Holly B. Knott

Holly B. Knott serves as a Contract Specialist (Contractor Support) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), where she plays a pivotal role in executing complex procurement actions that support the agency’s mission to advance measurement science, semiconductor standards, and advanced manufacturing technologies. She manages the full lifecycle of contracts for specialized technical services and mission-critical equipment, ensuring alignment with federal acquisition regulations and NIST’s strategic priorities in precision instrumentation and industrial innovation. Her acquisitions primarily support laboratory infrastructure, calibration systems, and high-precision manufacturing tools essential to national scientific and economic competitiveness. Knott maintains consistent working relationships with a focused group of contractors including Quality Biological, Inc., ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES AND LABORATORIES (ATL) INTERNATIONAL, INC., and PHYSICAL ELECTRONICS USA, INC., all of whom provide specialized scientific instrumentation, analytical equipment, and technical support services critical to NIST’s research operations. Her procurement approach emphasizes technical compliance, performance-based contracting, and long-term vendor collaboration, particularly with firms possessing deep domain expertise in metrology, materials characterization, and cleanroom-compatible systems. Her contracting patterns reflect a strong emphasis on open competition, with 66.7% of awards issued without set-asides, while 33.3% are structured as total small business set-asides under FAR 19.5. This balanced approach supports both mission-critical scalability and robust small business participation, favoring qualified small businesses with proven technical capabilities in specialized manufacturing and laboratory support services. Knott’s primary NAICS focus lies in 238210 (Electrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation Contractors) and 335999 (All Other Miscellaneous Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing), reflecting her procurement of specialized electrical systems, custom instrumentation components, and integrated control systems for NIST’s advanced laboratories. Her expertise centers on acquiring high-reliability, low-noise, and standards-compliant hardware essential to precision measurement environments.