Kevin Restrepo, Contract Specialist

Kevin Restrepo serves as a Contract Specialist within the ASPR BARDA Division of Contracts Management & Acquisition under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, where he plays a critical role in advancing national biomedical preparedness. He manages the full lifecycle of acquisitions for medical countermeasures targeting biological, chemical, radiological, and nuclear threats, ensuring compliance with federal acquisition regulations and mission-critical timelines. His portfolio primarily consists of research and development contracts aimed at accelerating the validation and scalable production of vaccines, therapeutics, diagnostics, and advanced delivery systems. Restrepo’s work directly supports the agency’s mandate to strengthen the nation’s public health emergency response infrastructure through strategic procurement. Restrepo collaborates with a diverse ecosystem of contractors, including biotechnology firms, academic research institutions, and specialized contract research organizations. While no single vendor dominates his award portfolio, he consistently engages with entities possessing expertise in advanced biomanufacturing, clinical trial support, and regulatory pathway development. His contracting approach emphasizes performance-based outcomes, milestone-driven payments, and risk-sharing mechanisms to incentivize innovation and rapid deployment. He maintains a collaborative, transparent relationship with industry partners to navigate complex regulatory environments and ensure alignment with federal safety and efficacy standards. Restrepo exhibits a strong preference for small business participation, with 28.6% of his acquisitions structured as total small business set-asides under FAR 19.5. While no specific socioeconomic categories like 8(a), HUBZone, or SDVOSB are dominant, his pattern reflects a deliberate effort to expand the pool of qualified small entities capable of supporting high-consequence biomedical projects. This commitment aligns with BARDA’s broader goal of diversifying the national biomedical industrial base. His procurement focus is exclusively centered on NAICS 541714—Research and Development in Biotechnology—reflecting deep expertise in early-stage biopharmaceutical development, platform technologies, and novel therapeutic modalities. He routinely procures services related to preclinical testing, process development, analytical characterization, and GMP-scale manufacturing readiness, ensuring that contracted innovations are positioned for rapid transition from lab to deployment.