PART 719—SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAMS       Authority:                            42 U.S.C. 7254, 40 U.S.C. 486(c), 42 U.S.C. 2201.          Source:                            49 FR 13243, Apr. 3, 1984, unless otherwise noted.                                       Subpart 719.2—Policies                                                         719.270 Small business policies.                                                            719.271 Agency program direction and operation.                                                            719.271-1 General.                                                            719.271-2 The USAID Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU).                                                            719.271-3 USAID contracting officers.                                                            719.271-4 Heads of contracting activities.                                                            719.271-5 Contracting officer's representatives.                                                            719.271-6 Small business screening procedure.                                                            719.271-7 Reports on procurement actions that are exempted from screening.                                                            719.272 [Reserved]                                                                             Subpart 719.273—The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Mentor-Protégé Program                                                         719.273 The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Mentor-Protégé Program.                                                            719.273-1 Purpose.                                                            719.273-2 Definitions.                                                            719.273-3 Incentives for prime contractor participation.                                                            719.273-4 Eligibility of Mentor and Protégé firms.                                                            719.273-5 Selection of Protégé firms.                                                            719.273-6 Application process.                                                            719.273-7 OSDBU review of application.                                                            719.273-8 Developmental assistance.                                                            719.273-9 Obligations under the Mentor-Protégé Program.                                                            719.273-10 Internal controls.                                                            719.273-11 Solicitation provision and contract clause.                                                                             Subpart 719–7—The Small Business Subcontracting Program                                                         719.708 Contract clause.    **Parent topic:** SUBCHAPTER D—SOCIOECONOMIC PROGRAMSSubpart 719.2—Policies    719.270 Small business policies.       (a) In keeping with section 602 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2352), as amended, USAID shall, insofar as practicable and to the maximum extent consistent with the accomplishment of the purposes of said Act, assist U.S. small businesses to participate equitably in the furnishing of supplies and services for Foreign Assistance activities.          (b) It is the policy of USAID to:          (1) Fully endorse and carry out the Government's small business program for placing a fair proportion of its purchases and contracts for supplies, construction (including maintenance and repair), research and development, and services (including personal, professional, and technical services) with small business, including minority small business concerns; and          (2) Increase their participation in USAID procurement.          (c) In furtherance of this policy:          (1) Contracting officer's representatives shall make positive efforts (see 719.271–5) to identify potentially qualified small and minority business firms during precontract development of activities and shall, with the responsible contracting officers, assure that such firms are given full opportunity to participate equitably;          (2) Small business set-asides shall be made for all contracts to be executed in USAID/Washington which qualify for small business set-aside action under part 19 of the (48 CFR) FAR; and          (3) Consideration shall be given in appropriate cases to the award of the contract to the Small Business Administration for subcontracting to small business firms pursuant to section 8(a) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 637(a)).          (d) This program shall be implemented by all USAID/Washington contracting activities in order to attain these policy objectives. In accordance with 719.271, all USAID/Washington direct-procurement requirements which exceed the simplified acquisition threshold shall be screened for small business opportunities by the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) except those exempted by 719.271–6(a).          (e) Where practicable and desirable, small business and minority business enterprise award goals will be established for the respective USAID/Washington procuring activities to provide incentive for contracting personnel to increase awards to small firms. The goals will be set by OSDBU after consultation with the respective head of the contracting activity (see 702–170).          (f) In the event of a disagreement between OSDBU and the contracting officer concerning:          (1)  			A recommended set-aside, or (2) a request for modification or withdrawal of a class or individual set-aside, complete documentation of the case including the reasons for disagreement shall be transmitted within five working days to the head of the contracting activity (see 719.271–6(e)) for a decision. Procurement action shall be suspended pending a decision.          (g) The above suspension shall not apply where the contracting officer:          (1) Certifies in writing, with supporting information, that in order to protect the public interest award must be made without delay;          (2) Promptly provides a copy of said certification to OSDBU; and          (3) Includes a copy of the certification in the contract file.          (h) OSDBU shall be the Small Business Advisor and Minority Business Procurement Policy Manager for all USAID/Washington procuring activities.          (i) The details on the Agency's direction and operation of the small business program are set forth in 719.271.          (j) No decision rendered, or action taken, under the coverage set forth in 719.271 shall preclude the Small Business Administration from appealing directly to the USAID Administrator as provided for in part 19 of the FAR.719.271 Agency program direction and operation.719.271-1 General.       The purpose of this section is to prescribe responsibilities and procedures for carrying out the small business program policy set forth in 219.270, and in part 19 of the (48 CFR) FAR. Small business concerns are defined in (48 CFR) FAR subpart 19.1; in addition, small business concerns are concerns organized for profit. Nonprofit organizations are not considered small business concerns. Small disadvantaged business enterprises are defined in (48 CFR) FAR subpart 19.1. Small disadvantaged business enterprises are included in the term “small business” when used in this subpart; specific reference to disadvantaged business enterprises is for added emphasis.719.271-2 The USAID Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU).       (a) OSDBU is responsible for administering, implementing, and coordinating the Agency's small business (including minority business enterprises) program.          (b) OSDBU, headed by the Director, OSDBU, who also serves as the Minority Business Procurement Manager, shall be specifically responsible for:          (1) Developing policies, plans, and procedures for a coordinated Agency-wide small business and minority business enterprise procurement program;          (2) Advising and consulting regularly with USAID/Washington procuring activities on all phases of their small business program, including, where practicable and desirable, the establishment of small business and minority business enterprise award goals;          (3) Collaborating with officials of the Small Business Administration (SBA), other Government Agencies, and private organizations on matters affecting the Agency's small business program;          (4) [Reserved]          (5) Cooperating with contracting officers in administering the performance of contractors subject to the Small Business and Minority Business Enterprises Subcontracting Program clauses;          (6) Developing a plan of operation designed to increase the share of contracts awarded to small business concerns, including small minority business enterprises;          (7) Establishing small business class set-aside for types and classes of items of services where appropriate;          (8) Reviewing each procurement requisition to make certain individual or class set-asides are initiated on all suitable USAID/Washington proposed contract actions in excess of the simplified acquisition threshold which are subject to screening (see 719.271–6);          (9) Maintaining a program designed to:          (i) Locate capable small business sources for current and future procurements through GSA and other methods;          (ii) Utilize every source available to determine if an item is obtainable from small business; and          (iii) Develop adequate small business competition on all appropriate procurements;          (10) Taking action to assure that unnecessary qualifications, restrictive specifications, or other features (such as inadequate procurement lead time) of the programming or procurement process, which may prevent small business participation in the competitive process, are modified to permit such participation where an adequate product or service can be obtained;          (11) Recommending that portions of large planned procurements or suitable components of end items or services be purchased separately so small firms may compete;          (12) On proposed non-competitive procurements, recommending to the contracting officer that the procurement be made competitive when, in the opinion of OSDBU, there are small business or minority business enterprises believed competent to furnish the required goods or services, and supplying the contracting officer a list of such firms;          (13) Assisting small business concerns with individual problems;          (14) Promoting increased awareness by the technical staff of the availability of small business firms;          (15) Making available to GSA copies of solicitations when so requested;          (16) Counseling non-responsive or non-responsible small business bidders/offerors to help them participate more effectively in future solicitations; and          (17) Examining bidders lists to make certain small business firms are appropriately identified and adequately represented for both negotiated and advertised procurements.719.271-3 USAID contracting officers.       With respect to procurement activities within their jurisdiction, contracting officers are responsible for:          (a) Being thoroughly familiar with part 19 of the (48 CFR) FAR and this section dealing with the small business program;          (b) Screening abstracts of bids and other award data to determine set-aside potential for future procurements;          (c) Assuring that small business concerns and minority business enterprises are appropriately identified on source lists and abstracts of bids or proposals by an “S” and “M”, respectively, or other appropriate symbol;          (d) Reviewing types and classes of items and services to determine where small business set-asides can be applied;          (e) Recommending that portions of large planned procurements of suitable components of end items or services be purchased separately so small firms may compete;          (f) Making a unilateral determination for total or partial small business set-asides in accordance with subpart 19.5 of the Federal Acquisition Regulations;          (g) Submitting proposed procurement actions for USAID/Washington contracts to OSDBU for screening (see 719.271–6);          (h) Taking action to assure that unnecessary qualifications, restrictive specifications or other features (such as inadequate procurement lead time) of the programming or procurement process which may prevent small business participation in the competitive process are modified to permit such participation where an adequate product or service can be obtained;          (i) Prior to rendering a final decision on a proposed non-competitive procurement action, and as part of his/her findings and determinations, the contracting officer shall consider the recommendations, if any, of SDB together with the latter's list of additional sources;          (j) As appropriate, referring small business concerns, including small minority business enterprises, to OSDBU for information and advice;          (k) Promoting increased awareness by the technical staff of the availability of small business concerns;          (l) Making available to OSDBU copies of solicitations when requested;          (m) Assisting OSDBU in counseling non-responsive or non-responsible small business bidders/offerors to help them to participate more effectively in future solicitations; and          (n) Including the Small Business and Minority Business Enterprises Subcontracting Program clauses in all contracts where required by part 19 of the (48 CFR) FAR.719.271-4 Heads of contracting activities.       In order for the Agency small business program to be effective, the active support of top management is required. The heads of the contracting activities shall be responsible for:          (a) Rendering decisions in cases resulting from non-acceptances by their contracting officers of set-aside recommendations made by OSDBU;          (b) Consulting with OSDBU in establishing small business and minority business enterprise award goals, where practicable and desirable; and          (c) Advising contracting officer's representatives of their responsibilities as set forth in 719.271–5.719.271-5 Contracting officer's representatives.       Since the procurement process starts with the establishment of a requirement, the actions of the Contracting officer's representatives can affect the opportunity of small business to participate equitably; therefore, each contracting officer's representative shall, during the formulation of activities which will require contractual implementation:          (a) Consult with OSDBU on the availability and capabilities of small business firms to permit making a tentative set-aside determination where appropriate; and          (b) Provide sufficient procurement lead time in the activity implementation schedule to allow potential small business participation.719.271-6 Small business screening procedure.       Link to an amendment published at 89 FR 4206, Jan. 23, 2024.          (a) *General.* All USAID/Washington proposed contract actions in excess of the simplified acquisition threshold shall be screened by OSDBU, with the exception of:          (1) Class set-asides and those unilaterally set-aside by contracting officers (719.271–3(f));          (2) Those where the contracting officer certifies in writing that the public exigency will not permit the delay incident to screening (719.271–7(b));          (3) “Institution building” contracts (contracts for development of a counterpart capability in the host country) with educational or nonprofit institutions; or collaborative assistance contracts pursuant to (48 CFR) AIDAR 715.370–2.          (4) Those involving the payment of tuition and fees for participant training at academic institutions; and          (5) Personal services contract requirements (see 719.270).          (b) *Preparation of Form USAID 1410–14 (the Small Business/Minority Business Enterprise Procurement Review Form).*          (1)  			The contracting officer shall prepare the subject form in an original and 3 copies and forward the original and 2 copies to OSDBU within one working day of receipt by the contracting activity of a procurement requisition.          (2) The contracting officer will attach to his/her transmittal a complete copy of the procurement request and a copy of the recommended source list as furnished by the technical office and supplemented by him/her.          (3) The contracting officer shall complete blocks 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, and 10 (when appropriate) prior to submittal to OSDBU.          (c) *Screening of Form USAID 1410–14 by OSDBU.*          (1)  			OSDBU will screen the contracting officer's recommendations on set-aside potential, small business subcontracting opportunities, and section 8(a) subcontracting, and furnish him/her with either a written concurrence in his/her recommendations or written counter-recommendations on the original and duplicate copy within five working days from receipt of the form from the contracting officer.          (2) OSDBU will complete Blocks 1, 6, 7, 8, 11, and 12 (when appropriate) prior to returning the screened form to the contracting officer.          (d) *Concurrence or rejection procedure.*          (1)  			The contracting officer shall complete Block 13 upon receipt of the original and duplicate copy of the screened form from OSDBU.          (2) If the contracting officer rejects the OSDBU counter-recommendation, he/she shall return the original and duplicate forms with his/her written reasons for rejection to OSDBU within two working days.          (3) Upon receipt of the contracting officer's rejection, OSDBU may:          (i)  			accept, or (ii) appeal, the rejection. In the case of acceptance of the contracting officer's rejection, OSDBU shall annotate Block 14 when it renders a decision and return the original form to the contracting officer within two working days.          (e) *Appeal procedure.*          (1)  			When informal efforts fail to resolve the set-aside disagreement between the contracting officer and OSDBU, the latter official may appeal the contracting officer's decision to the head of the contracting activity. Such an appeal will be made within five working days after receipt of the contracting officer's rejection.          (2) In the case of an appeal, OSDBU will send the original and duplicate form, with the appeal noted in Block 14, directly to the head of the contracting activity with its written reasons for appealing. The contracting officer will be notified of OSDBU's appeal by means of a copy of the written reasons for appealing.          (3) The head of the contracting activity shall render a decision on the appeal (complete Block 15) within three working days after receipt of same and return the original to OSDBU and the duplicate to the contracting officer.719.271-7 Reports on procurement actions that are exempted from screening.       (a) *Unilateral and class set-asides.* The contracting officer shall prepare Form USAID 1410–14 as stated in 719.271–6, but forward only the duplicate copy with the documentation required by Block 5 of the form to OSDBU. The original will be filed in the contract file.          (1) If, upon review of the material submitted under 719.271–7(a) above, OSDBU concludes that it would be practicable to accomplish all or a portion of the procurement involved under section 8(a) subcontracting, it shall so advise the contracting officer in writing within five days after receipt of such material.          (2) Such advice shall be considered a counter-recommendation and shall be processed in accordance with 719.271–6 (d) and (e).          (b) *Public exigency exemption.* The contracting officer shall prepare Form USAID 1410–14 as stated in 719.271–6, but forward only the duplicate copy with the documentation required by Block 5 of the form to OSDBU. In addition to the documentation called for in 719.271–6, the contracting officer shall furnish a copy of his/her written determination exempting the procurement from screening. The determination shall cite the pertinent facts which led to his/her decision. This exemption is not intended to be used as substitute for good procurement planning and lead-time; OSDBU will report abuses of this exemption to the head of the contracting activity for appropriate action in accordance with 719.271–4(c).          (c) *Institution building contract (IBC) exemption.* The contracting officer shall prepare Form USAID 1410–14 as stated in 719.271–6, but forward only the duplicate copy with the documentation required by Block 5 of the form to OSDBU.          (d) *Personal services contract exemption.* Preparation of Form USAID 1410–14 is not required for personal services contracts.719.272 [Reserved]Subpart 719.273—The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Mentor-Protégé Program       Source:                               72 FR 32543, June 13, 2007, unless otherwise noted.    719.273 The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Mentor-Protégé Program.719.273-1 Purpose.       The USAID Mentor-Protégé Program is designed to assist small business, including veteran-owned small business, service-disabled veteran-owned small business, HUBZone, small socially and economically disadvantaged business, and women-owned small business in enhancing their capabilities to perform contracts and sub-contracts for USAID and other Federal agencies. The Mentor-Protégé Program is also designed to improve the performance of USAID contractors and subcontractors by providing developmental assistance to Protégé entities, fostering the establishment of long-term business relationships between small business and prime contractors, and increasing the overall number of small business that receive USAID contract and subcontract awards. A firm's status as a Protégé under a USAID contract shall not have an effect on the firm's eligibility to seek other prime contracts or subcontracts.719.273-2 Definitions.       Throughout, the term “small business” includes all categories of small firms as defined by the Small Business Administration (SBA) on whose behalf the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) is chartered to advocate, including small business, small disadvantaged business, women-owned small business, veteran-owned and service-disabled veteran-owned small business and small business located in HUBZones, as those terms are defined in 13 CFR part 124. The determination of affiliation is a function of the SBA.          (a) A “Mentor” is a prime contractor that elects to promote and develop small business subcontractors by providing developmental assistance designed to enhance the business success of the Protégé.          (b) “Program” refers to the USAID Mentor-Protégé Program as described in this Chapter.          (c) “Protégé” means a small business, small disadvantaged business, women-owned small business, HUBZone small business, veteran-owned small business or service-disabled veteran owned small business that is the recipient of developmental assistance pursuant to a Mentor-Protégé Agreement.719.273-3 Incentives for prime contractor participation.       (a) Under the Small Business Act, 15 U.S.C. 637(d)(4)(E), USAID is authorized to provide appropriate incentives to encourage subcontracting opportunities for small business consistent with the efficient and economical performance of the contract. This authority is limited to negotiated procurements. (48 CFR) FAR 19.202–1 provides additional guidance.          (b) Costs incurred by a Mentor to provide developmental assistance, as described in 719.273–8 to fulfill the terms of their agreement(s) with a Protégé firm(s), are not reimbursable as a direct cost under a USAID contract. If USAID is the mentor's responsible audit agency under (48 CFR) FAR 42.703–1, USAID will consider these costs in determining indirect cost rates. If USAID is not the responsible audit agency, mentors are encouraged to enter into an advance agreement with their responsible audit agency on the treatment of such costs when determining indirect cost rates.          (c) In addition to subparagraph (b) above, contracting officers may give Mentors evaluation credit under (48 CFR) FAR 15.101–1 considerations for subcontracts awarded pursuant to their Mentor-Protégé Agreements and their subcontracting plans. Therefore:          (1) Contracting officers may evaluate subcontracting plans containing Mentor-Protégé arrangements more favorably than subcontracting plans without Mentor-Protégé Agreements.          (2) Contracting officers may assess the prime contractor's compliance with the subcontracting plans submitted in previous contracts as a factor in evaluating past performance under (48 CFR) FAR 15.305(a)(2)(v) and determining contractor responsibility (48 CFR) 19.705–5(a)(1).          (d) OSDBU Mentoring Award. A non-monetary award will be presented annually to the Mentoring firm providing the most effective developmental support of a Protégé. The Mentor-Protégé Program Manager will recommend an award winner to the Director of the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU).          (e) OSDBU Mentor-Protégé Annual Conference. At the conclusion of each year in the Mentor-Protégé Program, Mentor firms will be invited to brief contracting officers, program leaders, office directors and other guests on Program progress.719.273-4 Eligibility of Mentor and Protégé firms.       Eligible business entities approved as Mentors may enter into agreements (hereafter referred to as “Mentor-Protégé Agreement” or “Agreement” and explained in section 719.273–6) with eligible Protégés. Mentors provide appropriate developmental assistance to enhance the capabilities of Protégés to perform as contractors and/or subcontractors. Eligible small business entities capable of providing developmental assistance may be approved as Mentors. Protégés may participate in the Program in pursuit of a prime contract or as subcontractors under the Mentor's prime contract with the USAID, but are not required to be a subcontractor to a USAID prime contractor or be a USAID prime contractor. Notwithstanding eligibility requirements in this section, USAID reserves the right to limit the number of participants in the Program in order to insure its effective management of the Mentor-Protégé Program.          (a) *Eligibility.* A Mentor:          (1) May be either a large or small business entity;          (2) Must be eligible for award of Government contracts;          (3) Must be able to provide developmental assistance that will enhance the ability of Protégés to perform as prime contractors or subcontractors; and          (4) Will be encouraged to enter into arrangements with entities with which it has established business relationships.          (b) *Eligibility.* A Protégé:          (1) Must be a small business, veteran-owned small business, service-disabled veteran-owned small business, HUBZone, small socially and economically disadvantaged business, and women-owned small business);          (2) Must meet the size standard corresponding to the NAICS code that the Mentor prime contractor believes best describes the product or service being acquired by the subcontract; and          (3) Eligible for award of Government contracts.          (c) Protégés may have multiple Mentors. Protégés participating in Mentor-Protégé programs in addition to USAID's Program should maintain a system for preparing separate reports of Mentoring activity so that results of the USAID Program can be reported separately from any other agency program.          (d) A Protégé firm shall self-certify to a Mentor firm that it meets the requirements set forth in paragraph (b) of this section and possess related certifications granted by the Small Business Administration (e.g., HUBZone, 8(a), etc.). Mentors may rely in good faith on written representations by potential Protégés that they meet the specified eligibility requirements. HUBZone and small disadvantaged business status eligibility and documentation requirements are determined according to 13 CFR part 124.719.273-5 Selection of Protégé firms.       (a) Mentor firms will be solely responsible for selecting Protégé firms. Mentors are encouraged to select from a broad base of small business including small disadvantaged business, women-owned small business, veteran-owned small business, service-disabled veteran-owned small business, and HUBZone firms whose core competencies support USAID's mission.          (b) Mentors may have multiple Protégés. However, to preserve the integrity of the Program and assure the quality of developmental assistance provided to Protégés, USAID reserves the right to limit the total number of Protégés participating under each Mentor firm for the Mentor-Protégé Program.          (c) The selection of Protégé firms by Mentor firms may not be protested, except that any protest regarding the size or eligibility status of an entity selected by a Mentor shall be handled in accordance with the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and the Small Business Administration regulations.719.273-6 Application process.       Entities interested in becoming a Mentor firm must apply in writing to the USAID Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) by submitting form AID 321–1 (OMB Control number 0412–0574 approved on 5/22/2007). The application shall contain the Mentor-Protégé Agreement and shall be evaluated for approval. Evaluations will consider the nature and extent of technical and managerial support as well as any proposed financial assistance in the form of equity investment, loans, joint-venture, and traditional subcontracting support. The Mentor-Protégé Agreement must contain:          (a) Names, addresses, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses (if available) of Mentor and Protégé firm(s) and a point of contact for both Mentor and Protégé;          (b) A description of the developmental assistance that will be provided by the Mentor to the Protégé, including a description of the work or product contracted for (if any), a schedule for providing assistance, and criteria for evaluation of the Protégé's developmental success;          (c) A listing of the number and types of subcontracts to be awarded to the Protégé;          (d) Duration of the Agreement, including rights and responsibilities of both parties (Mentor and Protégé);          (e) Termination procedures, including procedures for the parties' voluntary withdrawal from the Program. The Agreement shall require the Mentor or the Protégé to notify the other firm in writing at least 30 days in advance of its intent to voluntarily terminate the Agreement;          (f) Procedures requiring the parties to notify OSDBU immediately upon receipt of termination notice from the other party;          (g) A plan for accomplishing the work or product contracted for should the Agreement be terminated; and          (h) Other terms and conditions, as appropriate.719.273-7 OSDBU review of application.       (a) OSDBU will review the information to establish the Mentor and Protégé eligibility and to ensure that the information that is in section 719.273–6 is included. If the application relates to a specific contract, then OSDBU will consult with the responsible contracting officer on the adequacy of the proposed Agreement, as appropriate. OSDBU will complete its review no later than 30 calendar days after receipt of the application or after consultation with the contracting officer, whichever is later. Application for and enrollment into the Program are free and open to the public.          (b) After OSDBU completes its review and provides written approval, the Mentor may execute the Agreement and implement the developmental assistance as provided under the Agreement. OSDBU will provide a copy of the Mentor-Protégé Agreement to the USAID contracting officer for any USAID contracts affected by the Agreement.          (c) The Agreement defines the relationship between the Mentor and Protégé firms only. The Agreement itself does not create any privity of contract or contractual relationship between the Mentor and USAID nor the Protégé and USAID.          (d) If the application is disapproved, the Mentor may provide additional information for reconsideration. OSDBU will complete review of any supplemental material no later than 30 days after its receipt. Upon finding deficiencies that USAID considers correctable, OSDBU will notify the Mentor and Protégé and request correction of deficiencies to be provided within 15 days.719.273-8 Developmental assistance.       The forms of developmental assistance a Mentor can provide to a Protégé include and are not limited to the following:          (a) Guidance relating to—          (1) Financial management;          (2) Organizational management;          (3) Overall business management/planning;          (4) Business development; and          (5) Technical assistance.          (b) Loans;          (c) Rent-free use of facilities and/or equipment;          (d) Property;          (e) Temporary assignment of personnel to a Protégé for training; and          (f) Any other types of permissible, mutually beneficial assistance.719.273-9 Obligations under the Mentor-Protégé Program.       (a) A Mentor or Protégé may voluntarily withdraw from the Program. However, in no event shall such withdrawal impact the contractual requirements under any prime contract.          (b) Mentor and Protégé entities shall submit to the USAID Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) annual reports on progress under the Mentor-Protégé Agreement. USAID will evaluate annual reports by considering the following:          (1) Specific actions taken by the Mentor during the evaluation period to increase the participation of their Protégé(s) as suppliers to the Federal Government and to commercial entities;          (2) Specific actions taken by the Mentor during the evaluation period to develop technical and administrative expertise of a Protégé as defined in the Agreement;          (3) The extent to which the Protégé has met the developmental objectives in the Agreement;          (4) The extent to which the Mentor's participation in the Mentor-Protégé Program impacted the Protégé'(s) ability to receive contract(s) and subcontract(s) from private firms and Federal agencies other than USAID; and, if deemed necessary;          (5) Input from the Protégé on the nature of the developmental assistance provided by the Mentor.          (c) OSDBU will submit annual reports to the relevant contracting officer regarding participating prime contractor(s)' performance in the Program.          (d) Mentor and Protégé firms shall submit an evaluation to OSDBU at the conclusion of the mutually agreed upon Program period, the conclusion of the contract, or the voluntary withdrawal by either party from the Program, whichever comes first.719.273-10 Internal controls.       (a) OSDBU will oversee the Program and will work in concert with the Mentor-Protégé Program Manager and relevant contracting officers to achieve Program objectives. OSDBU will establish internal controls as checks and balances applicable to the Program. These controls will include:          (1) Reviewing and evaluating Mentor applications for validity of the provided information;          (2) Reviewing annual progress reports submitted by Mentors and Protégés on Protégé development to measure Protégé progress against the plan submitted in the approved Agreement;          (3) Reviewing and evaluating financial reports and invoices submitted by the Mentor to verify that USAID is not charged by the Mentor for providing developmental assistance to the Protégé; and          (4) Limiting the number of participants in the Mentor-Protégé Program within a reporting period, in order to insure the effective management of the Program.          (b) USAID may rescind approval of an existing Mentor-Protégé Agreement if it determines that such action is in USAID's best interest. The rescission shall be in writing and sent to the Mentor and Protégé after approval by the Director of OSDBU. Rescission of an Agreement does not change the terms of any subcontract between the Mentor and the Protégé.719.273-11 Solicitation provision and contract clause.       (a) The contracting officer shall insert the provision at (48 CFR) AIDAR 752.219–70 in all unrestricted solicitations exceeding $550,000 ($1,000,000 for construction) that offer subcontracting opportunities.          (b) The contracting officer shall insert the clause at (48 CFR) AIDAR 752.219–71 in all contracts where the prime contractor has signed a Mentor-Protégé Agreement with USAID.Subpart 719–7—The Small Business Subcontracting Program    719.708 Contract clause.       The Foreign Assistance Act calls for USAID to give U.S. Small Businesses an opportunity to provide supplies and services for foreign assistance projects. To help USAID meet this obligation, the contracting officer must insert the clause at (48 CFR) AIDAR 752.219–8 in all solicitations and contracts that contain the (48 CFR) FAR clause at 52.219–8, Utilization of Small Business Concerns.