The Department of Defense (DoD) has announced the winners of the fiscal year 2023 Nunn-Perry Award, recognizing excellence in the DoD Mentor-Protégé Program. The program will celebrate the accomplishments of this year's winners on August 1, 2024, at the Mentor-Protégé Summit in Detroit, MI.
"We are incredibly proud to recognize this year's Nunn-Perry Award winners," said Ms. Kasey Diaz, Director of the DoD Mentor-Protégé Program. "Their commitment to excellence in supporting and delivering capabilities across major defense programs is instrumental in advancing our national security objectives. These partnerships exemplify the collaborative spirit and innovative strategies that drive success in the Mentor-Protégé Program."
The Nunn-Perry Award is named for Senator Sam Nunn and former Secretary of Defense William Perry, who played critical roles in implementing the DoD Mentor-Protégé Program. Established in 1990, the program assists DoD prime contractors in meeting their Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB) subcontracting goals. The program was made permanent in the Fiscal Year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). This year it expanded with a pilot initiative providing developmental assistance to protégés performing in DoD reimbursable agreements with funding for projects supporting engineering, software development, or manufacturing customization for Warfighter support.
Under the program, mentor-protégé teams deliver capabilities across major defense programs. These teams include an experienced prime contractor serving as a mentor to a small business protégé. They are supported by an MPP partner organization such as a Small Business Development Center (SBDC), APEX Accelerator, Historically Black College and University (HBCU), Minority institution of higher education (MSI), women's business centers, or a Manufacturing Innovation Institute (MII).
The Nunn-Perry Award recipients exhibit exemplary protégé growth and development under their respective agreements.
The following are the 2024 Nunn-Perry Award winners:
- U.S. Army: CACI (mentor); Mayvin Inc. (protégé); Morgan State University (MPP partner)
- U.S. Army: All Points Logistics LLC (mentor); Eikon Research Inc. (protégé); The Catalyst Center for Business and Entrepreneurship (MPP partner)
- U.S. Navy: Raytheon, an RTX business (mentor); Tampa-Brass & Aluminum (protégé); Kentucky APEX Accelerator (MPP partner)
- U.S. Air Force: Global Resource Solutions Inc. (mentor); Trust Consulting Services (protégé); Southern University (MPP partner)
- U.S. Air Force: CACI (mentor); Expansia Group (protégé); Morgan State University (MPP partner)
- U.S. Air Force: Raytheon, an RTX business; eMagin Corporation; California State University and Kentucky APEX Accelerator
Additional information about the DoD Mentor-Protégé Program can be found online at https://business.defense.gov/Programs/Mentor-Protege-Program and details about the 2024 Mentor-Protégé Summit at https://dodmppsummit24.com.
