NIGP 99325: Travel, Students (Includes Meals)

NIGP 99325 Travel, Students (Includes Meals) is an Item code encompassing faculty-led study abroad programs, international student travel logistics, and associated accommodations and meals for higher education institutions. State and local government buyers under this code include universities and colleges that coordinate overseas educational travel for student cohorts, arranging end-to-end logistics from airfare and ground transportation to housing, meals, and on-site experiential learning activities. The typical scope of work includes procurement of international airfare (often routing from major US hubs), hotel accommodations (generally 3-star or better with specified occupancy standards), daily meal components (minimum breakfast and group dinners), airport and ground transportation with local guide services, and educational programming such as industry visits and university partnerships aligned with curriculum objectives. Evaluation of vendor proposals typically emphasizes travel arrangement quality and logistics coordination, depth and relevance of experiential learning opportunities, academic engagement at destination institutions, total cost per participant against the educational value delivered, and vendor track record with comparable higher education clients.

University of Houston-Downtown posted RFP 784-27-2725 on August 17, 2026 for a faculty-led study abroad program in Spain and Portugal scheduled for January 5–17, 2027, with proposals due September 1, 2026 at 3:00 PM Central Time. The program will serve 22–28 students and two faculty members traveling from Houston (IAH) to Lisbon and either Madrid or Barcelona, with a target budget of approximately $4,000 per participant inclusive of all travel services. The University's Standard Purchasing Agreement (OGC-S-2010-06) governs the contract; a Texas Subcontracting Plan is mandatory, and vendors must supply three professional references from higher education institutions for comparable travel services within the past five years. Required insurance includes $1 million Commercial General Liability per occurrence, $5 million Professional Liability per occurrence, $1 million Commercial Automobile Liability, and Workers' Compensation at statutory limits, with the University named as Additional Insured.