La. Admin. Code tit. 19 § II-503

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 9, September 20, 2024

Section II-503 - Guidelines for Participation

A. The Mentor/Protege Program will be open to participation by any business entity, large or small, which meets the criteria for participation as outlined below.

1. Mentor Firms:

a. committed and able to provide professional guidance and support to its proteges to facilitate their development and growth, particularly in the critical areas of private and public procurements in construction;

b. demonstrates favorable financial health, including profitability for at least the last two years;

c. demonstrates the capability to provide managerial or technical skills transfer or capacity building;

d. capable of contracting with private and public entities;

e. in "good standing" with the Secretary of State, and not in violation of any state statutes, rules, or governing policies;

f. must remain in the program for the period of the developmental assistance as defined in the mentor/protege plan; and

g. such other requirements by the secretary as shall be consistent with Act 356.

2. Protege Firms:

a. is not an affiliate or related party of the mentor;

b. currently certified active in the Department of Economic Development's Small and Emerging Business Development Program, or is registered in the state's Small Entrepreneurship/Hudson Initiative Program;

c. in "good standing" with the Secretary of State, and not in violation of any state statutes, rules, or governing policies;

d. must remain in the program for the period of the developmental assistance as defined in the mentor/protege plan; and

e. such other requirements by the secretary as shall be consistent with Act 356.

B. Mentor Application and Selection

1. Approval of the secretary shall be obtained upon receipt and satisfactory review of an application that provides the information contained in the department's mentor application template (see Attachment A). Upon receipt, the secretary shall make such requests for other information necessary to a determination that the business should or should not be certified as a mentor under the rules and consistent with Act 356.

2. The application shall be reviewed by the Department of Economic Development to determine if the applicant qualifies as a mentor under the rules and consistent with Act 356.

3. Mentor applicant shall be notified by email of the status of the application.

C. Protege Selection

1. Selection of the protege is the responsibility, and at the discretion, of the mentor, with the concurrence of Louisiana Economic Development.

2. Proteges shall be selected from firms that are certified active in the Small and Emerging Business Development program, or are registered in the Small Entrepreneurship/Hudson Initiative program, and who are otherwise qualified under these rules before it begins participation in the mentor-protege arrangement. A protege selected from another source or reference must be referred to the Department of Economic Development for certification in the Small and Emerging Business Development program or the Small Entrepreneurship/Hudson Initiative program. The protege must meet the department's guidelines for certification in one or both of these programs as a condition of the mentor/protege agreement acceptance.

3. The mentor or Department of Economic Development will notify protege of its application status.

La. Admin. Code tit. 19, § II-503

Promulgated by the Department of Economic Development, Office of the Secretary, Division of Small and Emerging Business Development, LR 26:1573 (August 2000), amended by Department of Economic Development, Office of Business Development, LR 29:545 (April 2003), LR 30:756 (April 2004), LR 34:602 (April 2008).

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 51:942.