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DoD MP Program
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The Department of Defense (DoD), Mentor Protege Program was established in October 1991 to expand and enhance small business participation in DoD contracting opportunities and expand the technical capabilities, capacity and overall growth of socio-economic small businesses. The focus of this program is to also develop participants to expand, improve, diversify and innovate the Department's Supply chain. Focused on assisting small businesses to perform on both prime and subcontracts towards being competitive, best in class partners in the defense industrial base in obtaining and performing on DoD subcontracts and serving as suppliers on DoD contracts. This assistance listing seeks to expand participation in the program, provide developmental assistance that will strengthen and build the Department's supply chain, national security and partners in the DIB. Awards fund the mentor's labor costs, assistance in mentoring received by Historically Black Colleges and Universities, MInority Serving Institutions, Apex Accelerators (formerly Procurement Technical Assistance Centers), Manufacturing Innovative Institutions and other direct costs (on a case by case basis, example travel).
This chart shows obligations for the program by fiscal year. All data for this chart was provided by the
administering agency and sourced from SAM.gov, USASpending.gov, and Treasury.gov.
For more information on each of these data sources, please see the
About the data page.
The Mentor Protégé Program aims to develop Social Economic Small Businesses (SBDs, WOSBs, SDVOSBs, HUBZones, Native American Businesses, and Entities that employ the severely disabled, and non-traditional companies into innovative, viable, and competitive suppliers to the Defense Department. In FY2022 protégé firms received $4.9B of the DoD’s prime contract awarded dollars and of that $160M represents active performing protégés. The program recognizes high performing agreements through our annual Nunn Perry Awards that acknowledges protégé companies’ growth in employees, revenue and contract awards. In over the previous 2 fiscal years an estimated 25% of active agreements were nominated.
Based on the forty-seven annual reviews completed in FY21, 81% of the Protégé firms experienced employee growth during the reporting period. Over the last 10 years (FY12-FY21) the average Protégé participant has experienced a net employee gain of over 16 totaling 10,212 small business jobs for participant Protégés. In the last 3 years that average has increased 23 employee net gain per Protégé.
Based on the forty-seven annual reviews completed in FY21, 87% of the Protégé firms experienced revenue growth during the reporting period for an average revenue net gain of $9.8 million per participant Protégé, that is a total net revenue increase $459.1 million for all 47 Protégé participants.
In FY 2022 former Protégés have contributed to the Defense industrial base through prime contracts in the areas of transportation, engineering services, construction, computer services, ship building, R&D, aircraft manufacturing, and other areas.
In fiscal year 2024 the program added five new Defense Agencies that have established Mentor-Protege Programs (MPP), under the DoD Office of Small Business (OSBP) which will expand the entrance of socially and economically disadvantage businesses into the program which in turn will increase the partnerships within the Defense supplier base. These additions resulted in 3 newly awarded Mentor-Protege Agreements. Additionally, enhancements have been made to the Mentor-Protege Program portal improving the mentor application process through user friendly functionality this resulted in 20 new mentors into the Program. Lastly, the development and implementation of a standard operating procedure manual was completed. The manual will ensure alignment of program management and execution of all Mentor-Protege agreements and programs established under the DoD OSBP MPP.
Single Audit Applies (2 CFR Part 200 Subpart F):
For additional information on single audit requirements for this program, review the current Compliance Supplement.
OMB is working with the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) and agency offices of inspectors general to include links to relevant oversight reports. This section will be updated once this information is made available.
