UNSPSC 10101810: Live sponge

An aquatic multicellular organism

UNSPSC 10101810 Live sponge (Commodity) covers live aquatic organisms procured by state and local governments for fishery and ecosystem programs, though recent activity shows the code being applied to live fish rather than sponges. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources' IFB for hybrid sunfish to stock urban fishing lagoons exemplifies the actual scope: state agencies purchase live fish in bulk quantities to support public recreational fishing, educational programs, and population management. Issuing bodies are primarily state natural resources and fish-management departments executing public-facing fishery and conservation initiatives. The vendor community must hold appropriate aquaculture or aquatic-life-dealer licensing, meet livestock-transport and live-haul requirements (tanks, pumps, chutes, mortality guarantees), and carry commercial liability and auto insurance. Multi-year contracts with renewal options and domestic-product preferences are standard in this space.

Recent activity concentrates in Illinois and Pennsylvania. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources posted a two-year IFB (B27-422DNR-RESCO-B-54517, due November 4, 2026) for delivery of 132,257 hybrid sunfish (4"–6" length) across six regional and statewide event categories, with firm pricing through BidBuy, annual freight adjustments capped at Producer Price Index changes, and award to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder by delivery location. Montgomery County, Pennsylvania solicited a ten-year sub-lease operator for a trout nursery facility (Solicitation 2629, due June 4, 2026) in collaboration with the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission to rear fingerling trout for fishing derbies and public access; respondents submitted letters of interest through Bonfire with pre-bid site visits available. Both solicitations target recreational and community-access fishery mandates rather than commercial aquaculture or research applications. The code shows limited recent state and local activity overall; vendors entering this space should expect specialized licensing requirements, geographic clustering in Great Lakes and mid-Atlantic states, and procurement cycles tied to seasonal stocking schedules.