NASA Small Business Supplier Development Program

10X Credit Pilot Program

For new Mentor‑Protégé Agreements beginning on or after October 1, 2026, NASA is launching its 10X Credit Pilot Program to strengthen participation in the NASA Small Business Supplier Development Program.  The pilot gives mentors a significantly enhanced incentive by allowing them to earn subcontracting credit equal to ten times the amount they invest in approved developmental assistance, which recognizes and rewards private mentor investment.  Continuing our past practice, the pilot enables mentors to apply the earned credit to any subcontracting goal category for which the protégé qualifies.  Throughout fiscal year 2027, NASA OSBP will evaluate the pilot’s impact and consider longer term program changes.

To receive credit under the pilot, mentors must follow standard subcontracting plan accounting rules, report earned credit through their Individual Subcontracting Reports (ISRs), and clearly identify the credit in ISR remarks so it is distinguishable from normal subcontracting activity.  The 10X credit supplements, rather than replaces, any subcontracting credit mentors would already earn through direct subcontracts with their protégés.  By aligning incentives with meaningful developmental investment and maintaining clear reporting expectations, the pilot encourages greater mentor engagement, deeper protégé support, and accelerates the development of small business capabilities across NASA’s industrial base.