. - Fulfill all reporting requirements—The reporting requirements for the NASA MPP include the following:
- Semiannual reports
- Annual reviews
- Protégé post-agreement reports
Proposal Evaluation
The evaluation of all proposed agreements will be based on the following criteria:
- Merit of the developmental assistance to the protégé
- Perceived benefit and/or value of the agreement to NASA
- Percentage of hours associated with the technical transfer
- Subcontracting opportunities available to the protégé
- Utilization of HBCU/MSIs, PTACs, and SBA Business Development Centers (SBDCs)
- Proposed cost
Benefits of Participation
The MPP has the ability to uniquely transform a small business or minority-serving institution and enhance its capabilities to win contracts and subcontracts as a direct result of its participation. Some of the potential benefits of the program include the following:
For Mentors:
- Develop long-term business relationships with small business concerns
- Develop a qualified small business subcontracting base
- Accrue credit toward small business subcontracting goals
For Protégés:
- Receive relevant technical and developmental assistance
- Qualify for sole-source contracts from mentors
For All Participants:
- Cultivate teaming opportunities with their partners to win new contracts and/or subcontracts
- Engage the MPP as a marketing tool
- Foster networking opportunities
Approved NASA Mentors
AECOM Technical Services, Inc.
Site Director and Project Manager for Mentor-Protégé
650-604-0974
Assurance Technology Corporation
Contracting Officer
978-369-8848
ATK Space Systems
Small Business Liaison Officer
435-863-2017
Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corporation
Small Business Liaison Officer
303-939-4663
The Boeing Company
Mentor Protégé Program Manager
714-372-2304
Booz Allen Hamilton
Senior Consultant
703-377-1438
Coastal International Security, Inc.
President
571-483-2475
Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC)
Mentor Protégé Coordinator
703-818-4932
General Dynamics C4 Systems
Small Business Liaison Officer
480-441-7255
Hamilton Sundstrand Space Systems, Inc (HSSI)
Small Business Liaison Officer
860-654-4002
Honeywell Technology Solutions, Inc.
Small Business Liaison Officer
410-964-7233
ITT Corporation Systems Division
Business Development Manager
719-637-4508
ITT Information Systems
Small Business Program Liaison/Administrator
719-599-1756
Jacobs Technology, Inc.
Contract Specialist
931-393-6697
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Manager, Business Opportunities Office
818-354-2070
L-3 Enterprise Information Technology Solutions
VP, Small Business Programs
703-434-4693
Lockheed Martin Corporation
Supply Diversity Government Program Manager
407-306-2010
Northrop Grumman Corporation
Corporate Mentor-Protégé Program Manager
703-875-8327
Orbital Sciences Corporation Technical Services Division
Senior Manager, Contracts
301-220-5688
Parsons Infrastructure & Technology Group, Inc.
Small Business Liaison Officer
808-748-7574
Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne
Sr. Director of Contracts
571-521-7606
QinetiQ North America, Inc.
Sr. Manager, Supply Base and Custom Site Integration
561-796-4314
Raytheon Information Solutions
Director, Supplier Diversity
781-522-6337
Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC)
Small Business Specialist and Corporate Mentor-Protégé and Historically Black Colleges and Universities/Minority Institutions Administrator
703-676-4037
SGT, Inc.
Director, Contracts Procurement
301-486-3144
TASC, Inc.
Small Business Liaison Officer
703-653-5652
Teledyne Brown Engineering
Director, Contract Administration
256-726-1241
Tetra Tech NUS
Operations Manager
510-302-6333
TYBRIN Corporation
Contracts Manager
661-276-2009
Unisys Corporation
NASA Relationship Executive
703-867-2576
United Space Alliance
Small Business Liaison Officer
321-861-5249
Wackenhut Services Incorporated
Vice President, Business Development
865-271-7671
Wyle Integrated Science and Engineering
Small Business Liaison Officer
281-212-1268
FAQs
How many agreements may a Mentor and a Protégé have?
A Mentor is not limited in the amount of NASA Mentor-Protégé agreements they may have at the same time, whereas a Protégé may only be in one active NASA Mentor-Protégé agreement at a time. Additionally, a Protégé may not participate in the NASA Mentor-Protégé Program more than twice.
If I currently participate in another Federal Agency’s Mentor-Protégé Program, may I participate in the NASA Mentor-Protégé Program at the same time?
The NASA MP Program is completely separate from any other Federal Agency’s MP 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.
How long is a Mentor approval valid for?
A Mentor approval letter is good for six years from the date of the letter. Six years after the date of approval the Mentor must resubmit their Mentor application with the updated information and go through the approval process again.
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 NASA Mentor-Protégé Program.
Does a potential Mentor need to apply by division, or is there a corporate-wide approval?
Mentor approval may be corporate-wide, provided that Mentor applications are filled out with information at the corporate level. Once the application is submitted with corporate information and approved, all divisions of the company are eligible to participate as a Mentor.
What should a Mentor consider when selecting a Protégé?
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;
- Subcontracting expectations, and;
- Ensure that potential protégés have not participated in the NASA M-P Program more than two times previously and that they are not currently receiving developmental assistance under an active NASA M-P agreement.
Where is a listing available of all NASA SBIR Phase II awardees?
The link to NASA SBIR Phase II companies may be found here.
What is the Protégé application?
The Protégé application is a separate application for potential Protégé companies that details information about the company, including employee base and contracts received. However, it differs from the Mentor application in that it is NOT submitted in advance of an agreement, but is submitted concurrently with the agreement package. Any Protégé applications that are submitted without a complete agreement package will not be kept on file and will have to be resubmitted with the agreement. The template for the Protégé application can be found on the Forms page.
When are the submission deadlines to submit a Mentor application and a Mentor-Protégé agreement?
NASA OSBP accepts Mentor applications at any time. Mentor-Protégé agreements have three annual deadlines for submission to the NASA Centers: January 15, May 15, and September 15. The centers will review and then either endorse or reject the agreements within 45 days. If the agreements are endorsed they will be sent to NASA OSBP, where within 30 days the agreement will go through a final review and will receive final approval from the Assistant Administrator if applicable.
What are the required documents that must be submitted with the agreement?
Before submitting a Mentor-Protégé agreement, please insure that it contains all of the following:
- Cover Letter
- Protégé Application
- Completed Agreement Template
- Technical Proposal
- Cost Proposal
What is the agreement approval checklist?
The agreement approval checklist is an internal form that is utilized by NASA to determine that all required elements were included in the agreement package. The checklist does not need to be submitted with the agreement.
What are the selection criteria for Mentor-Protégé agreement approval?
All proposed agreements will be evaluated by the NASA Centers and HQ based on the following criteria:
- Merit of the developmental assistance to the Protégé firm;
- Perceived benefit/value of the agreement to NASA;
- Percentage of hours associated with technology transfer;
- Subcontracting opportunities available to the Protégé;
- Utilization of HBCUs/MIs, PTACs, SBDCs; and,
- Proposed cost.
What is the limit on the period of performance for a Mentor-Protégé agreement?
An agreement may not be longer than 36 months, or 3 years from the date the agreement begins.
If I previously participated in the NASA Mentor-Protégé Program prior to the update, will that affect my future participation?
No, being a prior participant from the MP Program before it was updated does not affect any future participation. Previous Mentors are required to submit a Mentor application before submitting any new agreements. While Protégés are only allowed to participate in the new NASA MP Program twice, any participation prior to the update does not count toward that total.
What are examples of technical transfer?
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
What do the following acronyms mean?
NASA: National Aeronautics and Space Administration
OSBP: Office of Small Business Programs
SDB: Small Disadvantaged Business
WOSB: Woman-Owned Small Business
VOSB: Veteran-Owned Small Business
SDVOSB: Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business
HUBZone: Historically Underutilized Business Zone
SBIR: Small Business Innovation Research
HBCU: Historically Black College or University
MI: Minority Institution of higher education
PTAC: Procurement Technical Assistance Center
SBDC: Small Business Development Center
ISR: Individual Subcontracting Report
SSR: Summary Subcontracting Report
COTR: Contracting Officer Technical Representative
If you have any further questions regarding the Mentor-Protégé Program please call 202-358-2088.
Forms
On Mentor Protégé Program (NFS 1819.72)
http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/procurement/regs/1819.htm#19_72
Forms (MS Word)
Reporting Forms (Excel)
NASA Mentor-Protégé Contacts
NASA Headquarters
Ames Research Center (ARC)
Dryden Flight Research Center (DFRC)
Glenn Research Center (GRC)
Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC)
Johnson Space Center (JSC)
Kennedy Space Center (KSC)
Langley Research Center (LaRC)
Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC)
NASA Management Office at Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
NASA Shared Services Center (NSSC)
Stennis Space Center (SSC)
Useful Links
SBA's Mentor-Protégé Program