Tara McHugh

Tara McHugh serves as a key procurement lead within the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service, specifically supporting the Procurement and Workforce Administration office under agency code 12905B. She is responsible for managing the full lifecycle of acquisitions critical to sustaining and modernizing the nation’s agricultural research infrastructure, including laboratory equipment, facility maintenance systems, and field research support services. Her work directly enables scientific missions by ensuring timely delivery of mission-critical resources, with a focus on compliance, regulatory adherence, and strategic alignment with USDA’s research priorities. She typically handles service-based contracts requiring technical oversight and performance-based management frameworks. McHugh collaborates with a network of qualified vendors specializing in building inspection, facility compliance, and research-enabling services. While specific contractor names are not publicly disclosed, her procurement patterns reflect consistent engagement with firms possessing expertise in structural integrity assessments, environmental compliance, and laboratory operational support. Her working relationships emphasize long-term vendor partnerships grounded in performance metrics, quality assurance protocols, and adherence to federal acquisition regulations, ensuring reliability and continuity in mission-critical services. McHugh maintains a 100% Small Business Set-Aside preference under FAR 19.5, demonstrating an unwavering commitment to socioeconomic contracting goals. All acquisitions under her purview are reserved exclusively for small businesses, creating equitable access for disadvantaged entrepreneurs and fostering innovation within the agricultural research support sector. This approach aligns with federal mandates to broaden participation and strengthen the small business industrial base serving federal science missions. Her primary procurement focus is on NAICS 541350—Building Inspection Services—reflecting deep specialization in facility assessment, code compliance verification, and infrastructure readiness evaluations for federally funded research facilities. She procures technical services related to structural safety, hazardous material mitigation, and laboratory environmental controls, requiring contractors with certified inspectors, engineering credentials, and experience in federal research environments. Her domain expertise lies at the intersection of facility management and scientific operational readiness.