UNSPSC 41115313: Handheld refractometers or polarimeters

UNSPSC 41115313 Handheld refractometers or polarimeters is a Commodity-tier code that in state and local procurement shows mismatch between its nominal scope and the opportunities actually being posted under it. The single recent municipal solicitation, the City of Palm Bay, Florida's laboratory testing services contract (ITB 19ITB26), encompasses water quality analysis, wastewater testing, groundwater monitoring, and industrial pretreatment compliance work across multiple treatment facilities—a broad analytical services package with 188 line items spanning pH measurement, microbial analysis, and specialized testing such as Cryptosporidium and Giardia detection. The second recent opportunity, the Texas Department of Public Safety's procurement of a GRIM3 (Glass Refractive Index Measurement System) and on-site training, is a capital equipment purchase for forensic glass analysis at the DPS Crime Lab in Austin with precision and standards compliance requirements, which involves refractive index measurement but is equipment procurement rather than hand-held instrument operation or laboratory analysis services. Neither opportunity reflects straightforward procurement of portable refractometers or polarimeters as field or lab instruments.

Geographic activity centers on Florida and Texas based on the two most recent postings. The City of Palm Bay (Brevard County), Florida issued the laboratory testing ITB with a March 17, 2026 bid deadline and received three bids ranging from $80,872 to $107,946 in total contract value, with historical annual spending of $66,360 to $95,440. The Texas Department of Public Safety issued an IFB for the GRIM3 system with a March 17, 2026 deadline and anticipated award on March 24, 2026. The code shows limited recent state and local activity directly aligned with handheld refractometer or polarimeter procurement, and firms relying on this code for business development should verify whether posted opportunities reflect miscoding or whether the code captures broader laboratory instrumentation and analysis services than its title suggests.