Seth Kaplan

Seth Kaplan serves as a key procurement professional within the National Institute of Standards and Technology, supporting the agency’s mission to advance U.S. innovation through precise measurement science and standards development. He manages complex acquisitions for high-precision analytical instrumentation, specialized software, and technical services critical to NIST’s research infrastructure. His portfolio focuses on enabling cutting-edge capabilities in materials science, calibration systems, and advanced manufacturing, ensuring the agency maintains technical leadership through reliable, standards-compliant procurements under FAR and agency-specific guidelines. Kaplan maintains longstanding relationships with a select group of prime contractors, including Hensel Phelps Construction Co., The MITRE Corporation, PCI Government Services LLC, Didlake Inc., and Chahata Construction Incorporated. These partnerships reflect a preference for vendors with deep technical expertise in laboratory infrastructure, systems integration, and mission-critical support services. His contracting approach emphasizes performance-based requirements, technical validation, and long-term operational reliability, often engaging contractors with proven experience in federal science and engineering environments. His procurement patterns show a strong preference for open competition, with 79.3% of awards issued without set-asides, reflecting the technical specificity and limited vendor base required for NIST’s high-precision needs. Nevertheless, he consistently supports small business participation, with 20.7% of awards allocated under Total Small Business Set-Asides, demonstrating a balanced commitment to both technical excellence and socioeconomic goals. Kaplan’s primary NAICS focus areas include 334516 for analytical laboratory instrumentation, 513210 for scientific software publishing, and 811210 for precision equipment maintenance—domains requiring specialized engineering knowledge and compliance with NIST’s rigorous calibration and metrology standards. His acquisitions routinely involve mass spectrometers, quantum sensors, data analysis platforms, and cyber-secure laboratory systems, underscoring his expertise in procuring mission-critical scientific and technical solutions.