Dan Trausch

Dan Trausch serves as a key procurement lead within the USDA Agricultural Research Service’s Agricultural Research Facility Management and Procurement Division, where he orchestrates the acquisition of mission-critical laboratory instrumentation, precision maintenance services, and specialized research support systems essential to advancing food security and sustainable agricultural science. His responsibilities encompass the full lifecycle of procurement actions—from market research and solicitation development to contract award and performance monitoring—ensuring alignment with federal acquisition regulations and the agency’s scientific priorities. Trausch primarily handles complex, high-precision acquisitions involving analytical equipment, biosafety-certified infrastructure, and contamination-controlled facility services critical to high-throughput biological research. He maintains consistent working relationships with a curated group of niche vendors, including Germfree Laboratories, LLC for controlled-environment lab systems; Gold Wave Inc. for specialized calibration and maintenance; and J’s Associates, LLC for technical support services. These partnerships reflect a preference for vendors with deep domain expertise in laboratory infrastructure, biosafety compliance, and precision instrumentation, fostering long-term reliability and technical compatibility with ARS research protocols. Trausch demonstrates an unwavering commitment to small business participation, directing 100% of his procurements under the Small Business Set-Aside program per FAR 19.5. All awards are reserved exclusively for small businesses, reinforcing USDA’s socioeconomic goals and enabling innovation from agile, specialized contractors with proven capabilities in regulated research environments. His procurement activity is entirely focused on NAICS 311119 (Other Animal Food Manufacturing), reflecting the division’s unique need for equipment and services supporting animal nutrition research, feed safety analysis, and microbial contamination control. This specialization demands deep technical understanding of laboratory-grade analytical tools, sterile processing systems, and compliance with USDA food safety standards, positioning Trausch as a subject-matter expert in procuring for applied agricultural bioscience.