Nicole Mendes

Nicole Mendes serves as a procurement professional responsible for managing complex acquisitions in scientific and technical services, with a strong emphasis on research and development activities. She plays a critical role in advancing the agency’s mission by overseeing the solicitation, evaluation, and award of contracts for high-precision technical services, particularly in physical, engineering, and life sciences. Her work ensures that mission-critical capabilities are delivered through compliant, transparent, and efficient contracting processes, aligning acquisitions with federal regulatory frameworks and strategic technical priorities. Her contractor relationships are primarily with firms specializing in scientific R&D, engineering services, and testing laboratories, often engaging both large primes and small business subcontractors to deliver integrated technical solutions. While no single contractor dominates her portfolio, she consistently collaborates with vendors possessing deep domain expertise in experimental design, data analysis, and laboratory certification. Her approach emphasizes technical rigor in source selection, prioritizing proposers with proven capabilities in controlled environments and regulatory compliance. Mendes exhibits a clear preference for open competition, with 88.4% of her acquisitions conducted without set-asides, reflecting a focus on technical merit and market-wide competition. However, she actively supports small business participation, with nearly 12% of awards directed toward small business set-asides under FAR 19.5, including targeted opportunities for Women-Owned Small Businesses. This balanced approach ensures broad market access while maintaining rigorous performance standards. Her primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 541715, encompassing research and development in physical, engineering, and life sciences, where she procures services such as experimental prototyping, analytical testing, and technical consulting. Secondary areas include engineering services and testing laboratories, indicating expertise in supporting scientific innovation, validation protocols, and laboratory infrastructure. Her technical domain knowledge spans laboratory instrumentation, data acquisition systems, and compliance-driven research methodologies.