Common use of Mentor-Protège Program Clause in Contracts

Mentor-Protège Program. The Department has established a Mentor-Protégé program as an initiative to encourage and develop disadvantaged businesses in the highway construction industry. The program encourages prime contractors to provide certain types of assistance to certified DBE subcontractors. ADOT encourages consultants and certified DBE subconsultants to engage in a Mentor-Protégé agreement under certain conditions. Such an agreement must be mutually beneficial to both parties and to ADOT in fulfilling requirements of 49 CFR Part 23. For guidance regarding this program refer to the Mentor-Protégé Program Guidelines available on the BECO website. The Mentor-Protégé program is intended to increase legitimate DBE activities and is not intended to diminish nor circumvent existing DBE rules or regulations.