Ask and answer questions https://www.micromentor.org/question/13895
Zacharey Smith – MicroMentor and Founder “AlignTech”
QUESTION:
“What would you consider the best approach with the mentor, protégé program with the SBA now that I have my federal certifications”
Ken Larson – MicroMentor And Founder “Smalltofeds”
ANSWER:
“I assume by federal certifications you mean that you are registered in the U.S. Federal Government System for Award Management (SAM) and the 8(a) Small Mentor-Protégé program that recently merged into the new SBA MentorProtégé Program (SBA MPP).
Although the SBA overseas the above program, your real marketing targets are the other federal agencies that contract under the program and the companies that contract to them.
Since you are new to federal contracting, your past performance history must be developed to become an attractive candidate for a mentoring company to consider your firm.
In developing a past performance history, the most common way most of my clients have used to get into the market is a teaming relationship as a subcontractor initially. This can be pursued by working in the other small business set-aside designations first and then considering a targeted mentor protege relationship once you are established in the market. Please see the following articles for further insight at the FREE web site I maintain as an extension of my volunteer work with small business:
I have found Mentor Protege relationships are delicate matters. A “Carrot on the Stick” approach works best with larger companies, once you have established a presence in the government contracting market as a subcontractor or achieved a small business contract performance history directly with a federal agency.
Offering a marketing opportunity to a larger firm for a forthcoming specific agency prospective contract solicitation that the larger firm could not access but through your set aside qualifications often works best.”
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