48 CFR §919.7007

1. (a)To be eligible for selection as a Protege, a firm must—
   1. (1)Be a small business certified under Section 8(a) of the Small Business Act by SBA, other small disadvantaged business, a women-owned small business, HBCU, or any other minority institution of higher learning, or a small business concern owned and controlled by service disabled veterans;
   2. (2)Be eligible for receipt of government contracts;
   3. (3)Have been in business for at least two (2) years prior to application for enrollment into the Mentor-Protege Program; and
   4. (4)Be able to certify as a small business according to the Standard Industrial Code for the services or supplies to be provided by the Protege under its subcontract with the Mentor.
2. (b)A prospective Mentor may rely in good faith on written representations by a prospective Protege that the Protege meets the requirements in paragraph (a) of this section.