NIGP 62582: Telescope Accessories (Stands, etc.)

NIGP 62582 Telescope Accessories (Stands, Etc.), an Item code, encompasses telescope mounts, wedges, accessory peripherals, and related observatory equipment that state and local governments procure for educational and scientific research purposes. Recent solicitations show state universities and cooperative purchasing vehicles acquiring specialized astronomical equipment — telescope mounts with peripheral assemblies, advanced cameras with filter wheels, and dome-automation systems — to upgrade observatory facilities and support student research programs. The issuing bodies include state universities operating under state purchasing statutes and Sourcewell, a Minnesota-based cooperative purchasing entity acting on behalf of participating county and municipal jurisdictions across multiple states.

Columbus State University posted an eRFQ on March 23, 2026 (response due March 27, 2026) seeking a PlaneWave telescope mount and accessories package for the WestRock Observatory, including a new mount, wedge, peripherals, advanced astronomical camera, filter wheel, filters, and dome-automation equipment. Sourcewell issued RFP #061626 on May 12, 2026 (response due June 16, 2026) to establish a cooperative contracting vehicle for Law Enforcement Equipment available to participating entities in Washington, Franklin, Grant, Grays Harbor, Chelan, and Yakima counties and jurisdictions nationwide, though the available documentation does not specify whether telescope accessories are included within that broader law enforcement equipment scope. Activity under this code concentrates in Georgia and the upper Midwest, with reach through Sourcewell's multi-state cooperative model extending across the United States and Canada.