CPV 18 – Clothing, Footwear, Luggage and Accessories

What does CPV Division 18 cover?

CPV Division 18 (18000000) classifies public contracts for clothing, footwear, luggage articles and accessories. It covers both everyday apparel and highly specific workwear and protective clothing for public service use – uniforms for police, fire services, the armed forces and customs, occupational clothing for healthcare workers, safety footwear, and personal protective equipment (PPE) such as helmets, gloves and high-visibility vests.

Clothing is a recurring procurement need in the public sector. Authorities maintaining a uniform service – from national police forces to municipal enforcement services – procure service clothing periodically, often as multi-year framework agreements with annual call-off options. Hospitals and care facilities procure occupational clothing for medical and nursing staff. Municipal maintenance operations procure PPE for their outdoor workforce.

Division 18 covers groups including outerwear (181), underwear (182), special clothing (183), protective clothing (184) and footwear (185), along with luggage (187). Tenders for security and protective clothing and armed forces uniforms are among the highest-value procurement categories in this division.

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

Key CPV Groups in Division 18

Examples of Tenders with CPV 18

• Service uniform framework contract for a state police force: A state interior ministry tenders the multi-year supply of all uniform components for its police service – shirts, trousers, jackets, caps and footwear – in specified colours and quality standards.
• Occupational clothing for a hospital group: A public hospital with multiple sites procures workwear for medical, nursing and technical staff – sterilisable scrub tops, trousers and coats in defined colours per staff category.
• Personal protective equipment for a municipal maintenance depot: A local authority tenders PPE for all its outdoor workforce: safety boots, high-visibility vests, protective gloves and hard hats compliant with current EN standards.

Current tenders with CPV 18 are published on TED (Tenders Electronic Daily) and on national procurement platforms such as the German Procurement Portal (DTVP).

Who is CPV Division 18 relevant for?

Public Contracting Authorities

Police forces, fire services, customs authorities, the armed forces and municipal enforcement services are the highest-volume buyers. Hospitals, care facilities and municipal maintenance operations procure occupational clothing and PPE regularly. Schools occasionally procure specialist clothing for vocational workshops and sports activities.

Companies and Bidders

Textile manufacturers, uniform suppliers, sportswear producers and PPE specialist dealers are the typical bidders. Experience with public sector contracts and documented quality management systems, together with compliance with relevant EN standards for protective clothing, are common eligibility requirements. Companies with in-house production capacity can more readily respond to bespoke specification requirements.

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 18?

Tender Match – Automatically Find Tenders (CPV 18)

With tender.match, textile manufacturers, uniform suppliers and PPE dealers automatically receive all relevant tenders with CPV 18 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 clothing and equipment 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 18)

For companies looking for suppliers, subcontractors, or consortium partners for clothing and uniform projects, company.match provides direct access to qualified firms from an EU-wide database of over 28 million companies. Especially for larger framework supply 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 18

What does the CPV code 18000000 mean?

The CPV code 18000000 represents the division "Clothing, Footwear, Luggage Articles and Accessories" in the EU's Common Procurement Vocabulary. It classifies public contracts for the procurement of all types of clothing and protective equipment, with a particular emphasis on service uniforms and personal protective equipment for the public sector.

How do I find tenders with CPV 18?

Tenders with CPV 18 are published at EU level on TED. Many clothing contracts fall below EU thresholds and are found on national platforms such as DTVP. Bond aggregates all sources and filters by company profile.

What are the requirements for participating in tenders with CPV 18?

Typical requirements include quality management system certification (ISO 9001), compliance with relevant EN standards for protective clothing, references for comparable supply contracts and capacity for on-time delivery of large volumes. Details are governed by the VgV or the UVgO depending on contract value.