NIGP 97965: Refrigeration Equipment and Accessory Rental or Lease

NIGP 97965 Refrigeration Equipment and Accessory Rental or Lease, an Item code, covers rental and maintenance services for ice machines, portable refrigeration units, and related refrigeration equipment at state and local facilities. State and local governments use this code primarily for short- to medium-term equipment rentals with integrated maintenance and service, rather than outright purchases, spanning ice machine deployment at transportation and municipal facilities, portable medical refrigerators for evidence storage, and refrigerant supply with cylinder exchange services supporting HVAC operations.

The Texas Department of Transportation dominates recent solicitation activity under this code, posting four separate ice machine rental and maintenance RFQs across distinct highway districts (Houston, San Antonio, Odessa, and Beaumont) between March and July 2026, all requiring vendor registration on the Texas Comptroller's Centralized Master Bidders List. The City of Austin issued an IFB in July 2026 for portable medical refrigerator rental, delivery, maintenance, and service for its Forensic Science Evidence Unit, with a 5% local business preference for bids up to $500,000 and a 3% preference for bids between $500,000 and $50 million, and bids due July 28, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. CT. The Fort Worth Transportation Authority (Trinity Metro) issued an IFB in April 2026 for refrigerant supply and cylinder exchange services for R-134a and R-407c refrigerants, with delivery required within five days of purchase order issuance. Activity concentrates in Texas, with TxDOT and municipal/transit buyers in that state accounting for all named recent opportunities. Response deadlines have ranged from late June through early August 2026, with most submissions required through electronic portals (TxDOT's Bonfire Hub or equivalent municipal systems).