Aberdeen Proving Ground, Aberdeen, Maryland: The U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command (CECOM) has announced that the start of Fiscal Year 2016 will bring the command a new initiative to its portfolio, the CECOM/Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) Pilot Mentor Protégé Program (MPP).
CECOM, a major subordinate command of the U.S. Army Materiel Command (AMC), was selected as one of two major subordinate commands across the Department of Defense (DoD) to execute this pilot program. This marks the first time in the 25-year history of the DoD MPP that authorization has been given for implementation and execution of the program below the service and agency level.
The DoD MPP was established in 1991 to provide incentives to prime contractors to develop the technical and business capabilities of eligible protégés thereby increasing protégé participation in both prime contracts and subcontracts.
A primary goal of the MPP is the transfer of "state-of-art" technology to the protégé firms. This transfer involves the process of sharing skills, knowledge, technologies, methods of manufacturing and facilities to ensure that scientific and technological innovations are infused into new products, processes, applications, materials and/or services. Examples include technical certifications, professional management institution certification, manufacturing processes, threat products/services and anti-terrorism.
The CECOM Office of Small Business Programs (OSBP) has been assigned with the implementation of the MPP to obtain Mentor-Protégé Agreements that establish and develop protégés who provide products and services supporting CECOM/C4ISR mission requirements.
The CECOM Pilot Program affords protégé firms the opportunity to develop much needed business and technical capabilities to diversify their customer base. This will ultimately shape and expand the CECOM/C4ISR industrial base and enhance the ability to better support the Warfighter while contributing to overall Army readiness.
CECOM is committed to having a diversified group of participants in the program and continues to reach out across a vast range of industries to increase participation in the overall program. Typical industries and areas of services offered include Engineering; Research and Development; Radio; Communications; Security; and Information Assurance. Potential mentors and protégés have expressed enthusiasm about participating in the program and anticipate employing the program to build mutually beneficial relationships.
Interest in the CECOM/C4ISR Pilot MPP is notably high as movement to a kick-off event scheduled for April 11, 2016 proceeds. This forum is for large and small businesses to learn more about the CECOM/C4ISR Pilot MPP and develop relationships as potential mentors and protégés. The OSBP currently anticipates over 150 participants from across industry to attend as well as senior leaders from DoD, Department of the Army (DA), AMC and the CECOM/C4SIR community.
In preparation and support of the CECOM/C4ISR pilot MPP, the CECOM OSBP has hosted and participated in numerous outreach events during the first quarter of Fiscal Year 2016. These events included the installation-wide 2015 Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG) Annual Planning Brief to Industry (APBI), an event well attended by both small and large Business partners. Attendees had an opportunity to hear from Army and DoD agency presenters and learned invaluable insights on forecasted business opportunities. At the APG APBI, industry had opportunities to participate and learn from one another and make critical connections to help expand businesses interactions toward developing new teaming arrangements, as well as learning about the mentor--protégé program. Members of CECOM OSBP engaged participants and attendees in informative presentations and discussions throughout the event.
CECOM OSBP also participated in the CACI Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUB Zone) Open House in Chantilly, Virginia as well as the Strengthening the Mid-Atlantic Region for Tomorrow Procurement Conference (SMART PROC) 2015. These events brought government, industry and academia partners together in an information-sharing environment.
These events allow the CECOM/C4ISR MPP Program Management Office to support contractors and provide insight to small businesses for strategizing future business development. They also bring awareness to the CECOM/C4ISR Pilot MPP while communicating the need to start potential Mentor-Protégé relationships.
Some key program highlights include:
Mentors and protégés are solely responsible for finding their counterpart. Legislatively, CECOM OSBP participation in the teaming of partnering mentors and protégés is prohibited. Therefore, CECOM strongly encouraged firms to explore existing business relationships in an effort to establish a Mentor-Protégé relationship.
A Mentor firm must be currently performing under at least one active, approved subcontracting plan negotiated with DoD or another Federal agency pursuant to FAR 19.702, and be currently eligible for the award of federal contracts. New mentor applications must be approved and may be submitted to and approved by DoD OSBP office prior to the submission of an agreement.
A Protégé firm must be either a small disadvantaged business (SDB), a qualifying organization employing the severely disabled, a women-owned small business (WOSB), a service-disabled veteran-owned small business (SDVOSB), or located in a HUB Zone. An objective assessment of the needs of the sponsoring DoD Service or DoD/Intelligence Community (IC) Agency component customers, protégé Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs), and DoD/IC mentor resources which include measurable milestones, is strongly recommended prior to the development of an Agreement
There are three types of CECOM/C4ISR Mentor-Protégé Agreements:
Direct Reimbursed
Direct Reimbursed Agreements are those in which the mentor receives reimbursement for allowable costs of developmental assistance provided to the protégé. These Agreements are approved by the OSBP of the Cognizant Military Service or Defense Agency as outlined in DFARS Appendix I .
Credit
Credit Agreements are those in which the mentor receives a multiple of credit toward their SDB subcontracting goal based on the cost of developmental assistance provided to the protégé. Credit agreements are currently approved by the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA).
Hybrid
Hybrid Agreements allow mentors to receive part credit for one (1) year, with reimbursement in option year(s). These types of agreements are approved and co-managed by component agency and DCMA.
Additional details on the CECOM/C4ISR Pilot MPP will be forthcoming on the CECOM OSBP website: http://sec.cloud.army.mil/OSBP/
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