Mathew Lawfer

Mathew Lawfer serves as a key procurement professional within the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (HDTRA1), supporting the agency’s mission to counter weapons of mass destruction through technical acquisition and research-driven contracting. He manages a portfolio of complex scientific and engineering contracts focused on threat detection, forensic analysis, and advanced defense systems, ensuring alignment with national security priorities. His work centers on securing cutting-edge capabilities in physical, engineering, and life sciences research, as well as specialized computer systems design and custom programming services critical to operational readiness and intelligence integration. Lawfer maintains strong, recurring relationships with leading technical contractors including TECHTRANS INTERNATIONAL INC, BATTELLE MEMORIAL INSTITUTE, AERIS LLC, APPLIED RESEARCH ASSOCIATES, INC., and AMAZON WEB SERVICES, INC. These partnerships reflect a preference for high-capacity, mission-critical vendors with proven expertise in defense science, modeling and simulation, cyber-enabled threat analysis, and cloud-based secure computing environments. His contracting patterns emphasize long-term technical collaboration over transactional procurement, fostering innovation through performance-based, firm-fixed-price and cost-reimbursement instruments. His procurement strategy prioritizes open competition, with 85.7% of awards issued under no set-aside provisions, reflecting the technical complexity and specialized nature of required capabilities. However, he consistently allocates 14.3% of opportunities to total small business set-asides under FAR 19.5, demonstrating a measured but intentional commitment to small business participation where technical requirements permit. This balance ensures access to niche expertise while maintaining mission-critical performance standards. The bulk of his acquisitions fall under NAICS 541715 for research and development in physical and engineering sciences, with significant activity in 541512 and 541511 for computer systems design and custom software development. He procures advanced analytical tools, sensor systems, threat modeling platforms, and secure cloud infrastructure—domains requiring deep technical vetting and compliance with DoD cybersecurity and data handling standards.