DoD Mentor-Protege Program

DoD MP Program
CFDA 12.022 Active Cooperative Agreement
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Program Funding

Annual program obligations reported to SAM.gov.

Latest annual funding (estimated)
$12.2M FY2026
$34.7M
FY24
$27.7M
FY25
$12.2M
FY26*
* estimated

Funded Projects

Examples of what this program has supported.

FY2025 In FY 2025, the Mentor-Protege Program refocused the awardee's performance towards the Department's goals and critical priority areas.

There were 22 new mentors, 8 new awarded agreements, and 52 continued performers.

Program Objective

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, broaden, and innovate the Department's Supply chain - focused on assisting small businesses to perform competitively for both prime and subcontracts as best-in-class partners in the defense industrial base. 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, critical technology priority areas, 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 - ex. travel).

Eligibility

Eligible Applicants

  • Small Business Person
  • For-Profit Organization

Eligibility criteria for this assistance:
1. Small Disadvantaged Businesses (owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals)
2. Women-Owned Small Businesses
3. Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses
4. Historically Underutilized Business Zone Businesses
5. Native Hawaiian Organization, Native American Tribe
6. A small business concern that is a non traditional defense contractor or currently provides goods or services in the private sector that are critical to enhancing the capabilities of the defense supplier base and fulfilling key Department of Defense needs
7. DoD approved Mentor Companies

How to Apply

Award Procedure

1. A call for mentor protege proposals will be announced
2. Assistance is awarded through DoD Contracting Activity
3. Approval is received from DoD Office of Small Business Programs and/or other DoD Components
4. Assistance is awarded as a cost reimbursement to the mentor firm

Decision Timeline

  • Approval: From 90 to 120 days
Program details & compliance

Description

This listing serves US Industrial Base, Academia (Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority Serving Institutions), Social Economic Small Businesses (SBDs, WOSBs, SDVOSBs, HUBZones, Native American Businesses, and Entities that employ the severely disabled, Small Business Development Centers, APEX Accelerators (formerly Procurement Technical Assistance Centers),

Mission Categories

Primary: Small Business

Use of Funds

Allowed Uses

see description in Overview

Restrictions

May not exceed $1M per period of performance year and may not be funded for more than three years without approval waiver.

Additional restrictions can be found under DFARS Appendix I for the program.

Required Documentation

Mentor-Protege application that describes in detail the developmental assistance that will be provided to the protege firm. Included should be a detailed cost breakdown of the developmental assistance being offered as well as timeline. An example application is available at http://www.Business.Defense.gov

Reporting & Compliance

Records Retention
7 years

Contacts

Kasey Diaz
5713726191
3010 Pentagon, Room 3B854, Washington, DC 20300
Data from SAM.gov Federal Assistance Listings. Source published: 2026-02-23. Spec v2.0. Last synced: 2026-05-28 07:26:12.