UNSPSC 10102018: Live bats

Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera whose forelimbs form webbed wings, making them the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight. By contrast, other mammals said to fly, such as flying squirrels, gliding possums, and colugos, can only glide for short distances. Bats do not flap their entire forelimbs, as birds do, but instead flap their spread-out digits, which are very long and covered with a thin membrane or patagium.

UNSPSC 10102018 Live bats, a Commodity code, encompasses live animals supplied for educational and laboratory use in state and local settings. Based on recent solicitations, state and local governments procure live laboratory animals—including bats and related species—along with associated supplies and materials for use in instructional laboratory settings within school districts and educational service centers. The work involves supplying live specimens that meet animal welfare requirements and educational standards governing their use in instructional contexts, with vendors managing registration, compliance, and pricing structured as discounts from list prices. Educational service centers and public school districts represent the primary issuing bodies under this code, procuring through cooperative purchasing models that serve multiple districts within a region.

The code shows limited recent activity, with a single substantive opportunity from Texas. Educational Service Center Region 4 (ESC 4) posted an ITB on August 17, 2026, due August 31, 2026, for a master order cooperative purchasing contract supplying live laboratory animals and related products to public school districts, charter schools, and educational service centers throughout Texas. The contract structure allows participating districts to make individual purchases according to their budgets and instructional needs, with no aggregate funding amount specified in the solicitation notice. Vendors must complete application and registration requirements to participate and comply with all applicable state procurement regulations and animal welfare requirements. The geographic spread is limited to Texas based on available recent opportunities.