Mentor Protégé Program Procedure

PURPOSE

To implement a Mentor Protégé Program to assist in fostering long-term relationships with prime contractors and Historically Underutilized Businesses (HUBs). The ultimate goal of the program is to provide developmental assistance to HUBs that will potentially increase their ability to contract directly with the State and/or to obtain subcontract opportunities under a state contract. Through the Mentor Protégé Program, The University of Texas at Austin will consider the cost effectiveness in broadening the pool to develop contract relationships between a mentor and a protégé.

SCOPE

The procedure applies to all potential Mentor and Protégé companies applying to The University at Austin for sponsorship.

RESPONSIBILITY

The University of Texas at Austin’s Historically Underutilized Business/Small Business office will implement and administer the Mentor Protégé Program in accordance with the adopted HUB Rules.

A. The University of Texas at Austin Mentor Protégé Program

It is the intent of The University’s Mentor Protégé Program to build effective working relationships between leaders of established companies, such as The University of Texas at Austin primary contract vendors, and emerging minority, women-owned and service disabled veteran owned companies, which will allow HUB companies to benefit from the knowledge and experience of the established firms.

1. Purpose and Objective of the University’s Mentor Protégé Program

To identify and overcome barriers that may inhibit or restrict the success of a HUB business by encouraging relationships with primary contractors/businesses, and to produce a broad base of high quality, competitive and profitable HUB companies through incremental improvement in their respective business practices.

2. Mission of the University’s Mentor Protégé Program

The mission of the Mentor Protégé Program has three key components:

a) Foster long-term relationships between prime contractors and HUBs

b) Increase the ability and capacity of HUBs to be awarded contracts by the State of Texas

c) Increase the overall participation of HUBs in subcontracting

3. Program Goals

a) Develop protégé company’s competency in areas of identified need

b) Increase protégé company’s long-term stability in their industry

c) Increase the mentor company’s ability to identify potential firms that may be used as subcontractors for future contracts and increase its good faith efforts to utilize HUBs

B. Responsible Agency Personnel

HUB/SB staff is responsible for:

a) the administration, outreach, education, compliance, information dissemination, reporting and evaluation documentation, and reporting of the Mentor Protégé Program. Resources from other agency divisions may be utilized to carry out the mission of the program, if needed

b) maintaining application documents, program information materials, Mentor and Protégé Application files, and Mentor- Protégé Agreements

c) collaborate with prime and subcontractor companies, financial and bonding institutions, minority and women-owned business support service organizations, and local chambers of commerce

C. Mentor Protégé Program Components

1. Mentor Protégé Relationship

Working together in regularly scheduled meetings, mentors and protégés will focus on implementing the actions necessary to obtain the results reflected in their Mentor Protégé Agreement. HUB/SB staff will also attend regularly scheduled meetings with the team.

Mentors will assist selected protégés in developing implementation plans that identify the needs, actions and results required for the protégé to be a successful businessperson and contractor.

2. Eligibility

To be eligible, both mentors and protégés must complete a Mentor Protégé Application form and be willing to comply with the reporting requirements reflected in the Mentor Protégé Agreement.

3. Matching the University’s Qualified Mentors to Protégés

The following criteria will be used when the HUB/SB staff is "matching" agency-approved mentors to agency-approved protégés.

a) HUB/SB staff will make every effort to assign mentors with protégés who share the same major business responsibility (Owner/Manager, Marketing, Finance etc.).

b) Geographic proximity of mentors and protégés may be considered in making potential matches (to facilitate meetings, etc.).

c) Matching the protégé's needs for development with identified areas (on application) of skill sets the mentors are willing to share or train on.

D. Mentor Protégé Program Orientation

HUB/SB staff will conduct Mentor Protégé Orientation. The orientation session will
be conducted for the purpose of helping selected mentors and protégés understand their respective roles in a Mentor Protégé relationship. The orientation session will be held prior to the finalization of any Mentor Protégé Agreements sponsored by the University. Attendance at an orientation session is a prerequisite for Mentor Protégé Agreement sponsorship by the The University of Texas at Austin.

E. Applications, Selection and Reporting to the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts

1. Mentor Application, Selection and Reporting

Prospective mentor companies will submit a completed Mentor Protégé Application for consideration as a university sponsored mentor. The Mentor Protégé Application is designed to collect information for staff to ascertain the following:

a) Whether the mentor is a registered bidder on the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts’ s Centralized Master Bidders List (CMBL)

b) Whether the mentor has extensive work experience and can provide developmental guidance in areas that meet the needs of the protégé.
Some examples are:

Inventory control
Production
Quality assurance
Marketing
Insurance
Equipment
Financial
Personnel Management
Other areas not mentioned

c) Whether the mentor is in "good standing" with the State of Texas and is not in violation of any state statutes, rules or governing policies

d) Whether the mentor has mentoring experience

e) Whether the mentor has a successful work history with government entities
including city, county state or national entities

When the Mentor Application is completed and submitted, The HUB/SB office will review the application for the basic eligibility criteria as listed above. HUB/SB staff will then notify the mentor applicant of their acceptance by the university as a mentor firm. Once accepted, the mentor company will be forwarded copies of applications received by protégés that meet the proposed mentor's criteria for selection of a protégé. It will be the responsibility of selected mentors to interview prospective protégés and draft a mutually Mentor Protégé Agreement to be submitted for finalization.

Mentors will be instructed that frequency of information shared with protégés increases the likelihood of the success of the agreement. Mentors will be instructed to initiate contact with their protégé candidates as soon as possible and when feasible to conduct face-to-face mentoring meetings. Mentors will be instructed that regular structured interaction supports an effective mentoring relationship and as such should be reflected in the Agreement.

2. Protégé Application, Selection and Reporting

Prospective protégé companies will submit a completed Mentor Protégé Application for consideration as a university sponsored protégé. The following criteria will be used to determine the eligibility of HUB Protégés.

a) Whether the protégé is certified as a HUB

b) Whether the protégé business has been operational for at least one year

c) Whether the protégé is willing to participate with a mentoring firm and has identified the type of guidance that is needed for its development

d) Whether the protégé is in "good standing" with the State of Texas and is not in violation of any state statutes, rules or governing policies

e) Whether the protégé is involved in a mentoring relationship with another contractor/vendor.

Once the protégé application is completed and submitted to the HUB/SB office, the application will be reviewed for evaluation against the basic eligibility criteria as listed above. Once approved as a potential protégé company, the HUB/SB office will forward copies of applications that match proposed mentor's criteria for selection of a protégé. It will be the responsibility of selected mentors to interview prospective protégés to draft a Mentor Protégé Agreement.

3. The Mentor Protégé Agreement Summary

The Mentor Protégé Agreement is a document drawn between the mentor and protégé that details the nature of the relationship for the purpose of The University of Texas at Austin sponsorship. Clearly defined mentoring expectations lead to an effective relationship.

It is the responsibility of the selected mentors to:

- Interview prospective protégés to determine probability of establishing a Mentor Protégé Agreement
- Work with protégé to draft an Agreement for submission to the HUB Coordinator for reporting and tracking purposes

It is the responsibility of the selected protégés to:

- Make contact with potential mentor partner to establish the probability of entering into a Mentor Protégé Agreement
- Work together with prospective mentor to draft an Agreement for submission to the HUB Coordinator for reporting and tracking purposes

The mentor and the protégé should agree on the nature of their involvement under the agency's Mentor Protégé initiative. The Mentor Protégé Agreement may include, but is not limited to, the following:

a) Identification of the developmental areas in which the protégé needs guidance

b) The time period in which the developmental guidance will be provided by the mentor

c) Name, address, phone and fax numbers, and the points of contact that will oversee the agreement of the mentor and protégé

d) Procedure for a mentor firm to notify the protégé in advance if it intends to voluntarily withdraw from the program or terminate the Mentor Protégé relationship

e) Procedure for a protégé firm to notify the mentor in advance if it intends to terminate the Mentor Protégé relationship

f) A mutually agreed upon timeline to report quarterly the progress of the Mentor Protégé relationship to the state agency. This reporting period should coincide with the timeline for annual HUB reporting purposes

g) The agreement must state that the participation by the Mentor Protégé is voluntary. The agreement must include written documentation that participation in the university’s Mentor Protégé Program is neither a guarantee for a contract opportunity nor a promise of business; but the program's intent is to foster positive long-term business relationships

The initial University of Texas at Austin’s Mentor Protégé Agreement sponsorship will be for a period of at least 24 months commencing from the date the Mentor Protégé Agreement is signed by all parties, unless the agreement includes potential subcontracting opportunities that exceed this time period. The agreement may be extended by the mentor and protégé for an additional 2 years period, with a maximum of 3 cycles with the approval of the HUB/SB office. The HUB/SB office will make the appropriate update (s).

All of the information in the agreement between the Mentor and Protégé will be incorporated into an agreement summary composed by HUB/SB staff, which will identify the area(s) of subcontracting, when applicable. Three copies of the agreement and the university’s agreement summary will be completed. One is to be retained by the Mentor, one is to be retained by the protégé and one is to be retained by the HUB/SB office.

4. Reporting Mentor Protégé Activities

Quarterly, the HUB/SB office will compile reports and surveys submitted by mentors and protégés that document any progress made as a result of the agreements. This report should include a summary of key progress made by protégés relative to their respective Agreements. HUB/SB staff will also coordinate quarterly meetings (or telephonic conferences), to discuss the progress of both the Mentor and Protégé. In addition, annual program evaluation information will be collected and prepared for submission with the agency’s supplemental letter as a component of its annual HUB reporting materials. The program efforts and results will also be reported in the university’s HUB Strategic Plan.

5. Reporting to the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts

In accordance with the TBPC’s HUB Rules, 1 TAC, 111.28(k), the UT Austin will report each sponsored Mentor Protégé relationship to the TBPC upon completion of a signed agreement by both parties. Information regarding the Mentor Protégé Agreement shall be reported to the TBPC in a form prescribed by the TBPC within 21 calendar days after the agreement has been signed. The TBPC will register all agreements on the approved list of mentors and protégés.

Approved Mentor Protégé Agreements are valid for all state agencies in determining good faith effort for the particular area of subcontracting to be performed by the Protégé identified in the HUB business subcontracting plan.

G. The University of Texas at Austin’s Mentoring Efforts

To assist vendors in gaining knowledge regarding The University of Texas at Austin contracts and bid opportunities, the HUB/SB office will provide quarterly training to interested protégés, HUBs, and other small businesses regarding the university’s procurement processes, subcontracting procedures and the general structure of doing business with the university. This mentor relationship will provide assistance to potential proposers and bidders in being a responsive vendor.

H. HUB Coordinator - Mentor/Protégé Program Reporting

On an annual basis, The University of Texas at Austin’s HUB Coordinator or designee will compile reports submitted by mentors and protégés that document any progress made as a result of the agreements. This report should include a summary of key progress made by protégés relative to their respective agreements.

Annual program evaluation information will be collected and prepared for submission with the agency’s supplemental letter as a component of its annual HUB reporting materials. The program efforts and results will also be included as a part of the university’s HUB Strategic Plan.

HUB/SB Office Online "Desk Manual"