UNSPSC 93151514: Ombudsman services

UNSPSC 93151514 Ombudsman services (Commodity) encompasses dispute-resolution mediation, hearing officer services, and investigative work that state and local education agencies procure to resolve special education conflicts between parents and schools under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, along with related administrative appeal and utilization review processes. State and local education departments, workforce commissions, and health agencies issue most solicitations under this code. The Kentucky Department of Education has posted multiple IDEA mediator RFPs since August 2026, establishing a pattern of repeat buying in that jurisdiction; the Georgia Department of Education is building a qualified-supplier pool for special education complaint investigation, mediation, and IEP facilitation; and the Texas Education Agency and Texas Workforce Commission both solicit hearing officer and mediator services for special education and vocational rehabilitation appeals. Mediators and hearing officers typically must hold law licenses, special education teacher certifications, or court-approved mediation training credentials, with minimum experience requirements ranging from two to five years in dispute resolution, school law, or administrative proceedings. Compensation is fixed-rate hourly or per-case: Kentucky offers $75 per mediation hour; Georgia pays $1,100 per complaint investigation or $650 per mediation/IEP case; Texas TWC pays $125 per hearing officer hour; and Texas TEA caps hearing officer rates at $280 per hour.

Recent activity concentrates in the Southeast and Texas. Kentucky has posted three IDEA mediator RFPs between August 22 and October 15, 2026, seeking multiple contract awards with no guaranteed minimum volume and fixed availability thresholds (80 annual hours minimum for state mediators); responses due September 22, 2026 (RFP 54027000000211 and 54027000000212) and October 30, 2026 (RFP 54027000001061). Georgia posted a prequalification notice on October 14, 2026 (PE41400NWA2027000000007) establishing a supplier pool for complaint investigators, mediators, and IEP facilitators with a 6–10 week review cycle and no contract award. The Texas Education Agency posted RFP 701-26-017 in May 2026 for multiple special education hearing officer contracts with proposals due May 15, 2026 and contract start projected for September 2026. The Texas Workforce Commission issued RFQ 3202600207 on September 25, 2026 for vocational rehabilitation impartial hearing officers with responses due October 27, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. Central Time and a pre-solicitation conference held October 5, 2026; compensation ranges from $700 to $25,000 annually depending on case volume, and award is anticipated for December 2026. Recent opportunities outside IDEA-specific work include the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance soliciting an independent utilization review organization on July 17, 2026 (quotes due October 6, 2026, later amended to September 24, 2026) and the Texas Workforce Commission recruiting for vocational rehabilitation appeals arbitration.