Cara M. Batenhorst

Cara M. Batenhorst serves as a Contract Specialist responsible for managing the full lifecycle of procurement actions within her organization, ensuring compliance with federal acquisition regulations and promoting efficient, transparent contracting practices. She specializes in research and development acquisitions, particularly in the social sciences and humanities, where she designs and administers complex solicitation packages, evaluates technical proposals, and negotiates contract terms to align with mission objectives. Her role is central to advancing agency initiatives through strategic sourcing, fostering collaboration between program offices and industry partners to deliver high-quality analytical and policy research services. While specific contractor names are not available, Batenhorst maintains relationships with a diverse pool of vendors capable of delivering specialized research services, including academic institutions, think tanks, and independent consulting firms with expertise in qualitative and quantitative social science methodologies. Her contracting patterns reflect a preference for performance-based, outcome-driven contracts that emphasize deliverables, timelines, and methodological rigor. She routinely engages with vendors possessing deep domain knowledge in areas such as public policy analysis, behavioral economics, and sociological research. Batenhorst’s procurement portfolio is entirely non-set-aside, with 100% of her awards issued under full and open competition. This reflects a strategic focus on selecting the most qualified offerors regardless of socioeconomic status, prioritizing technical capability and past performance over preference programs. While she does not routinely utilize 8(a), HUBZone, or SDVOSB set-asides, her approach remains compliant with all applicable small business regulations and supports fair access to opportunities. Her primary NAICS code focus is 541720, Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities, indicating a deep specialization in procuring services related to policy evaluation, demographic studies, program impact assessments, and behavioral research. She regularly acquires expert analysis, data collection, survey design, and longitudinal study execution services from firms with proven experience in federally funded social science research.