We are thrilled to announce the relaunch of the DHS Mentor-Protégé Program (MPP), effective November 1, 2024! After undergoing a strategic review and temporary moratorium, the MPP has been revamped to better serve the needs of industry and align with DHS’ Mission.
What’s New?
The DHS MPP has been in a temporary moratorium since March 1, 2023. This decision was implemented to thoroughly assess our MPP processes and policies and ensure its functioning as an optimal program. While the new program was on hold, and we allowed existing agreements to continue, we took the opportunity to make necessary updates based upon the codification of the DHS MPP.
Codification of the MPP: Like the legacy MPP, the codified MPP is designed to motivate and encourage large business prime contractor firms to provide mutually beneficial developmental assistance to small business, veteran-owned small business, service-disabled veteran-owned small business, HUBZone small business, small dis-advantaged business, and women-owned small business concerns.
Inclusivity Expansion: All small businesses, including, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), and Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), are now eligible to participate as protégés, fostering a more diverse environment for collaboration with the mentor and ultimately to DHS.
The DHS MPP encourages large businesses to assist and develop eligible protégés, thereby enhancing their capabilities leading to increased subcontracting and being more competitive for prime awards. With its participating Mentor-Protégé Teams, the MPP is also designed to:
- Improve the performance of contracts and subcontracts.
- Foster the establishment of long-term business relationships between large prime contractors, small business subcontractors, HBCU/MI partnerships.
- Strengthen subcontracting opportunities and accomplishments through incentives.
Thank you for your continued support for the DHS MPP and dedication to supporting small businesses. DHS looks forward to working together to achieve our shared vision of excellence.
Mentor | Agreement Start Date | PROTÉGÉ |
| Diversified Protection Corporation 186 Seven Farms Drive Suite F-391 Alexandria, VA 22314 www.dpcsecurity.com | January 2025 | FEBA Inc. dba FEBA Security Services 9701 Apollo Drive Suite 253 Largo, MD 20774 www.febasecurity.com SDB, SBA Certified SDVOSB, VOSB |
| Fearless Solutions, LLC 8 Market Street Suite 200 Baltimore, MD 21202 http://fearless.tech | February 2025 | Aquia, Inc 4225 Charity Neck Road Virginia Beach, VA 23457-1549 http://www.aquia.us SDB, SBA Certified SDVOSB, VOSB |
For more information about the DHS MPP, refer to the Guide.
All participants must be in good standing in the federal marketplace. The DHS MPP excludes anyone listed on the Federal List of Debarred or Suspended Contractors.
Mentor – is open to any large business firm that demonstrates the commitment and capability to assist in the development of protégés.
Protégé – is a small business concern as defined in FAR 2.101, including its affiliates, that is independently owned and operated, not dominant in its field of operation, and qualified as a small business under the criteria and size standards in 13 C.F.R. part 121 (see FAR 19.102), and meets federal size standards in its primary NAICS code. A protégé is also an HBCU or MSIs as described in 20 U.S.C. § 1067(q)(a).
Mentors must:
- Acknowledge that details of the MPP agreement are subject to review by the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship of the Senate; and the Committee on Homeland Security, and the Committee on Small Business of the House of Representatives under Subtitle H of title VIII of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 451 et seq.).
- Participate, at a minimum, in three Small Business Vendor Outreach Sessions each fiscal year and one virtual DHS Vendor Outreach Matchmaking Event.
- Report developmental assistance on a semi-annual Individual Subcontracting Report (ISR) or an annual Summary Subcontracting Report (SSR), when applicable.
A firm, HBCU, or MSI must be:
- Eligible for receipt of Federal government contracts/subcontracts.
- Certified in accordance with SBA requirements if it identifies as an 8(a), WOSB/EDWOSB, SDVOSB, or HUBZone firm.
- In compliance with the terms and conditions of the Mentor-Protégé Agreement.
- Congressional Requirements Reporting-August 1st of every fiscal year (joint): Under Subtitle H of title VIII of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 451 et seq.) mentor-protégé teams shall submit data points and/or metrics.
- 18th Month Mid Progress Reporting (joint): Identify key business accomplishments and developmental assistance task(s) that was beneficial to both entities within an 18-month period. Also, use this reporting cycle to officially report any issues to the DHS MPP team, if any. The mentor and protégé must submit a joint Mid Term Progress Report (18th month).
- 36th Month Final Lessons Learned Reporting (individual): Identify key business accomplishments, best practices, and “lessons learned” that were beneficial. The protégé will also indicate the number of employees and annual revenue as follows:
- 2-Year Post Protégé Reporting (protégé only): Protégé’s are required to report their progress annually for two (2) consecutive years after exiting the mentor-protégé program.
More information can be found at the DHS MPP Guide.
The reporting templates are coming soon!
Mentor – For acquisitions that contain the requirement for a subcontracting plan, mentors are eligible to receive credit in the source selection/evaluation criteria process for mentor protégé participation. Additionally, a post-award incentive for subcontracting plan credit is available by recognizing costs incurred by a mentor firm in aiding a protégé and using this credit for purposes of determining whether the mentor firm attains a subcontracting plan participation goal applicable to the mentor firm under a Homeland Security contract.
Protégé – In addition to the benefits available to mentors, protégés may receive many different types of assistance to include technical, managerial, financial, educational, 21st Century Infrastructure Academic Research Enterprise, and work that flows from a government or commercial contract through subcontracting or teaming arrangements. The assistance could result in significant small business development.
The Department of Homeland Security – Benefits of moving from the traditional large business prime contractor/small business/HBCU/MSI subcontractor model to a mentor-protégé relationship model based on mutual agreement, trust, and meaningful business development. Additionally, mentor-protégé arrangements may provide the Department of Homeland Security with greater assurance that a protégé subcontractor will be able to perform under a contract than a similarly situated non-protégé subcontractor. Further, protégés gain opportunities to seek and perform government and commercial contracts through the guidance and support of mentor firms that may not have been available to them without the mentor-protégé program.
Other benefits, which help support the Homeland Security mission, include:
- Acquiring an expanded base of qualified small businesses, HBCUs, and MIs.
- Mitigating the effects of unnecessary and unjustified contract bundling.
- Strengthening subcontracting opportunities.
- Achieving a potential increase in small business program goal accomplishments.
Below, you will find the basic steps necessary to establish a DHS Mentor-Protégé Agreement.
- Locate a partner—Mentors and Protégés are required to establish their own counterparts. Each company has its own internal processes and procedures for locating partners. These processes are not mandated by DHS.
- Determine developmental assistance to be provided—Prior to completing the application template, the mentor and protégé must perform an independent needs assessment to determine what type of developmental assistance is mutually beneficial for both parties.
- Submit the application for review and approval— Applications must be sent to dhsmpp@hq.dhs.gov. U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU), requires a signed MPP application for each proposed mentor-protégé relationship (Application). A mentor and protégé may have multiple agreements with different partners. The approved application and a signed approval letter from the DHS OSDBU Director will constitute an official DHS Mentor-Protégé Agreement (Agreement).
Through self-identification, outreach events, networking, marketing, and other means, the mentor-protégé team jointly submits an agreement to the DHS OSDBU for review and approval. The application must demonstrate the mutually beneficial relationship of the two parties. Review the Application Template and Instructions.
Coming Soon!