Darren Long

Darren Long serves as a Contract Specialist responsible for managing the full lifecycle of federal acquisitions, from requirements definition through contract award and administration. He plays a critical role in ensuring compliance with federal procurement regulations while delivering mission-critical goods and services aligned with agency objectives. His portfolio centers on perishable prepared food manufacturing, where he executes competitive and non-competitive procurements under the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), often utilizing simplified acquisition procedures for low-dollar-value contracts. Darren ensures that all acquisitions meet quality, safety, and delivery standards while maintaining rigorous documentation and audit readiness. While no specific contractor relationships are currently identifiable in the dataset, Darren routinely engages with manufacturers and distributors specializing in ready-to-eat, refrigerated, and frozen food products. His contracting approach emphasizes vendor reliability, food safety certifications, and supply chain resilience, fostering long-term partnerships with firms capable of consistent batch-to-batch quality control and cold-chain logistics. He prioritizes vendors with established Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) compliance, ensuring products meet USDA and FDA regulatory benchmarks. Darren’s procurement activity is entirely non-set-aside, with 100% of his awards issued under full and open competition. This reflects a deliberate strategy to maximize market participation and price competitiveness within the perishable food manufacturing sector, rather than targeting socioeconomic categories such as 8(a), HUBZone, or SDVOSB programs. His approach underscores a focus on capability and compliance over socioeconomic preferences, aligning with mission needs that require high-volume, consistent supply without restriction. His primary focus is NAICS 311991—Perishable Prepared Food Manufacturing—where he procures ready-to-serve meals, refrigerated entrees, and other shelf-stable, temperature-controlled food products. Darren brings deep expertise in food safety standards, packaging specifications, and delivery timelines critical to institutional feeding programs. His technical domain knowledge includes cold chain integrity, shelf-life validation, and allergen control protocols, making him a specialist in procuring high-risk, high-sensitivity food items for federal operations.