purchasing

National Institute of Governmental Purchasing Commodity Book

The National Institute of Governmental Purchasing (NIGP) Commodity Book has been prepared for the use of bidders, vendors, and state agency personnel.

• Agencies use the class-item numbering and descriptions found in this book to properly code products or services on their requisitions and purchases, so informal and formal invitations for bid will reach vendors that have indicated they are capable of furnishing the required materials, equipment, supplies, and services.
• Bidders are encouraged to become familiar with the format and contents of this book as they apply to the Centralized Master Bidders List search and vendor profiling. It is extremely important to both agencies and potential bidders that bidder class-item selections are correct. The State of Texas encourages agencies to make the most efficient use of tax dollars and this includes judicious use of printing and postage for bid invitations.

Note to Bidders: please do not select classes or items for which you CANNOT do business. The cost of unnecessary mailings is passed on to every taxpayer. If you are unable to bid or provide goods/services upon award, you may be removed from the Centralized Master Bidders List (CMBL).

The Statewide Procurement Division (SPD) gratefully acknowledges the cooperation of the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing, Inc. in the development of this Commodity Book.

Code Support and Access

Vendors, who need help identifying which class and item codes are applicable to your company, should email the CMBL Help Desk or call 512-463-3459.

State agencies or Texas Smartbuy Members may access the NIGP Living Code through the annual site license obtained by SPD. Each agency is allowed one free agency account with the capability to set-up multiple users. If you anticipate having multiple users logged in at the same time on a regular basis, you may want to purchase additional seats from NIGP. The benefits of accessing the Living Code include:

• Real-time access to correct State of Texas commodity or service class and items
• Standardization of generally accepted specifications
• Reduced time in developing and writing specifications
• Support for inventory management and procurement planning and management

To set up your entity's living code access or to set up new commodity codes for government entity use, please contact the NIGP coordinator | 512-463-3459.