CPV 188 – Footwear

What does CPV 188 cover?

CPV group 188 (18800000) covers public contracts for footwear – safety shoes, boots, service shoes, sandals, sports shoes, and all other forms of foot covering. This group spans the full range of footwear procurement in the public sector, from protective shoes for maintenance workers to service shoes for public employees.

In the public sector, safety footwear is by far the most significant category: municipal depots, forestry operations, civil engineering offices, waste management companies, and craft operations in public ownership regularly procure safety shoes to EN ISO 20345. Police forces and the armed forces procure service shoes and boots as part of their uniform equipment. Schools and social institutions procure footwear for those in their care.

Within CPV division 18, group 188 is clearly focused on foot covering. Safety shoes conforming to the PPE Regulation with CE marking and protection class certification are the most frequently tendered products in this group. It is distinguished from CPV 181 (protective clothing) by its focus on footwear rather than body clothing. Further information on the CPV system is available from the European Commission (SIMAP) and Regulation (EC) No 213/2008.

Typical Services in CPV 188

• Safety shoes (S1P, S3) for municipal depots and forestry operations
• Service shoes and boots for police, armed forces, and fire services
• Wellington boots and wader shoes for water engineering and sewage treatment
• Work shoes for hospitals and catering staff

Examples of Tenders with CPV 188

• Safety Shoes for a Municipal Depot: A city administration procures class S3 safety shoes for all field staff at the city depot, with requirements for waterproofing, antistatic properties, and comfort for all-day use.
• Service Shoes for a Regional Police Force: A regional police headquarters procures service shoes in standardised black for uniformed officers, with requirements for wearing comfort, ease of care, and permitted sole materials.
• Forestry Safety Boots for a State Forestry Enterprise: A state forestry enterprise procures forestry safety shoes with chainsaw protection insert to EN ISO 17249 and steel toecap for its forest workers.

Current tenders with CPV 188 are published on TED (Tenders Electronic Daily) and on national procurement platforms.

Who is CPV 188 relevant for?

Public Contracting Authorities

Municipal depots, forestry enterprises, road construction offices, police forces, armed forces, fire services, hospitals, municipal waste management companies, and sewage treatment operators are the main contracting authorities under CPV 188. Footwear is regularly tendered as part of PPE procurement.

Companies and Bidders

Footwear manufacturers, safety shoe specialists, shoe wholesalers, and occupational clothing suppliers with a shoe range can win public contracts under CPV 188. CE marking, protection class conformity, and ergonomic certifications are decisive requirements. Information on eligibility requirements and procurement procedures is available from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK).

How does Bond help with CPV 188?

Tender Match – Automatically Find Tenders (CPV 188)

With tender.match, safety shoe manufacturers and shoe wholesalers automatically receive all relevant tenders with CPV 188 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 footwear 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 188)

For companies looking for suppliers, subcontractors, or consortium partners for footwear supply contracts, company.match provides direct access to qualified firms from an EU-wide database of over 28 million companies. Especially for larger footwear tenders 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 188

What does the CPV code 18800000 mean?

The CPV code 18800000 designates the group "Footwear" in the Common Procurement Vocabulary. It covers all forms of foot covering – safety shoes, service shoes, boots, and work shoes – that are tendered under public procurement procedures in the EU.

How do I find tenders with CPV 188?

Tenders with CPV 188 are published at EU level on TED and on national platforms.

What are the requirements for participating in tenders with CPV 188?

Typical requirements include CE marking under the PPE Regulation, EN ISO 20345 conformity for safety shoes, OEKO-TEX certification, and ergonomic usage recommendations. Details are governed by the VgV and UVgO depending on contract value.