UNSPSC 41104101: Slide or specimen mailers or shippers

UNSPSC 41104101 Slide or specimen mailers or shippers is a Commodity code covering specialized containers and kits designed to safely transport biological specimens—particularly DNA samples and evidence materials—from collection sites to laboratories while maintaining chain of custody and sample integrity. State and local government procurement under this code centers on collection kits that bundle mailers, envelopes, seals, and related containment components for forensic and public health laboratory use. The issuing bodies soliciting under this code include state law enforcement agencies (specifically state patrol crime laboratories) and county public health departments. The scope of work diverges notably between forensic and clinical applications: forensic buyers specify rigid evidence-seal and chain-of-custody requirements, while public health lab operations typically source kits as part of broader lab information and specimen-management system deployments.

The most recent and concrete activity appears concentrated in the Great Plains and Southeast. The Nebraska Department of Administrative Services, Materiel Division, State Purchasing Bureau issued an ITB on July 1, 2026 for DNA Database Buccal Collection Kits (solicitation 125399OR, due July 24, 2026) specifying approximately 7,500 kits annually for the Nebraska State Patrol Crime Laboratory; the kit specification includes an EasiCollect Plus Collection Device, envelope, instruction sheet, nitrile gloves, fingerprint strip, evidence seal, and shipping seal, with pricing firm for the initial one-year term and a four-year initial contract period plus optional one-year renewals. A second datapoint appears in the County of Santa Clara's April 2026 RFI for a Public Health Lab Information Management Solution Replacement, which signals potential downstream specimen-kit sourcing as part of broader LIMS procurement, though the RFI itself does not name mailer or shipper vendors. The code shows limited recent activity relative to the scale of state and local forensic and clinical laboratory operations, suggesting either low-frequency rebuy cycles or misclassification of specimen-kit procurements under broader lab-supply or evidence-handling codes.