NIGP 78544: Displays, Educational: Kits, Models, Plaques, etc.

NIGP 78544 Displays, Educational: Kits, Models, Plaques, Etc., an Item code, encompasses educational kits and materials that state and local school districts, counties, and consortia procure to support classroom instruction and student learning outcomes. Recent solicitations show buying activity centered on STEM and college-readiness curriculum kits, Montessori classroom materials and manipulatives, and comprehensive educational product catalogs supporting primary and upper elementary instruction. Issuing bodies include large school districts operating through cooperative purchasing consortia and standalone procurement offices. Cartwright Elementary School District No. 83 in Arizona, acting on behalf of the Strategic Alliance for Volume Expenditures (SAVE) consortium, issued RFP 260331 in May 2026 seeking STEM and College & Career Readiness Kits, Programs & Materials for multiple Arizona school districts, municipalities, counties, and higher education institutions, with estimated annual usage across surveyed districts at $1,346,000. Hillsborough County Public Schools, Florida's seventh-largest district serving approximately 225,000 students, has posted multiple solicitations for Montessori classroom supplies: an Invitation to Quote (ITQ 26126ITQEST) for 310 line items including manipulatives, nomenclature cards, and curriculum materials; and an Invitation to Bid (ITB 26067ITBEST) seeking blanket discount pricing off current catalogs for as-needed purchasing across multiple category groupings.

Activity concentrates in Arizona and Florida, with Arizona representing consortium-level demand across multiple jurisdictions and Florida showing recurring school district buying from a single large issuer. The Cartwright RFP 260331 closed June 8, 2026, with contract awards by category anticipated by June 24, 2026, and initial contract term beginning July 15, 2026, for one year with up to four optional renewals. Hillsborough County's ITQ 26126ITQEST closed April 10, 2026, and its ITB 26067ITBEST closed March 23, 2026, both structured as open-ended supply agreements with automatic renewal for up to four additional one-year periods. No set-asides or restricted vendor designations appear in these solicitations, though Hillsborough County encourages Office of Supplier Development-registered small business enterprises and offers preferential consideration to drug-free workplace certified businesses in tied-bid situations. All three solicitations require firm, fixed unit or discount pricing, F.O.B. destination delivery, and compliance with Florida or Arizona procurement rules and anti-human-trafficking certifications where applicable.