NIGP 62583: Telescopes, Astronomical, Amateur Sizes

NIGP 62583 Telescopes, Astronomical, Amateur Sizes (Item) covers astronomical telescopes and related optical equipment for amateur use that state and local governments procure — primarily for educational institutions, science centers, planetariums, and public outreach programs. The scope includes refracting and reflecting telescopes, optical components, mounts, and accessories typically employed in classroom instruction, museum exhibits, and community science engagement.

State and local solicitation activity under this code is sparse. Sourcewell, a Minnesota local government cooperative, issued RFP #061626 on May 12, 2026 (response due June 16, 2026) for Law Enforcement Equipment on behalf of participating entities across Washington state (Franklin, Grant, Grays Harbor, Chelan, and Yakima counties) and numerous other jurisdictions nationwide and in Canada. This cooperative vehicle establishes contracting solutions available to thousands of governmental agencies, higher education institutions, K–12 school districts, nonprofit organizations, tribal governments, and other public entities. The cooperative framework allows flexibility in contract deployment across participating members. No other recent state or local opportunities under this Item code are evident in the source block. Given the narrow educational and scientific purpose of amateur-size astronomical telescopes and the absence of sustained procurement signals, this code does not currently represent significant business development focus for most vendors serving state and local markets.