CPV 380 – Laboratory, Optical and Precision Instruments (excluding Spectacles)

What does CPV 380 cover?

CPV group 380 is the overarching division for laboratory, optical and precision instruments. It covers a broad spectrum of scientific and technical measuring equipment: laboratory instruments for chemical, biological and physical analysis, optical instruments such as microscopes and telescopes, meteorological and hydrological measuring devices, surveying instruments for geodesy and cartography, testing and control equipment for industrial and scientific purposes, and time measurement systems.

Public contracting authorities in this segment include research institutes, universities and higher education institutions, federal agencies such as national environmental offices and meteorological services, weights and measures authorities, health offices and hospitals, and schools with a natural sciences specialism. The high technical complexity of many devices requires detailed technical specifications and subject-matter expertise at the procurement stage. The full CPV structure is available at the European Commission (SIMAP) and Regulation (EC) No 213/2008.

Calibration, maintenance and servicing are essential for precision instruments and are frequently tendered as accompanying services. Accreditations of the supplying laboratories and manufacturers (such as national accreditation body approval for calibration services) may be required in technical specifications. Many instruments in this segment are subject to legal verification requirements under weights and measures legislation.

Typical Services in CPV 380

Examples of Tenders with CPV 380

• Laboratory equipment for an environmental analysis institute: Procurement of mass spectrometers, HPLC systems and automated sample preparation devices for a state environmental laboratory, including calibration, training and a five-year maintenance contract – published on TED (Tenders Electronic Daily).
• Geodetic equipment for a regional surveying authority: Delivery of 20 precision GNSS surveying devices and 15 total stations with software and training for field survey teams – published on the German Procurement Portal (DTVP).
• Equipping science rooms in a comprehensive school: Delivery of laboratory microscopes, pupil experiment kits for chemistry, physics and biology, and demonstration specimens for six specialist rooms – published on TED.

Current tenders with CPV 380 are published on TED (Tenders Electronic Daily) and on national procurement platforms such as the German Procurement Portal (DTVP).

Who is CPV 380 relevant for?

Public Contracting Authorities

Research institutions, universities, national agencies (environmental monitoring bodies, meteorological services, national metrology institutes), health offices and schools procure laboratory and measuring instruments regularly. Technical specifications require subject expertise; maintenance contracts require long-term planning. Calibration intervals and legal verification obligations determine procurement cycles. Further guidance is available from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK).

Companies and Bidders

Manufacturers and distributors of laboratory instruments, measurement technology and optical instruments find a significant public sector market. Technical competence, certifications (ISO, national accreditation) and service networks for maintenance and calibration are competitive factors.

How does Bond help with CPV 380?

Tender Match – Automatically Find Tenders (CPV 380)

With tender.match, laboratory and measurement technology companies automatically receive all relevant tenders with CPV 380 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 precision instrument 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 380)

For companies looking for suppliers, subcontractors, or consortium partners for laboratory and measurement projects, company.match provides direct access to qualified firms from an EU-wide database of over 28 million companies. Especially for larger laboratory equipment 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 380

What does the CPV code 38000000 mean?

The CPV code 38000000 classifies laboratory, optical and precision instruments within the EU's Common Procurement Vocabulary. It is the parent code for all scientific and technical measuring and testing equipment procured by public bodies, covering instruments for research, environmental monitoring, geodesy and quality assurance.

How do I find tenders with CPV 380?

Tenders are published on TED (Tenders Electronic Daily) for EU-wide procedures and on national platforms such as the German Procurement Portal (DTVP). Bond aggregates all relevant tenders automatically.

What are the requirements for participating in tenders with CPV 380?

ISO calibration certificates, national accreditation body approvals for calibration services and references from comparable institutions are typically required. For measuring devices used in environmental monitoring, type approvals under relevant measurement directives must be demonstrated. The applicable frameworks are VgV and UVgO depending on contract value.