State agencies, municipalities, and non-profits can buy surplus equipment and furniture from the State Surplus Property Office (SSPO) for a nominal administrative fee. The SSPO is part of the Operational Services Division (OSD), the state's procurement agency, and manages the distribution of usable state property from all state agencies. By redistributing unwanted equipment, the Commonwealth reduces its disposal and operating costs.

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) provides information and assistance to municipalities and schools to obtain equipment and furniture. Together, OSD and MassDEP are helping municipalities save money and promote reuse.

Who is eligible to obtain state surplus?

State agencies, cities and towns, licensed non-profits (501(c)(3) under the Internal Revenue code), and the general public can obtain surplus state property. Each surplus item is made available on a decommissioning schedule: State agencies can request anything on the statewide list as soon as it is posted, cities and towns after 30 days, non-profits after 50 days, and the general public after 60 days.

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What types of items are available?

Anything that is the property of a state agency and is no longer needed can be obtained through the SSPO. There is a wide variety of office equipment available on a regular basis. The following categories of equipment are offered for purchase through the system: chairs, desks, tables, bookcases, office partitions, computers, laser printers, and other types of specialized equipment.

Occasionally, larger items, such as centrifuges from a laboratory, multiple cartridge data storage units from an information systems department, or construction tools from the state highway department become available.

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How do I find surplus on the statewide list?

The SSPO publishes an on-line list of all equipment available statewide called "Surplus Property Available to Public Entities." The list is updated frequently. Go to the OSD web site at: www.mass.gov/osd and click on the "Surplus Property" category to find the list. (NOTE: the list is published as a PDF file using Adobe Acrobat. Your computer needs to have Acrobat installed to view the list. The software is available at www.adobe.com).

Municipalities and non-profit organizations looking to obtain a specific item should refer to the column on the statewide surplus list labeled "available to municipalities" or "available to non-profits". The available date indicates when specific items can be transferred to another agency, municipality, or non-profit. All surplus property with the exception of vehicles is listed.

The SSPO holds periodic auctions for surplus vehicles. On the web site click on "surplus property offered to the general public" and look for the auction announcement. Call the auction hotline at 617-720-3199 for more information.

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How do I submit a request form?

Any city, town, or non-profit organization MUST complete a simple, one page “surplus request form” (downloadable from the OSD web site) and FAX it to the SSPO. Be sure to write down the 6-digit item number(s) of the requested items on the form! This 6-digit number is used to track individual items.

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How do I pick up and pay for state surplus equipment?

The SSPO operates without a central warehouse. Anyone who purchases an item(s) needs to arrange a mutually convenient pick-up time at the agency's storage location. While many agencies are in Boston, there are also locations in Worcester, Springfield, Northampton and other communities where a state agency has an office. In some cases, the purchaser can make shipping arrangements with the donating agency.

Payment of a nominal administration fee (usually $5.00 to $20.00) for items must be made to the SSPO. State agencies do not have to pay the administrative fee.

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Assistance Available from MassDEP

The MassDEP Municipal Waste Reduction Program works with the SSPO to assist municipalities and non-profits to increase the reuse of valuable surplus property.

• Does your municipality or non-profit want to receive email notices of available surplus? MassDEP maintains an email distribution list for municipal officials who want to receive bi-weekly messages listing available state surplus. Every two weeks, MassDEP sends an email message to the distribution list with updates on available equipment.
• Does your municipality or non-profit have a "wish list" of equipment you need? MassDEP assists municipalities, schools and non-profits by tracking lists of needed items and contacting them when item(s) become available.

To be added to the email distribution list or receive help completing a wish list please contact John Crisley, the Surplus Reuse Project's Program Coordinator, at 617-556-1021 or john.crisley@state.ma.us.

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Surplus Success Stories

Here is a sampling of successful transactions from the SSPO:

• Ashland Department of Public Works (DPW) received surplus office cubicle partitions to help reorganize their offices.
• Murdoch Charter School in Chelmsford received 15 Dell Pentium III computers to expand a language lab for Spanish classes.
• Winchendon public schools received 40 office partitions in various sizes.
• Cambridge Housing Authority received 8 Pentium III computers.

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