CPV 226 – Printing Inks

What does CPV 226 cover?

CPV group 226 (22600000) covers public contracts for printing inks – offset printing inks, screen printing inks, digital toner cartridges, inkjet cartridges, thermal transfer ribbons, and other liquid or powder ink products used in print production and office printing. The group covers both large-volume printing inks for production facilities and consumable cartridges for office devices.

In the public sector, toner and inkjet cartridges are among the most frequently procured consumables. Every public authority with a printer fleet procures ink cartridges and toner on a regular basis. Larger public institutions with central reprographics departments or in-house print shops additionally procure bulk offset inks, UV-curing inks, and specialist inks for specific applications such as security printing, waterproof outdoor signage, or heat-resistant marking. Municipal waste management operations use industrial marking inks for bin labelling and waste container identification.

Within CPV group 220, group 226 covers the ink and toner consumables of the print production process, complementing group 225 (printing media/plates) as the other key print consumable. It is distinguished from group 302 (computer equipment and peripherals) which covers the printer hardware itself. Further information on the CPV system is available from the European Commission (SIMAP) and Regulation (EC) No 213/2008.

Typical Services in CPV 226

• Toner cartridges and drum units for office laser printers and copiers
• Inkjet cartridges for office and wide-format printing devices
• Bulk offset inks for in-house print production facilities
• Specialist inks for outdoor signage, security printing, and industrial marking

Examples of Tenders with CPV 226

• Toner and Inkjet Cartridge Framework for a Municipal Administration: A city administration tenders a multi-year framework agreement for the supply of compatible and OEM toner cartridges and inkjet cartridges for its fleet of several hundred printers and multifunctional devices across all departments.
• Offset Printing Inks for a State Government Print Centre: A state government central printing service procures an annual supply of four-colour offset inks, varnishes, and UV-curing coatings for its sheet-fed and web-fed production printing equipment.
• Industrial Marking Inks for a Municipal Waste Management Company: A municipal waste management company procures industrial marking paints and inks for labelling refuse containers, recycling bins, and operational vehicles at its depot facilities.

Current tenders with CPV 226 are published on TED (Tenders Electronic Daily) and on national procurement platforms.

Who is CPV 226 relevant for?

Public Contracting Authorities

All public authorities with printer fleets, municipal print centres, state government printing offices, public educational institutions, hospitals, and public works operations requiring marking inks are typical contracting authorities under CPV 226. Toner cartridge procurement is one of the highest-frequency consumable procurement categories across the public sector.

Companies and Bidders

Toner and ink cartridge suppliers, office supplies distributors, specialist printing ink manufacturers, and remanufactured cartridge suppliers can win public contracts under CPV 226. Product quality (e.g. ISO/IEC 19752 page yield standards), REACH compliance, environmental certification (Blue Angel for remanufactured cartridges), and delivery reliability are typical 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 226?

Tender Match – Automatically Find Tenders (CPV 226)

With tender.match, toner suppliers and printing ink distributors automatically receive all relevant tenders with CPV 226 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 ink and toner 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 226)

For companies looking for suppliers, subcontractors, or consortium partners for printing ink and toner contracts, company.match provides direct access to qualified firms from an EU-wide database of over 28 million companies. Especially for large framework agreements covering hundreds of cartridge types, company.match automatically identifies suitable partners for bidding consortia – increasing the chances of winning the contract.

Frequently Asked Questions about CPV 226

What does the CPV code 22600000 mean?

The CPV code 22600000 designates the group "Printing inks" in the Common Procurement Vocabulary. It covers all types of printing ink and toner, from office toner cartridges and inkjet supplies to bulk offset printing inks and specialist industrial marking inks, procured by public authorities and institutions.

How do I find tenders with CPV 226?

Tenders with CPV 226 are published at EU level on TED and on national platforms.

What are the requirements for participating in tenders with CPV 226?

Typical requirements include REACH compliance, ISO/IEC page yield certifications for toner products, Blue Angel or equivalent environmental certification for remanufactured products, and for production inks the relevant chemical safety data sheets and application compatibility documentation. Details are governed by the VgV and UVgO depending on contract value.