Aileene Mitchell Ford

Aileene Mitchell Ford serves as a Contract Specialist (Team Lead), guiding the acquisition lifecycle for mission-critical scientific and medical support services. In this leadership role, she oversees the planning, solicitation, evaluation, and award of contracts aligned with federal procurement regulations, ensuring compliance with FAR and agency-specific policies. Her portfolio primarily encompasses research and development initiatives in physical, engineering, and life sciences, as well as clinical laboratory services, supporting high-priority federal objectives in public health and scientific innovation. She works closely with program managers, technical evaluators, and legal counsel to structure complex, performance-based acquisitions that deliver measurable outcomes while maintaining fiscal integrity and regulatory adherence. While specific contractor names are not available, Ford’s procurement patterns indicate a consistent engagement with a diverse range of vendors, including large primes and small businesses, particularly those with technical expertise in laboratory operations, clinical research support, and scientific instrumentation. Her working relationships emphasize collaborative vendor engagement, early market research, and transparent evaluation criteria to foster competitive, high-quality responses. She prioritizes clear communication throughout the acquisition process to build trust and ensure vendor understanding of technical requirements and compliance expectations. Ford demonstrates a strong commitment to socioeconomic contracting, with 80% of her acquisitions conducted under open competition and 20% structured as Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5. This balanced approach reflects her dedication to expanding opportunities for small businesses without compromising mission needs. She actively promotes small business participation through pre-solicitation outreach and by designing requirements that are accessible to qualified small firms, aligning with broader federal goals for equitable contracting. Her primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 541712, encompassing research and development in physical, engineering, and life sciences, including laboratory testing, data analysis, and experimental design services. She also regularly procures medical laboratory services under NAICS 621511, ensuring compliance with CLIA and other regulatory standards. Her expertise spans technical domains including biomedical research, analytical instrumentation, and clinical diagnostics, making her a key player in advancing federal scientific capacity through strategic contracting.