Mentor Requirements

The mentor can be a business that has graduated from the 8(a) program, a firm in the transitional stage of the program, or a small or large business. A mentor must have the capability to assist the Protege and must make a commitment for at least a year. In addition, the mentor must meet all of the following requirements:

• It must be financially healthy and must have been profitable for at least the last two years.
• It must be a federal contractor in good standing.
• It must be able to provide support to a Protege through lessons learned and practical experience gained from the 8(a) program or through its general knowledge of government contracting.