Mentor Protégé Program

Mentor Protégé Program

The Mentor Protégé Program at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is designed to provide developmental assistance to small businesses, helping them enhance their capabilities and build a successful, established business.

Program Overview

The Mentor-Protégé Program is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) initiative that encourages and assists the following types of small businesses and institutions:

• Small Disadvantaged Businesses certified by the Small Business Administration (SBA)
• Women-Owned Small Businesses
• Veteran-Owned and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses
• HUBZone certified Small Businesses
• Historically Black Colleges and Universities
• Other minority institutions of higher learning

The program is designed to provide developmental assistance to the protégé companies, helping them enhance their capabilities in the fundamental aspects of building a successful business. The goal is to help these companies improve their overall capabilities and competitiveness in the market.

Application Process

The LANL Mentor Protégé Program is a two-year program with the possibility of three one-year extensions, for a maximum of five years.

LANL selects small business protégés through open calls for applications to the Mentor Protégé Program. The Small Business Program Office (SBPO) will issue a call for applications when resources are available to support new participants.

Small businesses interested in applying must complete the Triad National Security, LLC Application for Prospective Protégé and submit it to MPP@lanl.gov. The SBPO will review each application for completeness and to assess whether the applicant meets the general criteria for the program.

Please Note: The application period is not currently open. 

Selection Criteria

To be eligible for the LANL Mentor Protégé Program, a small business must meet the following criteria:

• Be certified as a small business by the SBA and able to certify as a small business according to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for the services or supplies to be provided.
• Be U.S. citizen-owned.
• Be of good character and eligible for government/federal contracts.
• Demonstrate a developmental need consistent with DOE's Mentor-Protégé Program Needs Assessment Determination.
• Have not been awarded any federal government prime contracts over SBA thresholds.
• Have been in business for at least two years prior to application.
• Have the experience and capacity to meet LANL's requirements (e.g., capital, business systems, personnel, bonding capacity, backlog).
• Have recent and relevant performance under a current or previous LANL subcontract, as well as other DOE contracts.
• Align with LANL and DOE mission needs (e.g., science, technology, engineering, construction, cybersecurity, safeguards and security).
• Demonstrate a commitment from company leadership to long-term growth, continuous improvement, and active participation in mentoring activities.
• Provide evidence of financial stability and sound business practices.

Incomplete applications will be rejected. Completed applications will be reviewed to determine if the small business meets the general criteria for the program. 

For inquiries about the LANL Mentor Protégé program, please contact the LANL Small Business Program Office at MPP@lanl.gov. For information about the DOE Mentor Protégé Program, please visit their webpage.