diff --git a/pydatalab/pydatalab/models/equipment.py b/pydatalab/pydatalab/models/equipment.py
index 83f3edf48..13ffdca16 100644
--- a/pydatalab/pydatalab/models/equipment.py
+++ b/pydatalab/pydatalab/models/equipment.py
@@ -3,6 +3,9 @@
 from pydantic import Field
 
 from pydatalab.models.items import Item
+from pydatalab.models.utils import (
+    EquipmentStatus,
+)
 
 
 class Equipment(Item):
@@ -21,3 +24,6 @@ class Equipment(Item):
 
     contact: Optional[str]
     """Contact information for equipment (e.g., email address or phone number)."""
+
+    status: EquipmentStatus = Field(default=EquipmentStatus.WORKING)
+    """The status of the equipment, indicating its current state."""
diff --git a/pydatalab/pydatalab/models/items.py b/pydatalab/pydatalab/models/items.py
index 4195f1ce6..e06cf735f 100644
--- a/pydatalab/pydatalab/models/items.py
+++ b/pydatalab/pydatalab/models/items.py
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
     IsoformatDateTime,
     PyObjectId,
     Refcode,
+    ItemStatus,
 )
 
 
@@ -45,6 +46,9 @@ class Item(Entry, HasOwner, HasRevisionControl, IsCollectable, HasBlocks, abc.AB
     file_ObjectIds: List[PyObjectId] = Field([])
     """Links to object IDs of files stored within the database."""
 
+    status: ItemStatus = Field(default=ItemStatus.PLANNED)
+    """The status of the item, indicating its current state."""
+
     @validator("refcode", pre=True, always=True)
     def refcode_validator(cls, v):
         """Generate a refcode if not provided."""
@@ -54,6 +58,7 @@ def refcode_validator(cls, v):
             id = None
             prefix, id = v.split(":")
             if prefix is None or id is None:
-                raise ValueError(f"refcode missing prefix or ID {id=}, {prefix=} from {v=}")
+                raise ValueError(
+                    f"refcode missing prefix or ID {id=}, {prefix=} from {v=}")
 
         return v
diff --git a/pydatalab/pydatalab/models/utils.py b/pydatalab/pydatalab/models/utils.py
index 9755a8925..bb71d7381 100644
--- a/pydatalab/pydatalab/models/utils.py
+++ b/pydatalab/pydatalab/models/utils.py
@@ -25,6 +25,25 @@ class ItemType(str, Enum):
     STARTING_MATERIALS = "starting_materials"
 
 
+class ItemStatus(str, Enum):
+    """An enumeration of the status of items"""
+
+    PLANNED = "planned"
+    ACTIVE = "active"
+    COMPLETED = "completed"
+    FAILED = "failed"
+
+
+class EquipmentStatus(str, Enum):
+    """An enumeration of the status of equipments"""
+
+    WORKING = "working"
+    BROKEN = "broken"
+    BEING_FIXED = "being_fixed"
+    DEFUNCT = "defunct"
+    NOT_BEING_FIXED = "not_being_fixed"
+
+
 class KnownType(str, Enum):
     """An enumeration of the types of entry known by this implementation, should be made dynamic in the future."""
 
@@ -106,7 +125,8 @@ def __get_validators__(self):
     def validate(self, v):
         q = self.Q(v)
         if not q.check(self._dimensions):
-            raise ValueError("Value {v} must have dimensions of mass, not {v.dimensions}")
+            raise ValueError(
+                "Value {v} must have dimensions of mass, not {v.dimensions}")
         return q
 
     @classmethod
diff --git a/pydatalab/pydatalab/routes/v0_1/items.py b/pydatalab/pydatalab/routes/v0_1/items.py
index ad1890bdc..d4be5b9ea 100644
--- a/pydatalab/pydatalab/routes/v0_1/items.py
+++ b/pydatalab/pydatalab/routes/v0_1/items.py
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 from pydatalab.models import ITEM_MODELS
 from pydatalab.models.items import Item
 from pydatalab.models.relationships import RelationshipType
-from pydatalab.models.utils import generate_unique_refcode
+from pydatalab.models.utils import generate_unique_refcode, ItemStatus, EquipmentStatus
 from pydatalab.mongo import flask_mongo
 from pydatalab.permissions import PUBLIC_USER_ID, active_users_or_get_only, get_default_permissions
 
@@ -41,11 +41,13 @@ def reserialize_blocks(display_order: List[str], blocks_obj: Dict[str, Dict]) ->
         try:
             block_data = blocks_obj[block_id]
         except KeyError:
-            LOGGER.warning(f"block_id {block_id} found in display order but not in blocks_obj")
+            LOGGER.warning(
+                f"block_id {block_id} found in display order but not in blocks_obj")
             continue
         blocktype = block_data["blocktype"]
         blocks_obj[block_id] = (
-            BLOCK_TYPES.get(blocktype, BLOCK_TYPES["notsupported"]).from_db(block_data).to_web()
+            BLOCK_TYPES.get(blocktype, BLOCK_TYPES["notsupported"]).from_db(
+                block_data).to_web()
         )
 
     return blocks_obj
@@ -269,7 +271,8 @@ def _check_collections(sample_dict: dict) -> list[dict[str, str]]:
             query.update(c)
             if "immutable_id" in c:
                 query["_id"] = ObjectId(query.pop("immutable_id"))
-            result = flask_mongo.db.collections.find_one({**query, **get_default_permissions()})
+            result = flask_mongo.db.collections.find_one(
+                {**query, **get_default_permissions()})
             if not result:
                 raise ValueError(f"No collection found matching request: {c}")
             sample_dict["collections"][ind] = {"immutable_id": result["_id"]}
@@ -300,7 +303,8 @@ def search_items():
     nresults = request.args.get("nresults", default=100, type=int)
     types = request.args.get("types", default=None)
     if isinstance(types, str):
-        types = types.split(",")  # should figure out how to parse as list automatically
+        # should figure out how to parse as list automatically
+        types = types.split(",")
 
     match_obj = {
         "$text": {"$search": query},
@@ -347,9 +351,11 @@ def _create_sample(
         )
 
     if copy_from_item_id:
-        copied_doc = flask_mongo.db.items.find_one({"item_id": copy_from_item_id})
+        copied_doc = flask_mongo.db.items.find_one(
+            {"item_id": copy_from_item_id})
 
-        LOGGER.debug(f"Copying from pre-existing item {copy_from_item_id} with data:\n{copied_doc}")
+        LOGGER.debug(
+            f"Copying from pre-existing item {copy_from_item_id} with data:\n{copied_doc}")
         if not copied_doc:
             return (
                 dict(
@@ -428,10 +434,10 @@ def _create_sample(
         raise RuntimeError("Invalid type")
     model = ITEM_MODELS[type_]
 
-    ## the following code was used previously to explicitely check schema properties.
-    ## it doesn't seem to be necessary now, with extra = "ignore" turned on in the pydantic models,
-    ## and it breaks in instances where the models use aliases (e.g., in the starting_material model)
-    ## so we are taking it out now, but leaving this comment in case it needs to be reverted.
+    # the following code was used previously to explicitely check schema properties.
+    # it doesn't seem to be necessary now, with extra = "ignore" turned on in the pydantic models,
+    # and it breaks in instances where the models use aliases (e.g., in the starting_material model)
+    # so we are taking it out now, but leaving this comment in case it needs to be reverted.
     # schema = model.schema()
     # new_sample = {k: sample_dict[k] for k in schema["properties"] if k in sample_dict}
     new_sample = sample_dict
@@ -497,7 +503,8 @@ def _create_sample(
     # via joins for a specific query.
     # TODO: encode this at the model level, via custom schema properties or hard-coded `.store()` methods
     # the `Entry` model.
-    result = flask_mongo.db.items.insert_one(data_model.dict(exclude={"creators", "collections"}))
+    result = flask_mongo.db.items.insert_one(
+        data_model.dict(exclude={"creators", "collections"}))
     if not result.acknowledged:
         return (
             dict(
@@ -553,7 +560,8 @@ def create_sample():
         response, http_code = _create_sample(
             sample_dict=request_json["new_sample_data"],
             copy_from_item_id=request_json.get("copy_from_item_id"),
-            generate_id_automatically=request_json.get("generate_id_automatically", False),
+            generate_id_automatically=request_json.get(
+                "generate_id_automatically", False),
         )
     else:
         response, http_code = _create_sample(request_json)
@@ -644,7 +652,8 @@ def get_item_data(
            call its render function).
 
     """
-    redirect_to_ui = bool(request.args.get("redirect-to-ui", default=False, type=json.loads))
+    redirect_to_ui = bool(request.args.get(
+        "redirect-to-ui", default=False, type=json.loads))
     if refcode and redirect_to_ui and CONFIG.APP_URL:
         return redirect(f"{CONFIG.APP_URL}/items/{refcode}", code=307)
 
@@ -814,7 +823,8 @@ def save_item():
     for block_id, block_data in updated_data.get("blocks_obj", {}).items():
         blocktype = block_data["blocktype"]
 
-        block = BLOCK_TYPES.get(blocktype, BLOCK_TYPES["notsupported"]).from_web(block_data)
+        block = BLOCK_TYPES.get(
+            blocktype, BLOCK_TYPES["notsupported"]).from_web(block_data)
 
         updated_data["blocks_obj"][block_id] = block.to_db()
 
@@ -922,3 +932,15 @@ def search_users():
     )
 
     return jsonify({"status": "success", "users": list(cursor)}), 200
+
+
+@ITEMS.route('/item_status_options', methods=['GET'])
+def get_item_status_options():
+    status_options = [status.value for status in ItemStatus]
+    return jsonify(status_options)
+
+
+@ITEMS.route('/equipment_status_options', methods=['GET'])
+def get_equipment_status_options():
+    status_options = [status.value for status in EquipmentStatus]
+    return jsonify(status_options)
diff --git a/webapp/src/components/EquipmentInformation.vue b/webapp/src/components/EquipmentInformation.vue
index 23afc7c84..9e6284124 100644
--- a/webapp/src/components/EquipmentInformation.vue
+++ b/webapp/src/components/EquipmentInformation.vue
@@ -54,6 +54,11 @@
         <label for="equip-contact" class="mr-2">Contact information</label>
         <input id="equip-contact" v-model="Contact" class="form-control" />
       </div>
+      <div class="col-md-4 pb-3 d-flex justify-content-center align-items-center">
+        <span :class="getStatusBadgeClass(Status)" class="badge text-uppercase">
+          {{ formatStatus(Status) }}
+        </span>
+      </div>
     </div>
     <label id="equip-description-label" class="mr-2">Description</label>
     <TinyMceInline v-model="ItemDescription" aria-labelledby="equip-description-label" />
@@ -107,6 +112,27 @@ export default {
     SerialNos: createComputedSetterForItemField("serial_numbers"),
     Maintainers: createComputedSetterForItemField("creators"),
     Contact: createComputedSetterForItemField("contact"),
+    Status: createComputedSetterForItemField("status"),
+  },
+
+  methods: {
+    getStatusBadgeClass(status) {
+      switch (status) {
+        case "working":
+          return "badge-success";
+        case "broken":
+          return "badge-warning";
+        case "being_fixed":
+          return "badge-info";
+        case "defunct":
+          return "badge-dark";
+        case "not_being_fixed":
+          return "badge-danger";
+      }
+    },
+    formatStatus(status) {
+      return status.split("_").join(" ");
+    },
   },
 };
 </script>
@@ -116,4 +142,7 @@ label {
   font-weight: 500;
   color: #298651;
 }
+.badge {
+  font-size: 1em;
+}
 </style>
diff --git a/webapp/src/components/SampleInformation.vue b/webapp/src/components/SampleInformation.vue
index be1caf982..e743b4e75 100644
--- a/webapp/src/components/SampleInformation.vue
+++ b/webapp/src/components/SampleInformation.vue
@@ -35,9 +35,16 @@
               <Creators :creators="ItemCreators" :size="36" />
             </div>
           </div>
-          <div class="col-md-6 col-sm-7 pr-2">
+          <div class="form-group col-md-3 col-sm-3 col-6 pb-3">
             <ToggleableCollectionFormGroup v-model="Collections" />
           </div>
+          <div
+            class="form-group col-md-3 col-sm-3 col-6 pb-3 d-flex justify-content-center align-items-center"
+          >
+            <span :class="getStatusBadgeClass(Status)" class="badge text-uppercase">
+              {{ Status }}
+            </span>
+          </div>
         </div>
         <div class="form-row">
           <div class="col">
@@ -104,6 +111,27 @@ export default {
     DateCreated: createComputedSetterForItemField("date"),
     ItemCreators: createComputedSetterForItemField("creators"),
     Collections: createComputedSetterForItemField("collections"),
+    Status: createComputedSetterForItemField("status"),
+  },
+  methods: {
+    getStatusBadgeClass(status) {
+      switch (status) {
+        case "planned":
+          return "badge-secondary";
+        case "active":
+          return "badge-primary";
+        case "completed":
+          return "badge-success";
+        case "failed":
+          return "badge-danger";
+      }
+    },
   },
 };
 </script>
+
+<style scoped>
+.badge {
+  font-size: 1em;
+}
+</style>
diff --git a/webapp/src/server_fetch_utils.js b/webapp/src/server_fetch_utils.js
index ee98cd286..0af6014fb 100644
--- a/webapp/src/server_fetch_utils.js
+++ b/webapp/src/server_fetch_utils.js
@@ -704,3 +704,27 @@ export function getBlocksInfos() {
       throw error;
     });
 }
+
+export function getItemStatusOptions() {
+  return fetch_get(`${API_URL}/item_status_options`)
+    .then(function (response_json) {
+      return response_json;
+    })
+    .catch((error) => {
+      console.error("Error when fetching item status options");
+      console.error(error);
+      throw error;
+    });
+}
+
+export function getEquipmentStatusOptions() {
+  return fetch_get(`${API_URL}/equipment_status_options`)
+    .then(function (response_json) {
+      return response_json;
+    })
+    .catch((error) => {
+      console.error("Error when fetching equipment status options");
+      console.error(error);
+      throw error;
+    });
+}