Lockheed Martin Corporation will expand its successful mentor-protege program to include two small business teammates joining the company in pursuit of the $45 billion Department of Homeland Security (DHS) EAGLE (Enterprise Acquisition Gateway Leading Edge) Solutions contracting vehicle.

The company has entered a mentoring agreement with two of its EAGLE partners, TCoombs & Associates, LLC, of Lorton, Va., and Advanced Technologies International, of Germantown, Md. These firms were selected because of their experience in network security, database management, network management support, help desk, video conferencing and cyber security.

Under the EAGLE program, DHS will establish a suite of Indefinite Delivery-Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contracts for information technology support services that will enable DHS business and operational agencies to accomplish their mission objectives. The Lockheed Martin team is pursuing work in three of five functional categories defined under EAGLE. These incorporate a full range of IT services, including infrastructure engineering, operations and maintenance and software development.

Lockheed Martin has entered scores of mentor-protege partnerships with small business firms since the program's inception in 1991. The program was established by the federal government's Small Business Administration to help small businesses benefit from the expertise of larger, more established corporations. Lockheed Martin entities have been recognized for mentor- protege efforts with such honors as the SBA Eisenhower award and DoD Nunn- Perry award.

Tony Vancheri, Lockheed Martin Information Technology program manager, said "Lockheed Martin is fully committed to the DHS Mentor Protege Program. Our goal is to create a team with a wide range of professional, diverse suppliers that deliver high quality, innovative products and services competitively to the unrestricted track of the DHS EAGLE vehicle".

TCoombs and Associates is a Service Disabled Veteran company specializing in Telecom/IT Services including, data base management, help desk support and network security services. Advanced Technologies International, is a Woman- owned small business whose expertise is video teleconferencing and video/audio support, circuit provisioning and cyber security.

Kevin Butler, EAGLE Capture Manager for Lockheed Martin Information Technology, said "When we identify and partner with top performing small businesses with an industry niche and nurture their growth and development, the result is a stronger team to support our customers' needs".

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin employs about 135,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2005 sales of $37.2 billion.

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SOURCE: Lockheed Martin