The lowest responsive and responsible bid, with units on campus on June 17 and the work complete on July 29.
- Award
- $1,812,000
- Units on campus
- June 17
- Days to spare
- 11
Zinit Industries Education
University procurement, counted back from move-in day.
A residence hall stands empty for one summer a year, and the rooftop units it needs now take months to build, so next summer's work has to reach the trustees this winter. Zinit's AI agents count back from move-in to the day each bid has to go out, widen the bidder list so the first opening draws enough bids, and level the bids on price and the week the equipment reaches campus.
- 103M+ supplier and company database
- First RFP in under an hour
- Your team directs and approves
- SOC 2
Fictional exampleExample university · 2026–27 academic calendarTrustees meet on the third Thursday of every other month. Hall C's eight rooftop units are replaced in summer 2027.
Nov 24 the day Hall C's notice runsThe units take 20 weeks to build, so the trustees' meeting on January 21 is the last that makes the summer, and counted back from it the last day the rules allow for the notice is November 26, Thanksgiving Day. Advertised after the winter break instead, the same bid is awarded on March 18 and the units reach campus on August 19, move-in day.
The same bid, drawn to scale
Advertised Nov 24done Aug 520 weeks at the factory
Advertised Jan 21, after the winter breakunits arrive Aug 1920 weeks at the factory
RAs arrive Aug 9Move-in Aug 19
- 18–26weeks
AAON's lead time for its rooftop units and other branded products in March 2026, against 10 to 12 weeks a year earlier.
- 6months
How far ahead of the board meeting the University of Illinois System says a purchase that needs its trustees may have to start. The board meets every other month.
- $156per sq ft
The campus capital-renewal backlog in Gordian's 2026 report on higher-education facilities, up 8% in a year.
Next summer's work is decided at this winter's board meeting.
Commencement, move-in and the first day of classes are set a year ahead, so equipment that arrives late pushes the work into the next summer, a year later. Counted back from move-in through the units' build time, the trustees' calendar, the bid's notice period and the evaluation, the bid for summer work has to go out in the fall.
What each dollar line brings
Thresholds in force on October 5, 2026, lowest first. Hall C's contract is $1,860,000.
- $15,000Federal micro-purchase thresholdAbove it, quotes from an adequate number of qualified sources when federal funds pay; raised from $10,000 on October 1, 2025.AddsQuotes
- $20,000New York school districtsSealed bids to the lowest responsible bidder for purchases; $35,000 for public works.Adds5 days' notice
- $35,000Illinois school boardsThe lowest responsible bidder after due advertisement, in force since January 1, 2024.Adds10 days' notice
- $100,000Texas school districtsOne of seven listed methods, since September 1, 2025.Adds2 weeks' notice
- $119,100California school districts, 2026The lowest responsible bidder; public projects from $15,000.Adds2 weeks' notice
- $350,000Federal simplified acquisition thresholdAbove it, sealed bids or proposals with public notice, and a cost or price analysis; raised from $250,000 on October 1, 2025.AddsA formal bid
- $1,000,000University of Illinois SystemPrior approval by the Board of Trustees, which meets every other month.AddsA board meeting
- $1,860,000Hall C, the exampleAbove every line before it, so whichever of them applies, it needs a formal bid and the trustees.AddsBid and board
- $5,000,000UT Austin, University of Texas SystemApproval by the Board of Regents, which meets in February, May, August and November.AddsA quarterly board
One bid at the December 15 opening leaves the trustees two choices
Award the only bid
$2,306,400
24% over the engineer's estimate of $1,860,000
+$446,400 more than the estimate
Reject it and bid again
$181,532 and a year
The rebid reaches the trustees on March 18, the units arrive on August 19, move-in day, and the work waits for summer 2028.
- A year of price increases$1,860,000 × 5.2%, the BLS index for new school building construction from 230.738 (August 2025) to 242.658 (August 2026)$96,720
- Another year of repairsHall C's last 12 months of repair invoices on its 1998 units, which run on R-22, out of production since January 1, 2020 (the example's figure)$41,600
- Electricity the new units would save312,000 kWh a year, the engineer's estimate × 13.85¢, the US commercial average for the 12 months to July 2026 (EIA)$43,212
With four bids at the same opening, the trustees award $1,812,000 on January 21 and the units reach campus on June 17.
Five signatures and a board vote, all counted from move-in
Above $1 million the trustees award, at a meeting set a year ahead, from a packet that closes three weeks before it. Everyone who signs before them needs something different from the bid, and the date they all work back from is move-in.
Who signsWhat they ownWhat Zinit gives them
Director of housing facilitiesWhat they ownThe scope, and the date Hall C has to be ready.What Zinit gives themThe count-back for every summer project, with the day each notice has to run.
Director of procurementWhat they ownThe bid, the legal notice and the opening.What Zinit gives themA bidder list widened before the notice runs, and every bid on one form.
General counselWhat they ownThe contract and the bid's legal form.What Zinit gives themBid documents built on the university's own forms and terms.
Vice president for financeWhat they ownThe budget and the funding source.What Zinit gives themEach bid against the estimate, and what a missed summer would cost.
Grants officeWhat they ownThe file, when federal funds pay.What Zinit gives themThe record of who was invited, how each was found and how each bid was scored.
Board of trusteesWhat they ownEvery award of $1 million or more.What Zinit gives themA recommendation in the packet for the meeting that still makes the summer.
Board of trustees · January 21Action item 7.2: award of IFB 27-014, Hall C rooftop unit replacement
- Requested by
- Housing facilities
- Reviewed by
- Procurement, general counsel, finance
- Bids opened
- December 15: 9 invited, 4 received
- Recommended
- Bidder B, the lowest responsive and responsible bid: $1,812,000
- Units on campus
- June 17, as quoted
- Work complete
- July 29, 11 days before the RAs arrive
- Funding
- Capital renewal reserve, fiscal 2027
In the public record: one bid, then a rebid
When an opening draws a single bid, or bids over the budget, boards reject them and the work goes out again, which costs at least one board cycle. These five come from public minutes, agendas and reports since 2023.
June 2023
Fort Hays State University, Kansas
Gross Coliseum HVAC improvements
At the opening1 bid
ThenA rebid three weeks later drew two bids, both over budget, and the project budget rose from $7.7 million to $11.4 million.
June 2024
Middlesex College, New Jersey
HVAC upgrades, Early Learning Center
At the opening1 bid, over the allocated budget
ThenRejected and rebid. The July rebid drew one bid over budget again.
July 2025
Norwalk Public Schools, Connecticut
Marvin Elementary School HVAC
At the openingNot awarded, “due to the bid results”
ThenScope amended and rebid in the fall, rooftop equipment due in spring 2026, construction in summer 2026.
August 2025
Burrell School District, Pennsylvania
Bon Air Elementary additions and alterations
At the openingBids well above estimates
ThenRejected, with a smaller project to be rebid. The architect told the board that busy contractors decrease competition.
February 2026
Bourbonnais Elementary District 53, Illinois
Shepard Elementary HVAC controls upgrade
At the opening1 bid, $396,000
ThenRejected, and rebid on revised specifications as parts only, at $50,478, installed by district staff.
Named only as public records, in their own boards' words. None is part of the fictional example, and none is presented as a Zinit customer.
Five ways summer work misses the summer
The bid goes out after the winter break, and the units arrive after move-in.
What Zinit doesZinit counts back from move-in for every project on the summer list and puts the day each notice has to run at the top, so the long-lead work goes out in the fall.
Contractors are busy, and a busy contractor bids less: one district's architect told its board in August 2025 that busy contractors decrease competition.
What Zinit doesZinit finds qualified contractors and suppliers beyond your usual list, licensed for the work in your state, and invites them before the notice runs, once your team approves the list.
One bid at the opening leaves the board two bad choices.
What Zinit doesZinit tracks which invited firms have said they will bid, so a thin response shows up while there is still time to invite more before the opening.
A cooperative contract is the fast route, and auditors keep finding its price unchecked.
What Zinit doesZinit can put the cooperative contract's price on the same tab as quotes from qualified local suppliers, so the file shows what the alternative would have cost.
Federal money changes what the file has to show.
What Zinit doesZinit keeps the record of who was invited, how each firm was found and how each bid was scored, for your grants office to check against the award's terms.
How Zinit helps
Three things your team already does, done for every project on the summer list, early enough for the board meeting that still makes the summer.
Count back from move-in
Zinit takes each summer project, the date its building has to be ready, the equipment's quoted lead time and your board's calendar, and works back to the day its notice has to run.
Every project gets an advertise-by date, and the earliest sits at the top.
Widen the list before the notice runs
Your legal notice runs where your rules require it. Zinit also finds qualified contractors and suppliers in your region and beyond your usual list, including small, minority-, women- and veteran-owned firms when your rules call for them, and invites them directly.
Nobody is invited until your team approves the list.
Level the bids for the packet
Once facilities has agreed the scope and the engineer has written the specifications, the bid documents around them are drafted in under an hour on your own forms, ready for your counsel's review, and every bid comes back with its price and the week the equipment reaches campus.
Your team recommends, and the trustees award at the meeting that keeps the summer.
Your legal notice, the public bid opening and the trustees' vote stay where your rules put them, and Zinit doesn't replace your e-procurement system or your cooperative contracts. It runs the sourcing work around them, and your team directs and approves each step.
One summer list, from the capital plan to the January board
A walkthrough of the example university's summer 2027 list. Every name, figure and date is fictional and reconciles, and the Hall C bid is the one in the calendar above.
The summer list
Summer 2027 projects, from the capital plan
| Project | Value | Ready by | Approved by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hall C rooftop units (8) | $1,860,000 | Aug 9 RAs arrive | Trustees |
| Library roof replacement | $1,240,000 | Aug 13 Faculty return | Trustees |
| Hall A room furniture (236 rooms) | $640,000 | Aug 9 RAs arrive | Vice president |
| Classroom technology (40 rooms) | $310,000 | Aug 16 Week before classes | Vice president |
Read from the capital plan and the housing schedule. Projects of $1 million or more go to the trustees, the rest to the vice president for finance.
Count back from move-in
Counted back from each ready-by date
| Project | Lead time (quote) | On campus by | Award by | Approved at | Advertise by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hall C rooftop units (8) | 20 weeks | Jun 28 | Jan 25 | Jan 21 | Nov 26 |
| Library roof replacement | 6 weeks | Jun 11 | Apr 16 | Mar 18 | Jan 21 |
| Hall A room furniture (236 rooms) | 14 weeks | Jul 26 | Apr 5 | Vice president | Mar 1 |
| Classroom technology (40 rooms) | 8 weeks | Jul 26 | May 17 | Vice president | Apr 12 |
Hall C goes first: its notice runs on November 24. The January 21 meeting is the last that makes the summer, and the latest notice date the rules allow is November 26, Thanksgiving Day. Rules used: 21 days of notice, 14 days to evaluate, a packet that closes 21 days before each meeting, and an order 14 days after the award. Lead times are each supplier's quote; installation is 6 weeks for Hall C, 9 for the roof, 2 for the furniture and 3 for the technology.
Widen the bidder list
Hall C bidder list
- Mechanical contractors
- Licensed in the state
- Bonding to $3 million
- Within 150 miles
| Firm (example) | Found | Distance | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bidder A, mechanical contractor | Usual list | 22 mi | Bid |
| Bidder C, mechanical contractor | Usual list | 9 mi | Bid |
| Mechanical contractor E | Usual list | 31 mi | Declined: booked for the summer |
| Bidder B, mechanical contractor | Added by Zinit | 64 mi | Bid |
| Bidder D, mechanical contractor | Added by Zinit | 118 mi | Bid |
| Mechanical contractor F | Added by Zinit | 47 mi | Declined: bonding capacity used |
| Mechanical contractor G, women-owned | Added by Zinit | 88 mi | No response |
| Mechanical contractor H, minority-owned | Added by Zinit | 72 mi | Declined: no crane in July |
| Mechanical contractor I | Added by Zinit | 140 mi | No response |
The legal notice ran on November 24, and these nine firms were also invited directly once the director of procurement approved the list: 9 invited, 4 bids.
One bid form
One bid form for every bidder
- 1Base bid, furnish and install
- 2Unit manufacturer and model
- 3Lead time from the order, as the manufacturer quotes it
- 4Units on campus and work complete
- 5Bid bond, 5%
- 6State contractor's license
- 7Three references for work on an occupied campus
Every bid states the week its units reach campus, so a price that can't make the summer shows up at the opening, while there is still time to act on it.
The opening, leveled
The December 15 opening, leveled
| Bidder | Base bid | Lead time | Units on campus | Work complete | Makes the date? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | $1,948,000 | 24 weeks | Jul 22 | Sep 2 | No, after the RAs arrive |
| BAdded by Zinit | $1,812,000 | 19 weeks | Jun 17 | Jul 29 | Yes |
| C | $1,874,500 | 20 weeks | Jun 24 | Aug 5 | Yes |
| DAdded by Zinit | $2,029,000 | 18 weeks | Jun 10 | Jul 22 | Yes |
Each date is the manufacturer's lead time carried in the bid, counted from an order released on February 4, and it becomes a commitment in the contract. The engineer's estimate was $1,860,000.
The board item
In the trustees' packet by December 31
A new notice could not open before the January packet closed, so the award moves to March and the units arrive on move-in day.
- Units on campus
- August 19
- Work moves to
- Summer 2028
- A year later
- $181,532
With Bidder B, Hall C is complete on July 29, 11 days before the RAs arrive.
Who approves, and what sets the date, by kind of institution
The academic calendar fixes the summer at every institution, and the approvals, the thresholds and the rules that come with the money depend on what kind of institution it is.
Public universities and systems
782 public four-year institutions
What sets the date
- A board of trustees or regents that meets on a set calendar: every other month at the University of Illinois System, ten times a year at the University of Wisconsin System and four times a year at the University of Texas System.
- Board approval from $1 million (Illinois, and most Wisconsin campuses) to $5 million (UT Austin), with state purchasing law below it.
- Residence halls reopen for resident assistants 9 to 13 days before move-in at two public universities whose fall 2026 dates were checked.
Where sourcing moves it
Advertise long-lead summer work in time for the meeting before the build time runs out, with enough qualified bidders invited that the first opening can be awarded.
Community colleges
817 public two-year institutions
What sets the date
- A local board and state rules for formal bids: California's community colleges bid contracts above $119,100 in 2026.
- One New Jersey county college's HVAC bid drew one bid in June 2024, and one again in the July rebid.
Where sourcing moves it
Add qualified local contractors and suppliers to the list before the notice runs, so a small board sees fewer one-bid openings.
Private colleges and universities
1,614 private nonprofit institutions
What sets the date
- Their own purchasing policies, and when federal money pays, 2 CFR 200.318 to 200.327: sealed bids or proposals above $350,000, with a cost or price analysis.
- The average tuition discount for first-time undergraduates reached 57.1% in 2025-26 at the colleges NACUBO surveyed, which leaves little room for a rebid.
Where sourcing moves it
Go out to qualified bidders as soon as the scope is agreed, and keep the record your grants office needs when federal funds pay.
Research equipment on federal awards
Uniform Guidance, revised October 1, 2024
What sets the date
- Above $350,000 a purchase needs sealed bids or proposals and a cost or price analysis, and a noncompetitive purchase is allowed only in five listed circumstances, one of them when competition is found inadequate after several sources were asked.
- Small, minority-, women- and veteran-owned businesses are to be considered when possible, starting with putting them on solicitation lists.
Where sourcing moves it
Ask more qualified sources before anyone writes a single-source justification, and keep the record of who was asked.
K-12 school districts
13,318 regular districts, 99,388 public schools
What sets the date
- An elected board that meets twice a month in the two Texas districts checked, with staff items due 9 days before the board briefing in Dallas and with the board 13 days before a meeting in Austin.
- State bid law: Texas from $100,000 with two weeks' notice, California from $119,100 with two weeks, New York from $20,000 for purchases with five days, Illinois from $35,000 with ten.
- A first day set by law in some states: Texas districts may not begin instruction before the fourth Monday in August.
- E-Rate: a four-week wait after the Form 470 is posted, and price should be the primary factor; the FY2026 window ran from January 21 to April 1, 2026.
- GAO estimated in 2020 that 41% of districts needed to update or replace HVAC in at least half their schools, about 36,000 schools.
Where sourcing moves it
Count summer HVAC, roofing and furniture work back from the first day, and bring enough qualified bidders to each opening that the board can award.
Counts from the NCES Digest of Education Statistics for 2022-23.
What schools and campuses buy for the first day, and the markets that make it
Six purchases timed to the academic calendar, with the price signal each one carries since January 2020 and the established suppliers in each market.
Rooftop units and HVAC
Rooftop units, air handlers, chillers and controls
- Price since January 2020
- +62.0%, and +4.1% in the last year (BLS, air-conditioning and refrigeration equipment)
- When it's bought
- Bid in the fall for summer installation; 18 to 26 weeks from order at one maker in 2026
- Where sourcing helps
- Regional mechanical contractors added before the notice runs, with each bid's on-campus week on the tab
Established suppliers
Roofing
Membrane and built-up roofs, insulation and flashing
- Price since January 2020
- +50.8%, and +3.9% in the last year (BLS, asphalt and tar roofing products)
- When it's bought
- Bid in winter for the summer, when the building below is empty
- Where sourcing helps
- Roofers certified by the membrane maker your specification names, with more than one maker named where the specification allows
Established suppliers
- Garland
Classroom and residence-hall furniture
Desks, seating, beds, wardrobes and lounge furniture
- Price since January 2020
- +53.1%, and +5.1% in the last year (BLS, institutional furniture manufacturing)
- When it's bought
- Ordered in spring to be placed before the RAs return
- Where sourcing helps
- Cooperative-contract prices on the same tab as quotes from qualified dealers
Established suppliers
- Virco
- KI
Student devices
Laptops, Chromebooks, cases and setup
- When it's bought
- Bought in spring, so they can be set up and tagged before the first day
- Where sourcing helps
- Bids from authorized resellers that include setup, asset tags and delivery building by building
Established suppliers
- HP
- Apple
School buses
Type C and Type D buses, diesel, propane and electric
- Price since January 2020
- +47.2%, and +4.5% in the last year (BLS, truck and bus bodies, the nearest index)
- When it's bought
- Bought for the start of a school year
- Where sourcing helps
- Dealer quotes against the cooperative contract's price, with the delivery date in every bid
Established suppliers
- Thomas Built Buses
- IC Bus
Dining and food service
Food service management, catering and campus dining
- When it's bought
- Awarded before the semester or school year it starts; school meal contracts run a year at a time, with up to four renewals
- Where sourcing helps
- Proposals scored on the meal plan and the service terms, with the incumbent's renewal priced on the same tab
Established suppliers
Established suppliers in each category, shown to illustrate the market, not as a list of Zinit's customers or partners.
Results from Zinit's work in other industries
Outcomes Zinit publishes from three other industries, each in the wording it is approved in.
Saved over 12% across 28 recent RFPs
30%+ savings in construction spend, 10%+ in other categories
23% savings across procurement categories
Anonymized case studies, as shown on the demo request page.
RFPs published from
The same logo row as the homepage.
Questions a procurement director asks first
What does it cost?
Zinit is supplier-funded and free to buyers: only the supplier your team selects as the winner pays a commission, the losing bidders pay nothing, and nothing is owed until you award. The commission rates are published openly on our site, and because the fee is tied to the award your team makes rather than to who competes, Zinit earns the same whichever qualified supplier you choose.
Does this replace our legal notice, our bid opening or our e-procurement system?
No. Your notice runs where your state's law and your policy require it, sealed bids are submitted and opened the way your rules say, and awards still go through your system and your board. Zinit adds directly invited bidders to the same solicitation, drafts the documents and levels what comes back.
Is it fair to the other bidders when Zinit contacts some firms?
Before the notice runs, every firm Zinit contacts hears the same thing your registered vendors do: that the solicitation is coming, where and when the notice will run and how to register, and nobody gets the documents before they are posted for everyone. The notice still runs publicly, and your purchasing policy decides whether the outreach is used at all.
Can we still use cooperative contracts?
Yes, and auditors have started asking for the comparison behind them. Maryland's legislative auditors reported in March 2025 that Prince George's County Public Schools ran 626 procurements worth $565 million through cooperative agreements from July 2019 to May 2023, and that for the agreements they tested the district had not compared the cost with running its own solicitation. Zinit can put the cooperative contract's price on the same tab as quotes from qualified local suppliers.
What changes when federal funds pay?
The Uniform Guidance applies. Since October 1, 2025 the micro-purchase threshold is $15,000 and the simplified acquisition threshold $350,000; above that, a purchase needs sealed bids or proposals with public notice and a cost or price analysis, and sealed bidding assumes two or more responsible bidders willing to compete. School districts, as local governments, also advertise sealed bids publicly and open them in public. Zinit keeps the record of who was invited and how each bid was scored, and your grants office decides what the award requires.
And E-Rate?
E-Rate runs on its own clock: the Form 470 starts the bidding, you wait at least four weeks before committing to a provider, and price should be the primary factor. The FCC is moving bids into a USAC bidding portal from funding year 2028. The forms, the certifications and the portal stay with your team.
Who decides?
Your team does. Zinit finds and invites the bidders, drafts the bid, levels what comes back and prepares the recommendation, and your procurement office, your counsel and your board make every decision.
How quickly can we start?
Agreeing the scope with facilities and writing the engineer's specifications take the time they take. Once they are done, the first solicitation is drafted around them in under an hour, your counsel reviews it, and the bid runs for the notice period your rules set, so most teams start with the summer project whose advertise-by date comes first.
Where does our data go?
Zinit is connected to your project drive and your ERP, so nothing is uploaded, and bidders see only the documents your team approves.
What doesn't Zinit do?
It doesn't install equipment, hold your contracts or replace your e-procurement system, your cooperative contracts or your board's vote. It finds and invites the bidders, drafts the bid, levels the bids and reports, and your team decides.
Start with next summer's list
Bring the summer projects you are planning, or just the one with the longest lead time, and we'll count it back to the day its notice has to run and show you the qualified bidders who could answer it.
Sources
- [1] AAON, Form 10-K for fiscal 2025 (signed March 2, 2026)Rooftop units are its flagship products; lead times for AAON-branded products generally around 18 to 26 weeks
- [2] AAON, Form 10-K for fiscal 2024 (signed February 27, 2025)Lead times for AAON-branded products generally around 10 to 12 weeks
- [3] Cushman & Wakefield, Navigating continued challenges for life sciences projects (June 30, 2023)Lead times on its US projects: rooftop units 18 to 28 weeks, roofing 4 to 20 weeks
- [4] University of Illinois System, Board of Trustees approval thresholds and schedulePurchases of $1,000,000 or more in a fiscal year need prior Board approval; the Board meets every other month; a purchase may need to reach Purchasing at least six months before the meeting
- [5] University of Wisconsin System, Regent Policy Document 13-1 (amended August 20, 2026)Board approval above $1,000,000 at most universities and $5,000,000 at UW-Madison and System Administration
- [6] University of Wisconsin System, Board of Regents meetingsTen regular meetings in 2026 and in 2027
- [7] University of Texas System, Board contract approval threshold table (March 16, 2026)Board approval thresholds from $1,500,000 to $5,000,000 by institution, $5,000,000 at UT Austin
- [8] University of Texas System, Regents' meetingsRegular meetings in February, May, August and November
- [9] Gordian, The State of Facilities in Higher Education, 13th edition (2026)Capital renewal backlogs at $156 per gross square foot, an 8% increase over the previous year
- [10] eCFR, 48 CFR 2.101 (text as of October 1, 2026)Micro-purchase threshold $15,000 and simplified acquisition threshold $350,000, in this version since October 1, 2025
- [11] Federal Register, FAR Case 2024-001, Inflation adjustment of acquisition-related thresholds (August 27, 2025)Raised the thresholds from $10,000 and $250,000, effective October 1, 2025
- [12] Federal Register, OMB, Guidance for Federal Financial Assistance (April 22, 2024)The revised Uniform Guidance, in effect from October 1, 2024
- [13] eCFR, 2 CFR 200.1 (text as of October 1, 2026)A school district is a local government
- [14] eCFR, 2 CFR 200.317 (text as of October 1, 2026)Recipients other than States and tribes follow 200.318 to 200.327
- [15] eCFR, 2 CFR 200.318 (text as of October 1, 2026)Written standards of conduct; procurement arrangements using strategic sourcing in paragraph (e)
- [16] eCFR, 2 CFR 200.320 (text as of October 1, 2026)Sealed bids or proposals above the simplified acquisition threshold; two or more responsible bidders; public advertising and public opening for local governments; noncompetitive procurement when competition is found inadequate
- [17] eCFR, 2 CFR 200.321 (text as of October 1, 2026)Small, minority, women-owned and veteran-owned businesses considered, starting with solicitation lists
- [18] eCFR, 2 CFR 200.324 (text as of October 1, 2026)A cost or price analysis for every procurement above the simplified acquisition threshold
- [19] eCFR, 47 CFR 54.503 (text as of October 1, 2026)E-Rate: Form 470 starts the bidding, and applicants wait at least four weeks before making commitments
- [20] eCFR, 47 CFR 54.511 (text as of October 1, 2026)Price should be the primary factor in selecting E-Rate service providers
- [21] Federal Register, FCC, Promoting fair and open competitive bidding in the E-Rate program (May 19, 2026)Bids go through a USAC-managed bidding portal beginning with funding year 2028
- [22] USAC, Funding Year 2026 filing windowThe FY2026 Form 471 window ran from January 21 to April 1, 2026
- [23] eCFR, 7 CFR 210.16 (text as of October 1, 2026)Food service management company contracts run no longer than a year, with up to four yearly renewals
- [24] Texas Education Code, Chapter 44 (§44.031)Purchases of $100,000 or more by one of the listed methods; notice once a week for at least two weeks before the deadline
- [25] Texas Legislature, S.B. 1173 (2025), enrolledRaised the §44.031 threshold from $50,000 to $100,000, effective September 1, 2025
- [26] Texas Education Code, Chapter 25 (§25.0811)A district may not begin instruction before the fourth Monday in August
- [27] California Public Contract Code §20111Competitive bids above the adjusted threshold, to the lowest responsible bidder; public projects of $15,000 or more
- [28] California Public Contract Code §20112Notice at least once a week for two weeks in a newspaper of general circulation
- [29] Dannis Woliver Kelley, 2026 adjusted bid thresholds for contracts (January 6, 2026)The school-district bid threshold rose from $114,800 to $119,100 on January 1, 2026
- [30] California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office, memo FP 25-09 (December 16, 2025)The 2026 community-college bid threshold of $119,100
- [31] New York General Municipal Law §103Purchases over $20,000 and public works over $35,000 by sealed bid; at least five days between the first notice and the opening
- [32] Illinois School Code, 105 ILCS 5/10-20.21Contracts over $35,000 to the lowest responsible bidder; a notice at least 10 days before the bid date
- [33] Dallas ISD, 2026-2027 staff deadlines for agenda submissions (April 30, 2026)Items due on the 9th calendar day before the board briefing
- [34] Austin ISD, Board Handbook (revised June 18, 2026)Two regular meetings a month; the board receives the items 13 days before a meeting
- [35] Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania, Housing and Residence Life (fall 2026)RAs move in on August 7, 2026; new students move in on August 20-21 at Lock Haven and from August 16 at Bloomsburg
- [36] Georgia Southern University, University Housing (fall 2026)RAs move in on August 2, 2026; residents of the Savannah and Swainsboro campuses move in on August 14-15
- [37] US Bureau of Labor Statistics, PPI for new school building construction (PCU236222236222)230.738 in August 2025 and 242.658 in August 2026 (preliminary)
- [38] US Bureau of Labor Statistics, PPI for air-conditioning and refrigeration equipment (WPU1148)201.0 in January 2020, 312.760 in August 2025, 325.649 in August 2026 (preliminary)
- [39] US Bureau of Labor Statistics, PPI for asphalt and tar roofing and siding products (WPU1361)248.0 in January 2020, 360.038 in August 2025, 374.098 in August 2026 (preliminary)
- [40] US Bureau of Labor Statistics, PPI for institutional furniture manufacturing (PCU337127337127)154.8 in January 2020, 225.527 in August 2025, 236.922 in August 2026 (preliminary)
- [41] US Bureau of Labor Statistics, PPI for truck and bus bodies (WPU1413)258.9 in January 2020, 364.486 in August 2025, 381.031 in August 2026 (preliminary)
- [42] US Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.3 (September 24, 2026)Commercial-sector average of 13.85 cents per kWh for the 12 months to July 2026
- [43] US EPA, Residential air conditioning and the phaseout of HCFC-22 (February 2020)Production and import of HCFC-22 (R-22) ended on January 1, 2020
- [44] Middlesex College, Board of Trustees minutes (June 19, 2024)One bid for the Early Learning Center HVAC upgrades, over the allocated budget; rejected and rebid
- [45] Middlesex College, Board Executive Committee minutes (July 30, 2024)The rebid drew one bid over the allocated budget again
- [46] Kansas Board of Regents, meeting agenda (September 20-21, 2023)Fort Hays State's Gross Coliseum HVAC drew one bid; the rebid drew two over budget; budget from $7,700,000 to $11,400,000
- [47] Norwalk Public Schools, NPS making headway on school HVAC improvements (July 7, 2025)Marvin Elementary HVAC rebid in the fall because of the bid results, with construction in summer 2026
- [48] Burrell School District, board minutes (August 19, 2025)Bids well above estimates rejected and rebid; the architect said busy contractors decrease competition
- [49] The Daily Journal, Bourbonnais school board OKs facility project bids (March 29, 2026)The only bid, $396,000, rejected in February 2026; rebid as parts only at $50,478
- [50] Maryland Office of Legislative Audits, Prince George's County Public Schools (March 2025)626 procurements worth $565 million through cooperative agreements; for those tested, no analysis of the cost of its own solicitation
- [51] Washington State Auditor, Moses Lake School District accountability audit (March 19, 2026)About $1.6 million of furniture bought by piggybacking on a cooperative contract without the required checks
- [52] NACUBO, 2025 Tuition Discounting Study (June 1, 2026)Average discount rate of 57.1% for first-time, full-time undergraduates in 2025-26 (preliminary)
- [53] NCES, Digest of Education Statistics, Table 317.103,896 degree-granting institutions in 2022-23: 782 public four-year, 817 public two-year, 1,614 private nonprofit
- [54] NCES, Digest of Education Statistics, Table 214.1013,318 regular public school districts and 99,388 public schools in 2022-23
- [55] US GAO, GAO-20-494, K-12 Education: school districts frequently identified multiple building systems needing updates or replacement (June 4, 2020)An estimated 41% of districts needed to update or replace HVAC in at least half their schools, about 36,000 schools