Shawn Bilyeu

Shawn serves as a key procurement lead within the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, operating through the VS Database in Ames, Iowa. Responsible for managing acquisitions that support high-consequence animal disease diagnostics, Shawn ensures the agency maintains cutting-edge laboratory infrastructure and validated testing capabilities. His portfolio centers on securing precision diagnostic reagents, analytical instrumentation, and specialized laboratory services critical to detecting foreign animal diseases such as African Swine Fever and Classical Swine Fever. He plays a pivotal role in aligning procurement strategy with national biosecurity objectives, ensuring timely access to compliant, accredited testing solutions that meet USDA and OIE standards. Shawn’s contracting activities are primarily directed toward manufacturers and service providers of in-vitro diagnostic substances and analytical laboratory instruments, with established partnerships with specialized life sciences vendors and certified testing laboratories. While no single contractor dominates his award profile, he consistently engages with firms possessing ISO 13485 certification, CLIA compliance, and validated assay development capabilities. His working relationships emphasize technical rigor, regulatory adherence, and supply chain resilience, prioritizing vendors capable of rapid deployment and audit-ready documentation for federal biocontainment environments. Shawn’s contracting patterns reflect a strong preference for open competition, with 96.8% of awards issued without set-asides, indicating a focus on technical capability over socioeconomic classification. Nevertheless, he maintains a modest but consistent commitment to small business participation, with 3.2% of awards directed toward Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5, demonstrating selective support for qualified small firms with demonstrated expertise in diagnostic manufacturing or laboratory services. His primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 325413 (in-vitro diagnostic substance manufacturing) and 334516 (analytical laboratory instrument manufacturing), reflecting deep technical expertise in molecular diagnostics, PCR-based assays, and automated sample processing systems. He also procures specialized plumbing and HVAC services for BSL-3 containment facilities and laboratory maintenance under NAICS 238220, underscoring his holistic approach to sustaining high-containment biosafety infrastructure.