The City of Dallas Small Business Center started its first 2024 Mentor Protégé Program on Thursday, providing a range of services and opportunities for different small business owners across the DFW area.
The City’s program aims to boost support the development of minority and women-owned businesses (M/WBE) while improving the overall success of small businesses across Dallas, as stated on the City’s website.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, initiatives like these have faced criticism for potentially being unconstitutional, with some policy experts suggesting that race-conscious allocations of taxpayer resources may violate the law.
The program’s start date coincided with Gov. Greg Abbott’s recent proclamation declaring April 28 through May 4 as 2024 Small Business Week in Texas, the same week the nation also collectively celebrates celebrates the small business sector.
The Mentor Protégé Program is being promoted as a comprehensive program featuring individual mentoring and networking opportunities, as well as various workshops and training sessions designed to encourage business growth and development. Within the program, experienced businesses — known as mentors — offer guidance, resources, and expertise to protégés, helping them navigate the challenges of entrepreneurship.
The program will include “Financially Stable Mentors,” defined as prime contractors with secured contracts within the City of Dallas or neighboring municipalities, with a minimum of one to three years of operational experience.
It will also prioritize support for diverse “Emerging Protégé Businesses,” defined as M/WBE-certified small business owners who aim to increase their financial revenue and secure contracting opportunities through comprehensive training and mentorships.
Joyce Williams, director of the Small Business Center, emphasized the program’s mission.
“The program aims to encourage collaboration between experienced businesses (mentors) and smaller enterprises (protégés), fostering their ability to excel as prime contractors or subcontractors in various contracting opportunities,” Williams stated.
Williams urged all eligible businesses to take advantage of this transformative opportunity, highlighting the program’s potential to strengthen Dallas’s economic landscape by nurturing small business ventures.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, Texas proudly hosts an impressive 3.2 million small businesses, together providing jobs for nearly half of the state’s employed population.
For more information on the Mentor Protégé Program and eligibility criteria, visit the program’s online portal.
