Mentor-Protégé Program

Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) has created a Mentor Protégé Program to increase diversity and participation in the Diverse Business (DB) / Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program for contractors and consultants, with a focus on drawing in underserved and underrepresented companies.

Eligibility

Registration

Participation

Training/Support

Certified DBEs or DBs desiring to participate in PennDOT’shighway construction program are eligible to receive all DBE Supportive Services Center services at no charge.

To be eligible you must be a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise
(DBE) or Diverse Business (DB) a is a for-profit small business that is:

1. At least 51% owned by one or moreindividuals who are both socially andeconomically disadvantaged, or in thecase of a corporation, in which 51% ofthe stock is owned by one or more suchindividuals; AND
2. Whose management and daily business operations are controlled by one or more of the socially and economically disadvantaged individuals who own it. For information on becoming a certified DBE, contact PennDOT, Bureau of Equal Opportunity at 800-468-4201 or visit the UCP website at: WWW.PAUCP.COM

Certified DBEs and DBs desiring to participate in PennDOT’shighway construction program are eligible to receive all DBE/DB Supportive Services Center services at no charge. Download our guide to learn more about participation.

Participation is voluntary. ProRank and PenDot will assist Protégés who cannot find a Mentor. To the extent possible, the MPP will either match Mentor and Protégé businesses of the same field, discipline, and geographic region or will allow the Mentor to pair with a Protégé of their own choosing. Whether established independently or with BDISBO’s assistance, a pairing will not create a contract between the Mentor and Protégé.
Once a Mentor and Protégé are matched and agree to enter into the MPP, they will enter into a “Mentor Protégé Program Agreement” (MPP Agreement) which will define the relationship between the Mentor and Protégé firms and any developmental goals identified by the participants.