Tara C. Knox

Tara Knox serves as a Contracting Officer responsible for managing complex procurement actions across scientific, engineering, and analytical instrumentation domains. She plays a critical role in executing the agency’s acquisition strategy by ensuring compliance with federal contracting regulations while delivering mission-critical capabilities to support research and development objectives. Her portfolio primarily encompasses competitive sealed bidding and negotiated acquisitions under FAR Part 15, with a focus on high-technical-risk, performance-based requirements. She routinely engages with industry stakeholders to foster transparent, efficient sourcing processes that align with national scientific priorities. While specific contractor names are not publicly disclosed, Tara Knox maintains a robust network of vendors specializing in laboratory instrumentation, R&D services, and advanced technical consulting. Her contracting approach emphasizes merit-based competition and vendor performance accountability, encouraging both established prime contractors and agile small businesses to respond to solicitation requirements. She fosters collaborative pre-solicitation engagement to clarify technical specifications and promote responsive, compliant proposals. Tara demonstrates a strong commitment to small business participation, with 17.5% of her awards structured as total small business set-asides under FAR 19.5. Her contracting patterns reflect a deliberate emphasis on fostering economic opportunity within the small business community, particularly through non-set-aside competitions that still encourage small business subcontracting. She does not routinely utilize 8(a), HUBZone, or SDVOSB set-asides, instead prioritizing broad small business eligibility under the total small business category to maximize competition and innovation. Her primary procurement focus centers on NAICS 334516 (analytical laboratory instrument manufacturing), 541712 and 541715 (physical, engineering, and life sciences R&D), and 541990 (other professional scientific services). She procures advanced instrumentation, laboratory automation systems, and specialized technical research services, demonstrating deep familiarity with scientific equipment specifications, data acquisition protocols, and compliance with federal standards for research integrity and technical performance.