HUB Program

Mentor Protégé Policy

Policy

In accordance with TAC § 2161.065 and Texas Procurement And Support Service’s (TPASS) Mentor Protégé Program, the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) established the TTUHSC Mentor Protégé Program to foster long-term relationships between prime contractors and Historically Underutilized Businesses (HUBs) and increase the ability of HUBs to do business with the State. It is the intent of the TTUHSC Mentor Protégé Program to build effective working relationships between leaders of mature established companies and emerging minority- and women-owned companies in order for the latter to benefit from the knowledge and experience of the established firms.

Program Scope and Objectives

These policies and procedures apply to all potential Mentor and Protégé companies applying to TTUHSC or the Texas Mentor Protégé Initiative (TMPI) for sponsorship. TTUHSC or TMPI sponsored Mentor companies assist sponsored Protégé companies in developing implementation plans, which identify needs, actions and results required for the Protégé to be a successful businessperson and contractor. In identifying and overcoming barriers that typically inhibit or restrict the success of minority- and women-owned businesses, the program hopes to produce a base of high quality, competitive and profitable HUB companies through incremental improvement in their respective business practices.

The TTUHSC Mentor-Protégé Program has three key objectives:

  1. Increase the overall participation of HUBs in State of Texas subcontracting;
  2. Foster long-term relationships between prime contractors and Historically Underutilized Businesses;
  3. Increase the ability of HUBs to contract with the State or to receive subcontracts under a state or agency-delegated contract.

TTUHSC's Mentor-Protégé Program desires the following outcomes:

  1. Increase the Mentor company's interest and confidence in partnering with certified HUB vendors.
  2. Improve the Protégé company's long-term stability in their respective industry.
  3. Increase TTUHSC's opportunity to receive qualified and responsive bids that provide best value to the Agency as well as its strategic partners and customers.

Responsible Agency Personnel

TTUHSC's HUB Coordinator and their designated staff are responsible for the administration, outreach, education, and compliance and reporting of the Mentor Protégé Program. This includes maintaining application documents, program information materials, Mentor and Protégé application files, and Mentor Protégé Agreements. Program resources from other agency programs may be utilized to carry out the objectives of the program as needed.

Any questions regarding participation requirements or procedures below should be directed to the TTUHSC HUB Coordinator.

Program Eligibility Requirements

All companies interested in becoming a Mentor or Protégé must:

  1. Complete a TTUHSC or TMPI Mentor/Protégé Application and identify their willingness to participate in the Mentor Protégé Program and comply with program rules and the Mentor Protégé Agreement’s development and reporting requirements;
  2. Be in "good standing" with the State of Texas and not in violation of any State statutes, rules or governing policies.

Mentors eligibility requirements additionally include being:

  • A registered bidder on TPASS's Centralized Master Bidders List (CMBL)

Protégé eligibility requirements additionally include being one or more of the following:

  • A TPASS-certified HUB certified for one year or less;
  • A TPASS-certified HUB offering services in one of the top 30 State spending categories;
  • A TPASS-certified "adjusted" HUB (this classification references HUBs in an eligible certification category underutilized more than other categories in the same industry);
  • An operational business for at least one year that is eligible and willing to become certified as a HUB.

TTUHSC Sponsorship Process

Potential Mentor and Protégé companies should mail or fax their applications to:
John Haynes, HUB Coordinator
TTUHSC
3601 4th Steet
(Stop 9021)
Lubbock, Texas 79430-9021
Phone:    806-743-7387
Fax:   806-743-7350

Program staff will review the application for minimum eligibility criteria and consider additional information below in selecting a Mentor/Protégé for TTUHSC sponsorship.

For Mentor companies they will review:

  • Mentoring experience, if any;
  • Work experience in developmental guidance areas that meet the needs of the Protégé companies applying. This is including but not limited to, business, financial, and personnel management; technical matters such as bid development, production, inventory control and quality assurance; insurance, equipment and facilities; and/or other related resources;
  • Work history with government entities including city, county, state or federal entities.

For Protégé companies they will review:

  • Previous or current involvement in a mentoring relationship with another contractor/vendor;
  • The type of guidance requested by the Protégé;
  • The applicability of the Protégé company’s goods and services to TTUHSC needs.

Mentor/Protégé Matching

Program staff will contact the approved Mentor firm for additional Protégé criteria above and beyond that outlined by TTUHSC. Once accepted, program staff will forward copies of applications received by Protégé companies that meet the proposed Mentor's criteria for selection of a Protégé. When matching agency-approved Mentor companies to agency-approved Protégé companies the program staff will make every effort to consider:

  • Mentor and Protégé companies/staff who share the same major business responsibility (e.g., Owner/Manager, Marketing Representative, Chief Financial Officer);
  • Geographic proximity to each other;
  • A Protégé company's needs identified as a Mentor's skill set that they are willing to share.

Mentors are responsible for interviewing prospective Protégé companies and drafting a mutually acceptable Mentor Protégé Agreement. Mentors will be instructed to initiate contact with their protégé candidates as soon as possible and when feasible to conduct face-to-face mentoring meetings. The finalized agreement will be submitted to the TTUHSC HUB Coordinator for approval prior to execution.

Mentor/Protégé Orientation

Program staff will conduct Mentor/Protégé orientations. These orientation sessions will be conducted for the purpose of helping selected Mentor and Protégé representatives understand their respective roles in a Mentor Protégé relationship.

Program staff will also detail their role. Mentors will be instructed that the frequency of information shared with its Protégé increases the likelihood of the success of the agreement. Such regular structured interaction supports an effective mentoring relationship and should be reflected in the Mentor Protégé Agreement. Attendance is a prerequisite for Mentor/Protégé sponsorship by TTUHSC.

The Mentor Protégé Agreement

The Mentor Protégé Agreement is a document drawn between the Mentor and Protégé that details the nature of the relationship for the purpose of TTUHSC sponsorship.  Clearly defined mentoring expectations lead to an effective relationship. 

The Mentor and the Protégé should agree on the nature of their involvement under the agency's Mentor/ Protégé initiative.  The Mentor and Protégé agreement may include, but is not limited to, the following:  

  1. Identification of the developmental areas in which the Protégé needs guidance;
  2. The time period which the developmental guidance will be provided by the Mentor;
  3. Name, address, phone and fax numbers, and the points of contact that will oversee the agreement of the Mentor and Protégé;
  4. Procedure for a Mentor firm to notify the Protégé in advance if it intends to voluntarily withdraw from the program or terminate the Mentor Protégé relationship;
  5. Procedure for a Protégé firm to notify the Mentor in advance if it intends to terminate the Mentor Protégé relationship;
  6. A mutually agreed upon timeline to report the progress of the Mentor Protégé relationship to the state agency.   This reporting period should coincide with the TTUHSC timeline for annual HUB reporting purposes.
  7. The agreement must state that the participation by the Mentor/Protégé is voluntary. The agreement must include written documentation that participation in the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Mentor Protégé Program is neither a guarantee for a contract opportunity nor a promise of business; but the Program's intent is to foster positive long-term business relationships.

The time span of the Mentor Protégé Sponsorship Agreement will be mutually agreed upon and signed by all parties.  

Three original copies of the agreement will be drawn.  One is to be retained by the Mentor, one by the Protégé and one by the TTUHSC HUB Coordinator. 

Reporting Mentor Protégé Activities

On an annual basis, the agency HUB Coordinator or their designee will provide questionnaires/surveys to Mentor and Protégé companies and will document any progress made by the Protégé as a result of the agreement.   Annual program evaluation information may be included in the agency’s Supplemental Letter, and may be submitted as part of the Annual HUB Report.  The program efforts and results will also be reported in the agency's HUB Plan.