UNSPSC 42141500: Applicator swabs and cotton balls

In this classification, this class includes applicator products, components and cotton balls, utilized in patient care and treatment procedures.

UNSPSC 42141500 Applicator swabs and cotton balls is a Class code covering medical and first aid supply items that state and local governments purchase as consumables for health and safety operations. The recent solicitations show purchasing bodies acquiring these products as part of broader medical supply contracts spanning first aid kits, bandages, antiseptic sprays, and other clinical consumables for emergency response, occupational health programs, and state-supported care facilities. Issuing bodies include state health and human services agencies (Texas HHSC, Washington State Department of Transportation), city fire and rescue departments (City of Tampa Fire Rescue), state-supported living centers, county animal shelters, and state-level cooperative purchasing consortia (NASPO ValuePoint, Sourcewell). These entities solicit through a mix of notice types — RFPs for framework agreements and cooperative purchasing arrangements, RFQs for ongoing supply needs, IFBs and ITBs for specific supply purchases — with quantities typically measured in dozens to thousands of units annually depending on facility size and operational scope.

Recent activity spans Texas, Washington, Minnesota, and Florida. The City of Tampa Fire Rescue posted ITB 25-P-00157 for medical aid supplies due April 9, 2025, with estimated annual volumes ranging from 1 to 2,700 units across 32 line items and a departmental budget of $100,000, including set-aside provisions for Small Local Business Enterprises and Woman- and Minority-Owned Business Enterprises with bid discounts up to $20,000. The Texas Health and Human Services Commission issued IFB HHS0017685 for miscellaneous medical and sensory supplies at the Denton State Supported Living Center, due August 19, 2026, spanning 39 line items with a historical annual value of approximately $50,000 over the prior contract period. NASPO ValuePoint posted RFP NVP_1443 sponsored by Idaho state agencies with proposals due November 9, 2026, establishing a framework contract for medical supplies across participating public entities via the cooperative vehicle. The Williamson County Regional Animal Shelter in Texas solicited veterinary pharmaceuticals and clinic supplies through IFB 26IFB24, due April 23, 2026.