104 STAT. 1608 PUBLIC LAW 101-510—NOV. 5, 1990 suppliers under Department of Defense contracts, other Federal Government contracts, and commercial contracts. (c) PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS. — (1) A business concern meeting the eligibility requirements set out in subsection (d) may enter into agreements under subsection (e) and furnish assistance to disadvantaged small business concerns upon making application to the Secretary of Defense and being approved for participation in the pilot program by the Secretary. A business concern participating in the pilot program pursuant to such an approval shall be known, for the purposes of the program, as a "mentor firm". (2) Disadvantaged small business concerns eligible for the award of Federal contracts may obtain assistance from one or more mentor firms upon entering into an agreement with the mentor firm or firms as provided in subsection (e). A disadvantaged small business concern receiving such assistance shall be known, for the purposes of the program, as a "protege firm". (3) In entering into an agreement pursuant to subsection (e), a mentor firm may rely in good faith on a written representation of a business concern that such business concern is a disadvantaged small business concern. The Small Business Administration shall determine the status of such business concern as a disadvantaged small business concern in the event of a protest regarding the status of such business concern. If at any time the business concern is determined by the Small Business Administration not to be a disadvantaged small business concern, assistance furnished such business concern by the mentor firm after the date of the determination may not be considered assistance furnished under the program. (d) MENTOR FIRM ELIGIBILITY.— Subject to subsection (c)(1), a mentor firm eligible for award of Federal contracts may enter into an Eigreement with one or more protege firms under subsection (e) and provide sissistance under the program pursugmt to that agreement if— (1) during the fiscal year preceding the fiscal year in which the mentor firm enters into the agreement, the total amount of the Department of Defense contracts awarded such mentor firm and the subcontracts awarded such mentor firm under Department of Defense contracts was equal to or greater than $100,000,000; or (2) the mentor firm demonstrates the capability to assist in the development of protege firms, and is approved by the Secretary of Defense pursuant to criteria specified in the regulations prescribed pursuant to subsection (k). (e) MENTOR-PROTEGE AGREEMENT.— Before providing assistance to a protege firm under the program, a mentor firm shall enter into a mentor-protege agreement with the protege firm regarding the assistance to be provided by the mentor firm. The agreement shall include the following: (1) A developmental program for the protege firm, in such detail as may be reasonable, including (A) factors to assess the protege firm's developmental progress under the program, and (B) the anticipated number and type of subcontracts to be awarded the protege firm. (2) A program participation term, which shall not exceed five years and may be renewed upon its expiration for an additional term of not to exceed four years.
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