Jeffrey Ridenour

Jeffrey Ridenour serves as a Contracting Officer within the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service, Procurement and Workforce Administration office, where he is responsible for managing the acquisition of professional, scientific, and technical services critical to advancing agricultural research. His portfolio encompasses the procurement of specialized research support, laboratory instrumentation, facility modernization, and field-based operational services that underpin the agency’s mission to sustain and enhance the nation’s scientific infrastructure. Ridenour exercises full contracting authority across the full lifecycle of acquisitions—from market research and solicitation development to contract award and administration—ensuring compliance with federal regulations and alignment with ARS’s strategic research priorities. Ridenour maintains collaborative relationships with a broad spectrum of professional service providers, including research consultancies, engineering firms, and technical service contractors that deliver specialized expertise in agricultural science support. While no single contractor dominates his portfolio, he consistently engages with firms possessing deep domain knowledge in experimental design, data analytics, and research facility management. His contracting approach emphasizes performance-based outcomes, rigorous technical evaluation, and long-term vendor reliability over transactional procurement. Ridenour’s contracting patterns reflect a strong preference for full and open competition, with 100% of his acquisitions issued without set-asides. This reflects a strategic focus on accessing the broadest possible pool of qualified technical talent rather than prioritizing socioeconomic programs, though he remains fully compliant with all small business regulations and considers small business capabilities during market research and evaluation. His primary procurement focus is on NAICS 541990—All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services—encompassing a wide range of specialized research support functions including analytical services, technical consulting, laboratory operations, and scientific instrumentation maintenance. He routinely procures services requiring advanced scientific expertise in agronomy, biotechnology, soil science, and precision agriculture systems, demonstrating deep familiarity with the technical demands of federal agricultural research environments.