Terry Bashford

Terry Bashford serves as a key procurement professional within the Contracts and Acquisitions Management unit of the Department of Education, overseeing the strategic acquisition of professional services critical to advancing federal education policy and institutional capacity. Responsible for managing the full lifecycle of contract actions, Bashford specializes in securing expert consulting, data analytics, and research services that support evidence-based decision-making in postsecondary education. Their acquisitions directly enable the modernization of federal student aid systems, regulatory compliance frameworks, and national data collection infrastructure, ensuring alignment with statutory mandates and operational efficiency across the Department’s mission-critical programs. Bashford maintains a primary working relationship with LPE-STRATEGIES LLC, a trusted contractor delivering specialized policy analysis, program evaluation, and technical assistance services to federal education stakeholders. The working relationship reflects a pattern of sustained, performance-based engagement, with repeated contract actions indicating deep institutional knowledge and consistent delivery of high-quality deliverables. Vendor partnerships are characterized by long-term collaboration, clear performance metrics, and a focus on outcomes tied to educational equity and data integrity. Bashford’s procurement portfolio reflects a strict preference for full and open competition, with 100% of awards issued under no set-aside designation. This approach underscores a commitment to selecting the most qualified providers based on technical merit and past performance, rather than socioeconomic classifications. While small business participation is not formally prioritized through set-asides, the contracting strategy remains transparent and competitive, ensuring compliance with federal acquisition regulations while maintaining rigorous standards for contractor capability. The primary NAICS classification for Bashford’s acquisitions is 511210—Software Publishers, reflecting a strong focus on custom software development, data modeling tools, and analytical platforms used to support education research and reporting systems. Procurements center on services including statistical analysis, longitudinal data system design, and compliance automation tools, demonstrating deep technical expertise in the intersection of education policy and information technology infrastructure.