Joint Venture & All Small Mentor-Protégé (aka Partnering Arrangements)
The formation of a partnering company, with a prior 8(a) company or a large federal contractor is often an excellent strategy to gain valuable government business expertise. The benefits include learning technical details of an agency’s services, developing business relationships with key agency personnel, collaboration with successful proposal writers, and experience gained working with persons that possess general government and agency-specific expertise. The benefits to the non-8(a) certified company is that the new partnering entity (company) is permitted to submit bids/proposals as an 8(a) certified company. The new entity is also eligible to win sole-source contract awards.
Note: The difference between joint venture and All Small Mentor-Protégé is that joint ventures are formed with another small business and there is no limit to the number that may be formed, while All Small Mentor-Protégé Agreements are generally formed with a large business and are specific to the mentor’s primary NAICS code.
Ez8a assists in three (3) key areas
- Identification of good partnering candidates for your company.
- Assisting in the drafting of the Operating Agreement, which is the main document that governs how the partnership will operate.
- Generate the 8(a) partnership application package that is submitted to SBA for approval.
Prospective Partners
Specific to your key NAICS codes and your geographic region of operation, ez8a has identified current and recently graduated SBA 8(a) Business Development program certified companies that have won significant federally funded contracts and are good Joint Venture/Teaming opportunities candidates. Similar search criteria are used to identify All Small Mentor-Protégé companies. General business information and NAICS code information is provided for each candidate company (structure, business types, and socioeconomic certifications). Additionally, federal spending data for the most recent federal fiscal years as well as top contracts awarded during the current fiscal year is provided. The spend data includes identification of the company's top federal and state agencies. Lastly, sample introductory email and phone call discussion are provided as well as other engagement "pointers."
SBA Partnership Application Package
Typical Certification Applications
Ez8a performs the majority of the technical writing and creation of documents needed to submit the package to the SBA to request approval of the new venture entity as an 8(a) company. The assembled package is mailed to the client for presentation to their assigned Business Specialist. The SBA will commonly ask for additional information and/or documentation once it has reviewed the application. Ez8a will consult and continue to assist the client with any additional information and/or recommendations through approval of the joint venture or All Small Mentor-Protégé application by the SBA.
All Small Mentor-Protégé Unique Application Criteria
The application requires detailed plans (timeline and metrics) that capture the expertise that the protégé firms expect to gain as a benefit of their relationship with the Mentoring company. The areas that must be addressed include:
- Management and technical assistance,
- Financial assistance,
- Business development assistance,
- Contracting assistance, and
- General and administrative assistance.
Ask an expert
