Grace V. Ayers

Grace V. Ayers serves as a Contract Specialist within the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), supporting the Department of Defense’s mission to deliver timely, accurate, and actionable geospatial intelligence. In this role, she manages the full lifecycle of procurement actions for professional, technical, and administrative services critical to modernizing geospatial data infrastructure. Her acquisitions focus on analytical tools, data processing systems, and mission support services that enhance the agency’s ability to collect, analyze, and disseminate geospatial intelligence. Ayers ensures compliance with federal acquisition regulations while aligning contract strategies with NGA’s strategic priorities in technology modernization and operational readiness. Her primary contractor relationships center on ECS Federal, LLC, with whom she has developed a consistent, performance-driven partnership for mission-critical support services. She also engages a diverse ecosystem of professional service providers, including consulting firms and technical integrators, fostering collaborative, long-term vendor relationships grounded in compliance, innovation, and mission alignment. Ayers prioritizes vendors with proven expertise in geospatial analytics and defense-sector experience, ensuring contract outcomes meet rigorous national security standards. Ayers demonstrates a balanced approach to socioeconomic contracting, with approximately 70% of her acquisitions conducted as unrestricted actions and 30% set aside for total small businesses under FAR 19.5. While she does not routinely utilize 8(a), HUBZone, or SDVOSB set-asides, her portfolio reflects a deliberate commitment to small business participation through full and open competition with small business preferences, enabling broader access for qualified firms. Her procurement focus is concentrated in NAICS 561110 (Office Administrative Services) and 541990 (All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services), reflecting demand for data management, systems integration, and technical consulting. She also frequently procures services under 541690 (Scientific and Technical Consulting) and 334111 (Electronic Computer Manufacturing), indicating deep engagement with geospatial software development, analytical platform support, and specialized hardware integration essential to NGA’s operational ecosystem.