Lauren L Kunze

Lauren L. Kunze serves as a Contract Specialist within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), where she plays a pivotal role in executing procurements that advance the agency’s mission of environmental monitoring, climate resilience, and oceanographic research. She manages the full lifecycle of acquisitions under the Federal Acquisition Regulation, with a focus on market research, solicitation development, source selection, and contract award administration. Her portfolio primarily supports scientific data collection, analytical modeling, and public outreach initiatives critical to NOAA’s operational and research programs. Kunze ensures compliance with federal procurement standards while aligning acquisitions with strategic agency priorities in marine science and atmospheric observation. Kunze maintains consistent working relationships with a select group of contractors, including the Wisconsin Educational Communications Board, Tronconi Segarra & Associates LLP, JNB Services LLC, Pure Enviro-Management, LLC, and The Regents of the University of Colorado. These partnerships reflect a blend of academic, non-profit, and small business entities specializing in research services, environmental consulting, and public communications. Her contracting approach emphasizes collaboration with organizations possessing subject-matter expertise in environmental science and data dissemination, fostering long-term vendor engagement grounded in technical capability and mission alignment. A strong advocate for small business participation, Kunze consistently applies Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5, with 66.7% of her awards designated for small businesses. Her procurement patterns demonstrate a deliberate commitment to socioeconomic programs, prioritizing opportunities for small disadvantaged businesses, women-owned firms, and other eligible small entities. This focus enhances competition and ensures broad access to federal contracting opportunities within NOAA’s technical domains. Her acquisitions are exclusively categorized under NAICS 541910 (Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling), reflecting a specialized focus on survey design, public engagement studies, data analysis, and science communication services. She procures expertise in behavioral research, stakeholder outreach, and environmental literacy initiatives—critical to translating complex NOAA science into actionable public information and policy support.