The program is open to profit and non-profit organizations that have at least three years of national experience helping small businesses succeed. Specifically, organizations are provided grants to:
- Assist and guide teams of small business concerns through training, counseling and/or mentoring activities designed to enhance their ability to compete for larger procurement contracts. Such assistance and guidance must address (among other things) customer relations and outreach, team relations and outreach and performance measurement and quality assurance.
- Help small business concerns find other firms that may be interested in teaming with them, assist small business concerns with the formation and execution of teaming arrangements, aid teams of small business concerns with identifying appropriate larger contracting opportunities, and assist teams of small business concerns with the preparation and submission of bids and offers.
The mentoring program is a good free option for those small business interested in breaking into the federal procurement marketplace. Small companies often complain that it can be a daunting task to secure the necessary resources to compete for a federal contract or project. The applications are complicated, the bonding requirements are significant and the upfront financial resources can be cost prohibitive.
This program aims to give small businesses a nudge and push into the federal procurement maze that would otherwise be unreachable by some small companies. It is nevertheless a “pilot” program, so it remains to be seen whether it is successful program.
