I have been inundated with questions about the SBA’s Mentor-Protege Program over the last six to eight months. That interest is being driven by what Congress included in the National Defense Authorization Act of 2013. After failing to implement changes to the Mentor-Protege Program following the passage of the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010, the SBA was given another push in 2013. As part of the NDAA of 2013, Congress authorized the SBA to expand its Mentor-Protege Program to include companies other than those that are 8(a) certified. I understand that the SBA is actively working on regulations to make this happen and may publish something later this year. For those interested in how the program is currently constituted and what changes may be in the works, please feel free to listen to the webinar that I gave to the Associated General Contractors of America a few months ago. If you have any questions, please feel free to call me.
Edward T. DeLisle is a Partner in the firm and a member of the Federal Contracting Practice Group.