Federal Mentor-Protégé Program

During the past 24 months, the AbilityOne Program has been enhanced and modernized and federal agencies have provided additional support.

Our Value Proposition to Mentors

Three main takeaways

Top 10 reasons

for your company to consider participating in the new SourceAmerica Mentor-Protégé Program
under the AbilityOne Program (SAMPP)

1. New: Updates to the program could result in a ~$4B increase in AbilityOne spending.

2. Benefits of the new SourceAmerica Mentor-Protégé Program under the AbilityOne Program (SAMPP).

• • New: The SAMPP team can market directly to the government.
  • New: The government can designate the Mentor-Protégé team as a sole source
  • FAR Subpart 8.7 defines the AbilityOne Program products and services as a mandatory source.
  • Awards are not GAO protestable.
  • AbilityOne Program contracts are not recompeted as long as the government needs the service and performance standards are maintained.
  • As the FAR defines, the AbilityOne Program requirement supersedes the SBA’s small business program requirement.

3. New: The AbilityOne Commission updated the program’s definition of qualifying disabilities. Participating employees’ eligibility has been expanded from only “severely disabled” to now being aligned with documentation from the Social Security Administration (SSA) or  Department of Veterans Affairs.

4. New: The AbilityOne Program’s traditional “lines of business” (i.e., services) have been expanded to include information technology, cybersecurity, engineering, call centers, aircraft maintenance, warehousing, and other NAICS.  

5. New: New services are provided​ a longer transition lead times to establish disability labor ratios

6. New: SAMPP Protégés and Mentors can combine past performance qualifications.

7. New: The Wounded Warrior Program supports service-disabled recruiting and staffing needs for the SAMPP.

8. New: The AbilityOne Program objectives are aligned with Executive Order 13985.

9. OMB Memorandums requested agencies to increase their support for the AbilityOne Program.

• • New: AbilityOne Program Liaisons (ABORs) can support agency program and procurement teams, as well as AbilityOne Authorized Nonprofit Agencies (NPAs).
  • New: Agency AbilityOne Program spending goals have been established.
  • New: The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) classifies AbilityOne Program awards as Tier 2 for meeting Category Management goals.
  • New: Some prime contracts now include mandatory AbilityOne Program workshare provisions (e.g., U.S. Air Force example slides 86-87, Department of Energy slides 36-41).
  • New: Several other agencies have issued additional memoranda of support.

10. New: Some GWAC awards include mandatory AbilityOne Program workshare provisions (e.g., NASA SEWP VI).