UNSPSC 14111703: Paper towels

UNSPSC 14111703 Paper towels (Commodity) describes disposable paper towels for hand and facility cleaning purchased by state and local governments. Recent solicitations show state and local buyers procuring paper towels as a standalone commodity, in mixed-commodity paper-products bundles for janitorial and operational use, and as part of warehouse-stock inventory replenishment for detention centers, correctional facilities, and schools. Scope ranges from routine single-vendor supply contracts for facilities operations to regional multi-facility rollouts. Issuing bodies include state departments (California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Texas Comptroller's office, Ohio state procurement), county facilities (Chatham County detention center, Solano County jail and juvenile detention), municipal transit authorities (Harris County METRO), school districts (Lake County Schools, Polk County Schools, Bridgeport Board of Education, Northside Independent School District), and regional purchasing cooperatives. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation is a repeat heavy buyer, issuing at least six separate regional quarterly RFQs for paper towels and toilet tissue in the past four months (all restricted to state-certified small businesses). State and local buyers emphasize firm pricing, scheduled multi-delivery windows, on-time fill ratios (typically 97 percent minimum), and FOB-destination prepaid freight. Specifications often call for economy singlefold and multifold configurations, specified ply count, sheet count per roll, and rolls per case.

Geographic activity concentrates in California (CDCR quarterly RFQs across six regions, Solano County), Florida (City of Tampa, Lake County Schools, Polk County Schools, Hillsborough County), Texas (METRO Harris County, Northside ISD, Region 7 Purchasing Cooperative, Texas CPA statewide), and Ohio (multiple informal roll-towel RFBs). Recent representative opportunities include the City of Tampa's IFB for paper towels and toilet paper (27P00004, due November 2, 2026) with a Small Local Business Enterprise set-aside and accessibility compliance requirements; Lake County Schools' ITB for 13,800 cases of paper towels across three product types (ITB 26-0803-B-TF969, $540,250 projected annual expenditure, due August 24, 2026, later cancelled and republished); the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation RFQs for multiple regional facilities (October 9, 2026 deadline, restricted to SB-certified bidders, award ceiling $249,999.99 per region); Hillsborough County Fire Rescue's ITB for janitorial supplies including paper towels ($765,679.84 estimated annual value, due July 24, 2026); and the Texas Comptroller's statewide IFB for 25,647 cases of multi-fold white paper towels (IFB 304T-26-640A1.2, due March 23, 2026, now closed). Activity is steady and distributed across facility types, with detention and correctional facilities driving sustained quarterly demand.