On July 25, 2016, the Small Business Administration (SBA) published the long-awaited final rule regarding “Small Business Mentor Protégé Programs,” establishing a government-wide mentor protégé program for all small businesses, including Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) businesses, Women-Owned Small Businesses (WOSB), Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned small businesses (SDVOSB), and small businesses generally. 81 Fed. Reg. 48558. The SBA will separately operate the 8(a) Business Development Program’s mentor protégé program. The final rule, effective August 24, 2016, implements statutory provisions enacted in 2010 and 2013 which authorized the SBA’s creation of mentor protégé programs for all small businesses. This final rule, which includes numerous revisions from the SBA’s proposed rule published on February 5, 2015, enables virtually all federal contractors to quickly begin participating in the small business mentor protégé program.
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