Veronica L. Price

Veronica K. Price serves as a Contract Specialist within the Contracts and Acquisitions Management unit of the U.S. Department of Education, where she plays a pivotal role in executing strategic procurements that advance federal education policy, research, and institutional capacity. She manages the full lifecycle of professional services contracts, ensuring alignment with federal acquisition regulations and the agency’s mission to strengthen evidence-based decision-making in postsecondary education. Her portfolio primarily includes contracts for research, management consulting, and technical services that support federal student aid systems, data infrastructure, and regulatory compliance initiatives. Veronica maintains a consistent working relationship with LPE-STRATEGIES LLC, a key contractor providing specialized analytical and policy support services. Her procurement patterns reflect a preference for established, high-capacity vendors with demonstrated expertise in educational research and administrative consulting, while also fostering competitive environments that encourage innovation and performance accountability. She engages contractors through full and open competitions and occasionally utilizes small business set-asides to broaden vendor participation. Her socioeconomic contracting approach is predominantly focused on full and open competition, with 81.3% of her awards issued without set-aside restrictions. She occasionally employs Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5 (15.6%) and, to a lesser extent, HUBZone and 8(a) set-asides (1.6% each), demonstrating measured but intentional support for disadvantaged and underserved small businesses without compromising mission-critical requirements. Veronica’s procurement activity is heavily concentrated in NAICS 541720 (Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities), reflecting her specialization in securing academic, policy, and evaluation services for federal education programs. She also regularly procures administrative management consulting (541611) and other professional technical services (541990), with smaller volumes of custom software and IT support services (541511, 541519), underscoring her expertise in acquiring human-centered, data-driven solutions for the education sector.