Estela M. Diaz

Estela M. Diaz serves as the Small Business Coordinator for the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA), and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), playing a pivotal role in advancing small business inclusion across federal procurement activities. In this capacity, she ensures compliance with FAR Part 19 requirements, advises contracting officers on socioeconomic set-asides, and facilitates outreach to qualified small business concerns. Her work directly supports the agencies’ mission to secure essential services and supplies related to food safety, agricultural trade, and animal health while promoting equitable access to federal contracting opportunities for underserved vendors. While specific contractor names are not available, Diaz fosters strategic partnerships with a diverse array of small business entities, particularly those certified under socioeconomic programs such as Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSBs), HUBZone firms, and general small business concerns. Her engagement model emphasizes early vendor outreach, pre-solicitation collaboration, and tailored technical assistance to enhance small business responsiveness to complex acquisition requirements, reinforcing a culture of inclusion and competitive fairness. Diaz demonstrates a strong preference for small business set-asides, with 41.7% of her acquisitions designated as total small business set-asides under FAR 19.5 and 25% reserved specifically for SDVOSBs. This reflects a deliberate strategy to maximize participation from disadvantaged and veteran-owned enterprises, aligning with federal mandates to increase contracting opportunities for these communities. Her approach prioritizes transparency and accessibility, ensuring small businesses understand solicitation criteria and can effectively compete for awards. Her procurement focus centers on key NAICS categories including 424480 (fresh fruit and vegetable wholesale distribution), 311611 (animal slaughtering), and 811310 (commercial machinery repair), reflecting the agencies’ operational needs in food supply chains and agricultural infrastructure. She also supports technology-enabled services under 518210, indicating expertise in procuring data systems and IT infrastructure critical to modernizing inspection and reporting capabilities across USDA missions.