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Supplier Mentoring Programs

Small business suppliers can apply for several mentoring programs designed to support their development and expand their federal contracting capabilities.

Office of Small Business Programs for the Headquarters, USAMEDCOM Associate Director meets with small business owners

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Mentor-Protégé Program

The Mentor-Protégé Program (MPP) is a federal/DOW business development initiative designed to pair experienced government suppliers (Mentors) with smaller, less experienced businesses (Protégés). 

The Mentor provides guidance, resources, and opportunities as the Protégé gains skills, experience, and work to contracts with the Mentor. This helps achieve the goal of the MPP initiative which is to strengthen the small business's ability to successfully compete for and perform on awards thus strengthening the supplier base.

Typical Mentor Benefits

  • Reimbursements or credits for certain costs of training and assisting Protégés
  • Aids prime contractors to build more reliable and trained small business partners who can perform on DOW awards
  • Can strengthen relationship with DOW and improve competitiveness in award proposals
  • Can count toward subcontracting goal credit, giving mentors availability with new markets

Typical Protégé Benefits

  • Gains industry experience working on federal/DOW level contracts
  • Receives practical training from Mentor on subjects like compliance, DOW Acquisition, cybersecurity and more
  • Ability to gain lasting business relationships with established federal/DOW Suppliers

There are two common types of government MPP initiatives available, the first is the DOW MPP and the second is the Small Business Administration MPP. Key differences are below:

DOW MPP

Best for suppliers wanting to break into or expand opportunities in the DOW supply chain.

  • Mentors are typically large DOW prime contractors with active DOW contracts
  • Typically the agreement length is 2-3 years
  • For the approval process, the Mentor must submit proposal to DOW OSBP and DLA and it must align with defense needs

SBA MPP

Best for suppliers wanting broader access to federal contracting opportunities across government agencies.

  • Mentors can be only large business, nonprofit, or qualified small business
  • SBA MPP can have several different forms, including opportunities to form a joint venture which allows the Mentor and Protégé to share their business strengths
  • Typically the agreement length is up to 6 years (two 3-year terms)
  • For the approval process, see How to Apply to the Mentor-Protégé Program 

For more information, see SBA.gov Mentor-Protégé Program .

Expand List item 6218Collapse List item 6218  DOW/DLA MPP Guidance and Resources

DOW/DLA MPP Guidance

The Defense Logistics Agency Mentor-Protégé Program (DLA MPP) assists eligible small businesses (Protégés) in developing their qualifications and ability to compete for prime contract and subcontract awards by partnering with DOW contractors (Mentors), who are incentivized to provide developmental assistance under individual, project-based agreements to help meet the DLA mission. 

Program Design

DOW’s Mentor-Protégé Program is the oldest continuously operating federal mentor-protégé program in existence. Originally established in the midst of the First Gulf War, the MPP helps eligible small businesses expand their footprint in the defense industrial base.

Mentors and Protégés are solely responsible for finding their counterpart. The DLA Office of Small Business Programs (OSBP) does not pair Mentors and Protégés.  Interested firms are encouraged to explore existing business relationships in an effort to establish a Mentor-Protégé relationship. Mentors may have multiple Protégés; however, Protégés may only have one Mentor. Only Mentors may submit packages for the program. The contract with the government is solely with the Mentor.

See the DOW MPP Approved Mentors List that suppliers could work with at the DOW's Office of Industrial Base Growth MPP's website .

General DLA MPP Info

If you have general inquiries regarding the MPP program, submit an inquiry on the Contact DLA Small Business page.

Forms and Templates

Please use the following website, templates, applications, and other useful documents when creating a Mentor-Protégé Agreement (MPA) proposal:

Key Resources

Expand List item 6231Collapse List item 6231   DOW Mentor-Protégé Program Policy and Regulations
Expand List item 6232Collapse List item 6232  MPP Program History

Program History

The Mentor-Protégé Program was established as a pilot program under Section 831 of Public Law 101-510, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 1991 (10 U.S.C.2302 note).  The NDAA for Fiscal Year 2023 (FY2023) codified the DOW Mentor-Protégé Program into law. The program was created by former Senator Sam Nunn and implemented by former Defense Secretary William Perry. 

In the past five years, DOW’s MPP has successfully helped more than 190 small businesses fill unique niches and become part of the military’s supply chain.

Many mentors have made the MPP an integral part of their sourcing plans. Protégés have used their involvement in the MPP to develop technical capabilities. Successful mentor-protégé agreements provide a winning relationship for the protégé, the mentor and the DOW.

Small Business Development Centers (SBDC)/SBA Cooperative Agreement

Small Business Development Centers offer individualized counseling and training to new and existing small businesses.

SBA District Offices can facilitate the assistance program. 

SBDCs and the SBA district office coordinate assistance with other available local programs at educational organizations that support entrepreneurship through counseling and training programs. Begin the process by finding your local SBDC and reaching out.

SBDCs provide problem-solving assistance to help SB's access:

  • Access Capital
  • Develop and Exchange New Technologies
  • Improve Business:
    • Planning, Strategy, Operations, and Management
    • Financial Management
    • Personnel Administration
    • Marketing and Sales
    • Productivity and Innovation
    • Export Assistance

Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE)

The SCORE  volunteer mentors, all experts in entrepreneurship and related fields, meet with their small business clients on an ongoing basis to provide continued advice and support.  SCORE provides a wide range of services to help small businesses including:

  • Trainings
  • Webinars
  • Online Workshops
  • Courses on Demand
  • Library of Online Resources

Find a SCORE Mentor and reach out to them to begin the process.

Find a SCORE mentor near you 

Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP)

MEP  is a public-private partnership with centers in every state. MEP Centers and partners have developed a wide range of services and initiatives to enable manufacturers to identify opportunities and improve processes that will accelerate and strengthen growth and competitiveness in the global marketplace.

The 51 MEP Centers located in all 50 states and Puerto Rico, the MEP Advisory Board, MEP Center boards, and the Foundation for Manufacturing Excellence, as well as over 1,450 trusted advisors and experts at approximately 430 MEP service locations, providing any U.S. manufacturer with access to resources they need to succeed.

The Empower to Grow Program

The Empower to Grow program , formerly SBA's 7(j) Management and Technical Assistance Program, empowers small businesses to become prime and subcontractors by giving training, executive direction, and one-on-one consulting. Certain courses this program offers are in:

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