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(a) The agreements shall be structured after the mentor completes an assessment of the developmental needs of the protégé and a mutual agreement is reached regarding the developmental assistance to be permitted to address those needs and enhance the protégé's ability to perform successfully under contracts and/or subcontracts.
(b) A mentor shall not require a protégé to enter into a mentor-protégé agreement as a condition for award of a contract by the mentor, including a subcontract under a NASA contract awarded to the mentor.
(c) The mentor-protégé agreement may provide for the mentor to furnish any or all of the following types of developmental assistance:
(1) Assistance by the mentor's personnel in-
(i) General business management, including organizational management, financial management, personnel management, marketing, business development, and overall business planning;
(ii) Engineering, environmental and technical matters; and
(iii) Any other assistance designed to develop the capabilities of the protégé under the developmental program.
(2) Award of subcontracts under NASA contracts or other contracts on a noncompetitive basis.
(3) Advance payments under such subcontracts. The mentor must administer advance payments when first approved by NASA in accordance with FAR Subpart 32.4, Advance Payments for Non-Commercial Items.
(4) Loans.
(5) Investment(s) in the protégé in exchange for an ownership interest in the protégé, not to exceed 10 percent of the total ownership interest. Investments may include, but are not limited to, cash, stock, and contributions in kind.
(6) Assistance that the mentor obtains for the protégé from one or more of the following:
(i) Small Business Development Centers established pursuant to Section 21 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 648).
(ii) Entities providing procurement technical assistance pursuant to 10 U.S.C. Chapter 142 (Procurement Technical Assistance Centers).
(iii) Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
(iv) Minority institutions of higher education.
(d) Developmental assistance provided under an approved mentor- protégé agreement is distinct from, and must not duplicate, any effort that is the normal and expected product of the award and administration of the mentor's subcontracts. Costs associated with the latter must be accumulated and charged in accordance with the contractor's approved accounting practices; they are not considered developmental assistance costs eligible for credit under the Program.
(e) A template of the mentor-protégé agreement is available at http://www.osbp.nasa.gov.