Biljana Ristik

Biljana Ristik serves as a key procurement professional within the U.S. Agency for International Development/Macedonia (USAID/Macedonia), supporting the agency’s mission to foster economic growth, institutional resilience, and transparent governance in North Macedonia. She manages the acquisition of technical assistance services designed to strengthen micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and enhance local organizational capacity. Her responsibilities include planning, soliciting, and awarding contracts for expert consulting services that align with USAID’s strategic development objectives, ensuring compliance with federal acquisition regulations and U.S. foreign assistance policy. Ristik’s portfolio centers on performance-based, results-driven acquisitions that require high levels of technical expertise and adaptive management. Ristik collaborates with a diverse array of international and local consulting firms, primarily engaging specialized management and administrative consultants with demonstrated experience in development economics, public sector reform, and enterprise development. Her contracting patterns reflect a preference for firms with deep regional knowledge and proven track records in delivering technical assistance under USAID frameworks. She maintains collaborative, performance-oriented relationships with vendors, emphasizing accountability, deliverable-based outcomes, and adaptive implementation in complex operating environments. Ristik’s procurement activities consistently prioritize open competition, with 100% of her acquisitions conducted under non-set-aside authorities. While she does not routinely utilize socioeconomic set-asides such as 8(a), HUBZone, or SDVOSB programs, her approach ensures broad market access and competitive fairness, aligning with USAID’s global procurement principles that emphasize merit-based selection over socioeconomic preferences. Her primary procurement focus is on NAICS 541611—Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services—reflecting her specialization in securing expert consultants for strategic planning, institutional strengthening, and governance reform initiatives. She routinely procures services in organizational development, financial systems improvement, and public-private partnership design, demonstrating deep technical expertise in development consulting and performance management frameworks.