The SBA’s new “all small” mentor-protege program will begin accepting applications on October 1, 2016–but applicants will have to contact the SBA for an application form.

After November 1, 2016, the SBA will be processing electronic applications through its certify.sba.gov website.

Earlier this fall, the SBA announced that it would begin processing mentor-protege applications on October 1.  The SBA’s official website for its all small mentor-protege program now provides the following instructions:

The SBA will begin accepting applications for the All Small Mentor Protégé Program on October 1, 2016.

If you would like to apply during the month of October, please send your request for an application to allsmallmpp_request@sba.gov.  An application and instructions will be emailed to you.  In November, 2016, you will be required to finalize the administrative process by adding your profile to certify.sba.gov and uploading your application and documents into that repository.

After November 1, applicants will be instructed to go directly to certify.sba.gov to begin and complete the application process.  Watch this site for updates.

It sounds to me like the SBA won’t really be “accepting” applications on October 1, so much as providing applicants the forms to complete and be submitted in November.  For those intending to apply to the program, it would make a lot of sense to email the SBA in early October, use the next several weeks to negotiate and complete the mentor-protege paperwork, and be one of the first to submit electronically in November.