CPV 159 – Beverages, Tobacco and Related Products

What does CPV Group 159 cover?

CPV Group 159 (15900000) classifies public contracts for beverages, tobacco and related products. This encompasses a wide range of drink products: bottled mineral water and spring water, fruit juices and nectars, soft drinks and carbonated beverages, coffee and coffee machines on supply contracts, tea and herbal infusions, hot chocolate, energy drinks, as well as non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages for hospitality and catering use. Tobacco products for resale in prison canteens or duty-free facilities also fall within this group.

Beverages are a recurring and high-frequency procurement category in the public sector. Government ministries and federal agencies procure mineral water, coffee beans and hot beverage machines for meeting rooms and staff areas. Municipal facilities procure soft drinks and juices for events and public canteens. Military catering services require a comprehensive beverage assortment for their facilities. Coffee vending machine supply contracts, including machine lease and refill services, are common in this group and may be structured as service contracts or combined supply and service agreements.

Sustainability and environmental criteria are increasingly applied to beverage procurement: recyclable or returnable packaging, Fairtrade-certified coffee and tea, and reduced sugar beverages are common specifications.

Further information on the CPV system is available from the European Commission (SIMAP) and Regulation (EC) No 213/2008 amending the CPV.

Typical Services in CPV 159

• Bottled mineral water and spring water in various formats
• Fruit juices, nectars and smoothies for catering
• Coffee beans, ground coffee and espresso products
• Tea, herbal infusions and hot chocolate
• Soft drinks and carbonated beverages for canteen use
• Alcoholic beverages for hospitality and representational functions

Examples of Tenders with CPV 159

• Mineral water supply for a federal ministry: A federal ministry procures still and sparkling mineral water in glass and PET bottles for meeting rooms and events across its headquarters and regional offices.
• Coffee and vending machine supply for a municipal authority: A city administration tenders supply of coffee beans, milk capsules and consumables for its fleet of twenty coffee machines in office buildings, including a quarterly machine maintenance contract.
• Beverage assortment for a hospital canteen: A hospital group procures fruit juices, soft drinks, mineral water and iced tea products for its patient shop and staff canteen, with requirements for low-sugar variants and recyclable packaging.

Current tenders with CPV 159 are published on TED (Tenders Electronic Daily) and on national procurement platforms.

Who is CPV 159 relevant for?

Public Contracting Authorities

Government ministries, federal agencies, municipalities, hospitals, university catering services and military facilities are the primary contracting authorities under CPV 159. Sustainability criteria, including Fairtrade certification, recyclable packaging and reduced-sugar product requirements, are increasingly standard in beverage tender specifications.

Companies and Bidders

Beverage distributors, water suppliers, coffee roasters and vending machine service providers are the typical bidders. Companies offering a broad beverage portfolio alongside logistics and after-sales service have an advantage in tender competitions. Fairtrade and organic certifications, along with a demonstrable commitment to sustainable packaging, are increasingly relevant award criteria.

Information on eligibility criteria and procurement procedures is available from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK).

How does Bond help with CPV 159?

Tender Match – Automatically Find Tenders (CPV 159)

With tender.match, beverage distributors, coffee suppliers and vending machine service providers automatically receive all relevant tenders with CPV 159 directly in their dashboard. BOND indexes tenders from over 1,000 procurement portals in the EU – from TED to national platforms and regional contracting authorities. Instead of manually searching dozens of portals every day, matching beverage supply contracts are filtered and delivered by industry, competency, region, and company profile. An automated gap analysis immediately shows where the company meets the requirements and where gaps exist. This ensures companies never miss a deadline and can focus on preparing their bids.

Company Match – Find the Right Partners and Suppliers (CPV 159)

For companies looking for suppliers, subcontractors, or consortium partners for beverage supply projects, company.match provides direct access to qualified firms from an EU-wide database of over 28 million companies. Especially for larger beverage contracts that a single company cannot handle alone, company.match automatically identifies suitable partners for bidding consortia and partial services – increasing the chances of winning the contract.

Frequently Asked Questions about CPV 159

What does the CPV code 15900000 mean?

The CPV code 15900000 covers the group "Beverages, Tobacco and Related Products" in the EU's Common Procurement Vocabulary. It classifies public contracts for the supply of mineral water, juices, coffee, tea, soft drinks and other beverages, along with tobacco products, to public institutions and government facilities.

How do I find tenders with CPV 159?

Tenders with CPV 159 are published at EU level on TED. Many beverage contracts fall below thresholds and are published on national platforms. Bond aggregates all sources and delivers targeted, filtered results.

What are the requirements for participating in tenders with CPV 159?

Requirements typically include food law compliance, HACCP documentation, logistics capacity for temperature-sensitive products, sustainability certifications (Fairtrade, organic) where specified, and references for comparable institutional supply. Details are governed by the VgV or the UVgO depending on contract value.