NIGP 17553: Laboratory Equipment, General

NIGP 17553 Laboratory Equipment, General, Item tier, covers specialized analytical instruments and consumables that state and local governments procure for forensic analysis, environmental testing, clinical diagnostics, and materials characterization. Recent solicitations show state health agencies, environmental departments, crime labs, and water utilities buying next-generation sequencers, gas chromatographs, mass spectrometers, nitrogen generators, cyanide analyzers, hemoglobin A1C analyzers, and extraction systems, along with associated reagents, calibration kits, and service contracts. The issuing-body mix includes state health and human services commissions, departments of agriculture, public safety crime labs, environmental cabinets, counties (Escambia, Brazoria), and cities (Arlington, Texas). Texas dominates recent activity—the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, Texas Department of Public Safety, and Texas Department of Agriculture appear repeatedly across forensic, clinical, and environmental testing scopes—with secondary activity in Illinois (agriculture, transportation), Nevada (agriculture), Kentucky (environmental), and Utah (research).

Representative recent opportunities span June through October 2026. The Texas Health and Human Services Commission issued an IFB on June 25, 2026 (due July 9) for four MiSeq i100 Plus sequencing systems, a sole-source procurement at approximately $411,399.68 historical value with 20% trade-in discounts and 12-month warranty included. Texas HHSC also solicited an IFB on June 30, 2026 for proprietary chemical laboratory equipment and supplies for DNA analysis and drug screening (204T27175A11, due October 20), naming Life Technologies, Promega, Qiagen, Immunalysis, and ANDE as specified vendors across 50 line items with four-year historical usage guidance. The Nevada Department of Agriculture posted an IFB on October 9, 2026 (due October 23) for a Nitrogen Analyzer under NevadaEPro with standard state procurement terms and express warranties. The Illinois Department of Transportation issued a small purchase with emergency designation (27494DOTFINADB53601, due August 14) for a Dynamic Shear Rheometer for asphalt testing. Escambia County (Florida) posted service contract RFPs on August 12, 2026 for a Millipore Milli-Q Direct 8 water purification system and a Seal Analytical AQ400 nutrient analyzer, both run October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027, requiring OEM parts access, field technician deployment, and dedicated technical support. The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission solicited an RFP (458E260400, due June 30) for an automated alcohol meter/density meter system with 0.01% to 65% ABV analysis, capped at $135,000, requiring in-person training and certified engineer installation by December 31, 2026. Award methodologies emphasize best value (specifications, delivery, price together) rather than low-price-only, with incumbent performance review and past-performance tracking common; firm fixed pricing is standard, with adjustments permitted only at agency discretion using CPI or federal minimum wage indices. Cooperative purchasing and HUB subcontracting plans appear encouraged but not required across most HHSC solicitations.