Mentor Protégé and Joint Ventures

This lesson explores two advanced teaming strategies that can dramatically expand your opportunities in government contracting: joint ventures (JVs) and mentor protégé agreements. You’ll learn how JVs allow two or more companies to combine past performance, share prime contractor status, and compete for larger contracts that might otherwise be out of reach. The training also explains the requirements for setting up a JV, including SAM.gov registration, legal agreements, and the time needed to stand up a new entity before pursuing government sales.

You’ll also discover how mentor protégé relationships; most commonly through SBA or DoD programs; allow small businesses to gain process maturity, resources, and access to teaming opportunities with larger companies. When combined with a joint venture, this becomes a mentor protégé JV, often called a “golden ticket,” because it gives large firms access to small business set-asides while allowing protégés to leverage the past performance of both companies. By building credibility first through prime and subcontracting work, you’ll naturally position yourself for these high-value GovCon relationships that can unlock bigger contracts and long-term growth.