The SBA Mentor-Protégé Program (MPP) — formed November 16, 2020 by consolidating the 8(a) MPP and All Small MPP — is the primary vehicle for small firms (protégés) to partner with experienced firms (mentors) for federal contracting. Coverage from SBA and Morrison Foerster.
The core rules
- Mentor and protégé cannot be affiliated at time of application
- Protégé must be small under the relevant NAICS at the time of joint venture submission
- JV must be a separate legal entity with its own SAM registration
- Protégé owns 51%+ of the JV
- Protégé performs 40%+ of the work performed by the JV
- Each MPP agreement lasts no more than 6 years
- Mentor limited to 3 protégés at a time
- Protégé limited to 2 mentor agreements (with different mentors) over time
What MPP unlocks
JVs formed under MPP can pursue any small-business contract the protégé qualifies for, including 8(a), SDVOSB, WOSB, and HUBZone set-asides. Crucially, in MPP JVs the mentor's size doesn't affect the protégé's small-business eligibility — the affiliation exception is the program's defining feature.
Why this matters in 2026
With the 8(a) program contracting and the recertification rule reshaping M&A, MPP becomes one of the few remaining structural growth paths for small firms. Larger firms can mentor; smaller firms get the affiliation-protected JV vehicle. Both benefit.
What to do
- If small: identify mentors whose capabilities complement yours, not replace yours; pursue MPP application
- If large: an MPP relationship gives you small-business teaming credibility without acquisition
- JV agreement: draft to ensure 40% work allocation to protégé is operationally real, not paper-only