logo

Calmentor and Mentor-Protégé

Office of Business & Economic Opportunity

There are two Caltrans Mentoring Programs:

Calmentor for Architecture & Engineering (A&E) and Mentor-Protégé for Construction
The goal of both mentoring programs is to foster partnerships which advance business, learning, and networking
opportunities for all participants.

Partnerships are between Prime Consultants/Contractors who serve as mentors and sub-Consultants/Subcontractors are protégés. The type of mentoring will depend on a predetermined agreement between the mentor and
protégé; mentoring is usually provided based on the needs of the protégé and available resources from the mentor. Examples of mentoring projects might include things such as marketing, payroll, bidding processes, etc. To learn about a firm that you may be able to partner with, go to one of the program links below for more information and an application. The timeline for Calmentor and Mentor-Protégé formal relationships varies in each Caltrans district and an average is between one and two years. With the guidance and support of regional programs at the inception, the amount of allocated time spent per month also varies and is jointly agreed upon by mentors and protégés.

Calmentor encourages and supports volunteer partnerships between small businesses and larger A&E firms in transportation projects.

There are five Calmentor programs for A&E firms. Some Calmentor programs are in individual districts, while others are clustered to include more than one district. Consistent with the Governor’s Executive Order No. S-11-06, this is a statewide program in each of Caltrans 12 Districts.

North Region
Districts 1, 2, 3
http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist3/calmentoring/calmentor.htm

Bay Area
District 4
http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist4/calmentor/

Central Region
Districts 5, 6, 9, & 10
http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist6/ppm/calmentor/

Southern California Alliance
Districts 7, 8, & 12
http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist07/resources/calmentor/

San Diego & Imperial Counties
District 11
http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist11/calmentor/

Mentor-Protégé for Construction provides an opportunity for emerging Small and Disadvantaged transportation construction firms (protégé) to develop relationships with established Prime transportation contractors (mentor), in gaining valuable knowledge to help build a successful business. The goal of the program is to increase the number of small and disadvantaged companies that are able to successfully bid and participate on public works
transportation projects. The key responsibility of the program is to structure the interaction between the mentors and their protégés, so that the latter can reach their full potential.

At this time, there is one fully functioning Mentor-Protégé program for construction firms.

Bay Area
District 4
Webpage under construction

Central Region Coming Soon
Districts 5, 6, 9, & 10

http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist6/const/crmentorprotege/