The VA Mentor-Protege Program is designed to assist service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses (SDVOSBs) and veteran-owned small businesses (VOSBs) in enhancing their capabilities to perform contracts and subcontracts for VA. The Mentor-Protege Program is also designed to improve the performance of VA contractors and subcontractors by providing developmental assistance to Protege entities, fostering the establishment of long-term business relationships between SDVOSBs, VOSBs and prime contractors, and increasing the overall number of SDVOSBs and VOSBs that receive VA contract and subcontract awards. A firm's status as a Protege under a VA contract shall not have an effect on the firm's eligibility to seek other prime contracts or subcontracts.