The PennDOT Mentor Protégé Program provides an avenue to connect experienced PennDOT consultants with new and growing DBs, to assist with building or expanding their experience in the industry, including assisting them to move into non-traditional areas of consultation work.
The Program is open to all PA UCP certified firms. A PAUCP certified DBE firm, who can become registered as a PennDOT Business Partner during the Program and obtain Active Qualifications Package in ECMS. Protégés that are exploring new market expansion for new disciplines may also apply. PennDOT’s provisional or conditional qualifications may apply in certain circumstances
Intrested in the Mentor-Protégé Program?
We can help you navigate the full PennDOT process from Business Partner Registration, Contractor Prequalification & Consultant Qualification all the way through to bidding on and executing a contract.
Certified DBs desiring to participate in PennDOT’shighway construction program can receive all 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 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.
The mentor and protégé firms will partner to establish protégé firms as experienced vendors for the Commonwealth. Together, they will explore opportunities to provide training and development, share knowledge, and collaboratively review the protégé’s work product.
As an example, a Consultant Mentor / Protégé team pursuing a project would go through the following steps together in the Statement of Interest (SOI)process: