(a) Under the Small Business Act, 15 U.S.C. 637(d)(4)(E), Treasury is authorized to provide appropriate incentives to encourage subcontracting opportunities consistent with the efficient and economical performance of the contract. Proposed mentor-protégé efforts will be considered during the evaluation of such negotiated, competitive offers. Contracting officers must provide, as an incentive, a bonus score, not to exceed 5% of the relative importance assigned to the technical/management factors.
(b) A mentor's performance will be evaluated against the criteria described in DTAR 1052.219-75.
(c) Before awarding a contract that requires a subcontracting plan, the existence of a mentor-protégé arrangement, and performance (if any) under an existing arrangement, must be considered by the contracting officer in:
(1) Evaluating the quality of a proposed subcontracting plan under FAR 19.705-4; and
(2) Evaluating the contractor compliance with the subcontracting plans submitted in previous contracts as a factor in determining contractor responsibility under FAR 19.705-5(a)(1).
(d) Mentor-protégé arrangements may provide the government with greater assurance that a protégé subcontractor will be able to perform under the contract.
(e) The Office of Small Business Development (OSBD) Mentoring Award is a non-monetary award that will be presented (annually or as often as appropriate) to the mentoring firm providing the most effective developmental support of a protégé. The Mentor-Protégé Program Manager will recommend an award winner to the Director, Office of Small Business Development.
