UNSPSC 12141612: Samarium Sm

UNSPSC 12141612 Samarium Sm is a Commodity code. State and local governments soliciting under this code are actually procuring forensic laboratory consumables, diagnostic reagents, and specialty chemical supplies for public health, law enforcement, and water treatment operations—not samarium metal itself. The Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, for example, recently posted an IFB for proprietary laboratory equipment and supplies (DNA analysis kits, genetic analyzer components, drug screening reagents, and sequencing consumables) on behalf of the Texas Department of Public Safety and Parks and Wildlife. The District of Columbia Department of Forensic Sciences has solicited Next-Generation Sequencing consumables and reagents. The State of California requested bids for Shiga Toxin QuikChek diagnostic testing kits. Harris County, Texas bid out crime scene supplies including DNA collection items, fingerprint supplies, and forensic chemicals. The City of Arlington, Texas sought laboratory supplies and chemicals for its Laboratory Services, water treatment plants, and Water Resources Services Division. These procurements reveal a sharp mismatch between the code's nominal commodity (samarium metal) and what agencies are actually buying—forensic and clinical laboratory reagents, diagnostic kits, water-treatment chemicals, and consumable supplies. The code appears to be incorrectly applied to these opportunities or the tagging reflects data-quality issues in state procurement systems.

Recent activity is concentrated in Texas, California, and the District of Columbia, with scattered municipal procurement in Connecticut and Georgia. The Texas Comptroller IFB 304T-27-175A1.1 (due October 20, 2026) is the most detailed current opportunity, calling for single-source proprietary products from Life Technologies, Promega, Qiagen, Immunalysis, and ANDE Corporation with firm pricing, FOB Destination shipping, and a 1.5 percent administrative fee under an initial term through October 31, 2027 with three renewal options. The City of Meriden, Connecticut ITB B026-55 (due June 25, 2026) sought water treatment chemicals including calcium hypochlorite, caustic soda, aluminum sulfate, and sodium permanganate under Build America Buy America Act compliance for a one-year term with extension provisions. Harris County, Texas ITB 250415 (due June 8, 2026) included DNA swabs, evidence collection kits, fingerprint supplies, and forensic chemicals on a one-year basis with local account manager and bi-monthly meeting requirements. The code shows moderate issuing-body diversity across state departments, counties, municipalities, and public universities, but the fundamental disconnect between code definition and procurement reality suggests that vendors monitoring this code for samarium or rare-earth materials will encounter primarily diagnostic and forensic consumables instead.