Stephanie Powell

Stephanie Powell serves as a Contracts Specialist responsible for managing the full lifecycle of federal acquisitions, from requirements definition and market research through solicitation, evaluation, award, and contract administration. She plays a critical role in ensuring compliance with federal procurement regulations while supporting mission-critical research and service initiatives. Her portfolio primarily consists of professional services contracts, with a strong emphasis on social science, engineering, and life sciences research, as well as contact center operations. She works closely with program managers and technical stakeholders to align contracting strategies with agency objectives, ensuring transparency, fairness, and efficiency in all procurement actions. Stephanie cultivates relationships with a diverse range of vendors, including research institutions, consulting firms, and service providers specializing in data collection, analytical services, and operational support. While no single contractor dominates her award profile, she engages both large primes and small businesses across the professional services sector, fostering competitive bidding environments and encouraging innovation through open market solicitations. Her approach emphasizes clear performance metrics, risk mitigation, and contractual accountability to ensure high-quality deliverables. Stephanie’s contracting activity is entirely focused on open, unrestricted competitions, with 100% of her awards issued under the “No Set-Aside” category. This reflects a strategic preference for broad market access and maximum competition, rather than socioeconomic set-asides. While she does not prioritize 8(a), HUBZone, or SDVOSB programs, her process remains fully compliant with all small business participation goals, allowing qualified small firms to compete on an equal footing within unrestricted solicitations. Her primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 541720 (Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities), where she frequently acquires qualitative and quantitative research services, survey design, and policy analysis. She also procures engineering and life sciences R&D under NAICS 541712 and telemarketing and contact center services under NAICS 561422, demonstrating expertise in both technical and administrative support domains. Her work supports evidence-based decision-making through data-driven research and operational service delivery.