UNSPSC 56101540: Apparel costumers

UNSPSC 56101540 Apparel costumers is a Commodity code purchasing custom-designed and fabricated mascot costumes and performance wear for educational institutions and public entities. State and local governments under this code procure complete costume packages—including helmets, capes, armor, tunics, boots, gloves, and moisture-wicking underlayers—engineered for performer safety, mobility, and institutional branding. The Community College of Rhode Island's recent RFQ exemplifies the scope: a modular Knight mascot costume with flame-retardant materials, internal ventilation, two-year warranty coverage, and ongoing maintenance services. Issuing bodies are primarily higher education institutions and school districts seeking custom performance apparel; the code also appears in cooperative purchasing frameworks serving law enforcement and other public-sector equipment needs, though the law enforcement application noted in recent activity may represent miscoding rather than core costume purchasing.

The Community College of Rhode Island posted RFQ27006983 on September 8, 2026 with an October 5, 2026 response deadline, requiring 15 percent Minority Business Enterprise participation under Rhode Island law and submission through Ocean State Procures. The solicitation mandates vendor portfolio examples from prior college mascot projects, hourly rates for maintenance and repair services, and insurance coverage including $1 million General Liability and $500,000 Crime coverage. A Sourcewell cooperative RFP #061626 posted May 12, 2026 with a June 16, 2026 deadline cast a wider net across Washington-state jurisdictions (Franklin, Grant, Grays Harbor, Chelan, and Yakima counties) and thousands of potential participating entities nationwide, though the law enforcement equipment framing in that solicitation suggests possible code misapplication to this category. Recent activity concentrates in New England and the Pacific Northwest, with Rhode Island showing direct institutional demand and the Sourcewell vehicle offering pipeline potential across multiple states and entity types.