NIGP 09589: Scissors, Shears and Tweezers

NIGP 09589 Scissors, Shears and Tweezers is an Item code covering cutting and grooming hand tools that state and local governments procure as components of larger food service and educational equipment acquisitions. Recent solicitations show schools and school districts buying scissors, shears, and related small tools as part of comprehensive food service equipment bids and cosmetology program supply contracts. The Rockwood R-VI School District in Missouri solicited approximately 100 line items of food service equipment and supplies in March 2026, including specialized cutting tools alongside pan grabbers, dishers, and food preparation items, all NSF certified for food service use. Donna ISD in Cameron County, Texas, issued a catalog discount bid in the same period seeking cosmetology equipment and supplies, including hair scissors and shear kits for classroom instruction. Issuing bodies are primarily independent school districts managing child nutrition services and career and technical education programs; procurement vehicle types include competitive sealed bids (IFB) and requests for proposals (RFP) structured as catalog discounts with multiple-award intent to give end users flexibility in vendor selection.

Geographic activity centers on Texas and Missouri based on recent postings, with both school districts emphasizing Buy American provisions (federal USDA school food program funding at Rockwood), firm fixed pricing for contract terms, and multiple primary and secondary vendor awards. Response deadlines in the recent sample fell in April 2026—April 28 for Rockwood's IFB and April 8 for Donna ISD's RFP. Neither solicitation specifies formal set-asides for disadvantaged enterprises, though both districts expressed commitment to affirmative steps to include minority-owned and women-owned vendors when comparable on quality, delivery, and price. Quantities in food service applications ranged from zero to 250 units per item; cosmetology catalog bids carried no guaranteed purchase minimums. Contract terms typically span one fiscal or academic year with optional renewals, and vendors must provide insurance, compliance certifications, and customer references.