FOR PROTÉGÉS

Increased corporate capabilities and new market opportunities enable the protégé firm to compete more successfully in both th e military and commercial marketplace. Qualified small disadvantaged businesses get the excellent opportunity to develop long-term strategic b usiness alliances with large DoD prime contractors by becoming a protégé. The protégé also has access to GMU's res ources — both business and technology.

Qualifications
The law stipulates that new protégé companies must be any of the following:< /p>

• SBA Certified Small Disadvantaged Business
• Qualified organization employing severely disabled
• Woman Owned Small Business
• Service Disabled Veteran Owned Business
• Historically Underutilized Business Zone

For more information, please see DFAR 219.71, Appendix I.

Keys to Succeed

• Trust
• Communication
• Win-win-win philosophy
• Sound business case
• Established goals and objectives
• Reevaluate relationship on a recurring basis