There is established in the Department a mentor-protege program (in this section referred to as the "Program") under which a mentor firm enters into an agreement with a protege firm for the purpose of assisting the protege firm to compete for prime contracts and subcontracts of the Department.
The Secretary shall establish criteria for mentor firms and protege firms to be eligible to participate in the Program, including a requirement that a firm is not included on any list maintained by the Federal Government of contractors that have been suspended or debarred.
The Secretary, acting through the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization of the Department, shall establish a process for submission of an application jointly by a mentor firm and the protege firm selected by the mentor firm. The application shall include each of the following:
Not later than 60 days after receipt of an application pursuant to paragraph (1), the head of the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization shall notify applicants of approval or, in the case of disapproval, the process for resubmitting an application for reconsideration.
The head of the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization may rescind the approval of an application under this subsection if it determines that such action is in the best interest of the Department.
A mentor firm and protege firm approved under subsection (c) shall enter into an agreement to participate in the Program for a period of not less than 36 months.
A mentor firm and protege firm that enter into an agreement under subsection (d) may receive the following Program benefits:
Not later than one year after December 23, 2022, and annually thereafter, the head of the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization shall submit to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and the 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 a report that-
Nothing in this section may be construed to limit, diminish, impair, or otherwise affect the authority of the Department to participate in any program carried out by or requiring approval of the Small Business Administration or adopt or follow any regulation or policy that the Administrator of the Small Business Administration may promulgate, except that, to the extent that any provision of this section (including subsection (h)) conflicts with any other provision of law, regulation, or policy, this section shall control.
In this section:
The term "historically Black college or university" has the meaning given the term "part B institution" in section 1061 of title 20.
The term "mentor firm" means a for-profit business concern that is not a small business concern that-
The term "minority-serving institution" means an institution of higher education described in section 1067q(a) of title 20.1
The term "protege firm" means a small business concern, a historically Black college or university, or a minority-serving institution that-
The terms "small business concern", "small business concern owned and controlled by veterans", "small business concern owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans", "qualified HUBZone small business concern", "and small 2 business concern owned and controlled by women" have the meanings given such terms, respectively, under section 632 of title 15. The term "small business concern owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals" has the meaning given such term in section 637(d)(3)(C) of title 15.
1 See References in Text note below.
2 So in original. The opening quotation marks preceding "and" probably should precede "small".
6 U.S.C. § 475a
EDITORIAL NOTES
REFERENCES IN TEXTSection 1067q(a) of title 20, referrred to in subsec. (h)(3), was in the original "section 317 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1067q(a))" and was translated as reading "section 371(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965", to reflect the probable intent of Congress.
- Department
- The term "Department" means the Department of Homeland Security.
- Secretary
- The term "Secretary" means the Secretary of Homeland Security.
- Administrator
- the term "Administrator" means the Administrator of the Agency;