NIGP 96224: Courier/Delivery Services (Including Air Courier Services)

NIGP 96224 Courier/Delivery Services (Including Air Courier Services), an Item code, encompasses the daily pickup and delivery of mail, documents, packages, and specialty cargo—including newborn screening specimens, pharmaceuticals, laboratory materials, and armored shipments—across state and local facilities. State and local governments soliciting under this code are primarily state health and human services departments, counties, cities, water districts, and public colleges seeking routine interoffice and inter-facility courier operations, with Kentucky's Cabinet for Health and Family Services and Illinois Department of Human Services appearing as repeat buyers in recent weeks. The work ranges from scheduled mail routes with fixed daily pickups and deliveries to time-critical on-demand services, with temperature control, HIPAA compliance, and secure handling increasingly common requirements. Representatives of recent solicitation activity include the Commonwealth of Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services issuing multiple RFBs (RFB75826000006754, RFB75826000006753, RFB75826000006752, RFB75826000006751) for newborn screening sample courier services with bids due July 20, 2026, offering $520,260 annually; and the Illinois Department of Human Services issuing an IFB (26444DHSBUSSEB53021) for messenger and mail delivery services in Chicago with bids due July 10, 2026, and an estimated contract value of $962.24.

The code shows broad geographic activity concentrated in Kentucky, Texas, Illinois, Georgia, California, Nevada, Arkansas, Florida, and the Pacific Northwest. Recent opportunities span state capitals (Frankfort, Austin, Sacramento, Carson City, Las Vegas), county seats (Williamson County, Texas; Hillsborough County, Florida; Harris County, Texas; DeKalb County, Georgia; Alameda County, California), and municipal centers (Chicago, Little Rock, Tucson, Albuquerque, Salt Lake City, Philadelphia). Issuers include state health departments and local mental health authorities handling pharmaceutical and specimen transport; state and county treasurers' offices managing armored courier for cash and check deposits; school districts and public colleges; water districts; and correctional facilities. Recent RFPs and RFBs show pricing structures ranging from fixed monthly service fees to per-trip or per-item unit pricing, with initial contract terms typically one to three years and optional renewals of one to four additional years. Representative opportunities include Williamson County, Texas issuing RFP 26RFP18 for armored courier services with bids due March 19, 2026, budgeted at $106,200 annually; the Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD in Harris County, Texas soliciting interoffice mail and pharmaceutical delivery services through RFP FY260372 with proposals due May 6, 2026; and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey issuing a three-year requirements contract for same-day courier services across multiple regional facilities under Bid 6000003218 with bids due March 12, 2026.