(a) To be eligible for selection as a Protege, a firm must—

(1) Be a small business certified under Section 8(a) of the Small Business Act by SBA, other small disadvantaged business, a women-owned small business, HBCU, or any other minority institution of higher learning, or a small business concern owned and controlled by service disabled veterans;

(2) Be eligible for receipt of government contracts;

(3) Have been in business for at least two (2) years prior to application for enrollment into the Mentor-Protege Program; and

(4) Be able to certify as a small business according to the Standard Industrial Code for the services or supplies to be provided by the Protege under its subcontract with the Mentor.

(b) A prospective Mentor may rely in good faith on written representations by a prospective Protege that the Protege meets the requirements in paragraph (a) of this section.