The Department of Energy's Mentor-Protégé Program is designed to encourage DOE prime contractors to assist small disadvantaged businesses certified by the Small Business Administration under Section 8(a) of the Small Business Act (8(a)), other small disadvantaged businesses, women-owned small businesses, Historically Black Colleges and Universities and other minority institutions of higher learning, and small business concerns owned and controlled by service disabled veterans in enhancing their capabilities to perform contracts and subcontracts for DOE and other Federal agencies. The program seeks to foster long-term business relationships between these small business entities and DOE prime contractors, and to increase the overall number of these small business entities that receive DOE prime and subcontracts.
Program Benefits for Mentor
These include however are not limited to the following:
- Helping small businesses and minority institutions of higher learning expand their capacity through the developmental and technical assistance provided.
- Equipping small businesses and minority institutions of higher with the knowledge, skills and capabilities needed to successfully compete for DOE prime contracts.
- Utilizing the unique/specialized skills of the Protégé.
- Opportunity to award non-competitive subcontracts to Protégés or other DOE Protégés in the program.
- Reimbursement of allowable costs incurred while providing assistance to the Protégé performing subcontract activities. Under cost-plus-award contracts Mentor may earn award fees associated with Mentoring.
- Receive credit for subcontracts awarded pursuant to MPP Agreement(s) toward subcontracting goals contained in their subcontracting plan.
Program Benefits for Protégé
These include however are not limited to the following:
- Receiving technical and developmental assistance from an established DOE prime contractor.
- Gaining the knowledge, skills and capabilities needed to successfully compete for DOE prime contracts.
- Building relationships with small and/or large businesses to form teaming arrangements and/or joint ventures.
- Being eligible to receive non-competitive subcontracts from DOE and other federal agencies with MPP at 8(a) program thresholds of $4M for other than construction contracts and $6.5M for construction subcontracts.
Mentor Protégé Program at ORNL
At ORNL, the program includes working with internal champions throughout the life of the MPP agreement. ORNL looks for companies that reside within a reasonable proximity of the Laboratory in order to ensure program success. Click on the "Guidelines" tab at the top right of this page for more information.
Contact Information
For more information about the DOE's Mentor-Protégé Program at Oak Ridge National Lab, please email Cassandra McGee Stuart at mcgeecm@ornl.gov or call (865) 576-3560.