The A.L. Philpott Manufacturing Extension Partnership, doing business as GENEDGE Alliance, was established as a political subdivision of the Commonwealth to help create and maintain industrial and manufacturing jobs. GENEDGE is experienced in industrial training and technology transfer programs in the Commonwealth and has access to Federal Grant funds to support the creation and implementation of the program. The Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity reviewed GENEDGE's Emerging Business Program and has determined that it is consistent with SBSD's mission and goals and the legislatively mandated Mentorship program, and asked GENEDGE to provide and manage a start-up women-owned and/or minority-owned business mentorship program on behalf of SBSD under GENEDGE's Emerging Business Program. GENEDGE agreed to provide and manage the start-up program, called LEVELING UP: VIRGINIA SMALL BUSINESS AND SUPPLIER DIVERSITY'S MENTOR PROTEGE PROGRAM.

W.M. Jordan Company with headquarters in Newport News has a long history of mentoring minority and women-owned businesses through a combination of its own internal and Federal Small-Business Administration's mentor-protégé programs. The Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity reviewed W.M. Jordan Company's Mentor-Protégé Program and has determined that it is consistent with SBSD's mission and goals and the legislatively mandated Mentorship program, and asked W.M. Jordan Company to assist SBSD in providing and managing a start-up women-owned and/or minority-owned business mentorship program via W.M. Jordan Company's Mentor-Protégé Program.