CPV 389 – Miscellaneous Assessment and Testing Instruments

What does CPV 389 cover?

CPV group 389 is a catch-all group for miscellaneous assessment and testing instruments that cannot be clearly assigned to the more specific groups within Division 38. This includes multi-function combination instruments, specialised analysis equipment for public authorities (food testing devices for veterinary offices, evidential breathalysers for police, radiation measuring devices for radiation protection authorities), imaging systems for security screening (X-ray equipment for baggage control), trace detection systems, and field analysers for environmental samples.

Public contracting authorities include veterinary and food safety offices, public health authorities, police forces (breathalysers), radiation protection authorities, customs and border control agencies (baggage scanners, drug detectors), and environmental agencies. The full CPV structure is available at the European Commission (SIMAP) and Regulation (EC) No 213/2008.

Legal type-approval and statutory verification requirements are particularly prominent in this segment. Evidential breathalysers must be type-approved and verified under national measurement legislation and bear the approval marking of the national metrology institute. Radiation measuring devices must comply with radiation protection legislation. The use of non-approved instruments can render evidence legally inadmissible. Tenders typically specify compliance with applicable technical standards as a mandatory minimum requirement.

Typical Services in CPV 389

• Evidential breathalysers (screening and evidential measurement)
• Radiation measuring devices and dosimeters
• X-ray screening systems for baggage and freight inspection
• Drug detectors and trace detection systems
• Food analysers for veterinary and food safety offices
• Rapid water analysis field test instruments
• Environmental analysis field instruments

Examples of Tenders with CPV 389

• Evidential breathalyser procurement for police stations: Delivery of 150 evidential breath alcohol analysers (type-approved to national measurement law) with printer and service kit for police stations across a federal state, including initial calibration and training – published on TED (Tenders Electronic Daily).
• Radiation measuring devices for a regional radiation protection authority: Procurement of 30 high-sensitivity dosimeters and 10 mobile gamma spectrometers for the radiation protection measurement service of a federal state, including calibration and a three-year maintenance contract – published.
• X-ray inspection system for a border crossing: Delivery and installation of a vehicle X-ray scanning system for the inspection of cars and light goods vehicles at a border crossing point, including image evaluation system and training for inspection officers – published on TED.

Current tenders with CPV 389 are published on TED (Tenders Electronic Daily) and on national procurement platforms.

Who is CPV 389 relevant for?

Public Contracting Authorities

Police forces, radiation protection authorities, food safety offices, customs services and public health authorities procure specialised measurement and testing instruments for official control and monitoring functions. Statutory type-approvals, mandatory calibrations and specific technical minimum requirements shape the tender specifications. Further guidance is available from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK).

Companies and Bidders

Manufacturers and distributors of specialised control and analysis instruments must provide type-approvals, calibration certifications and technical conformity evidence. The market is highly concentrated for certain products (such as evidential breathalysers). Local service networks for regular calibration and verification are competitive advantages.

How does Bond help with CPV 389?

Tender Match – Automatically Find Tenders (CPV 389)

With tender.match, manufacturers and distributors of assessment and testing instruments automatically receive all relevant tenders with CPV 389 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 control and testing 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 389)

For companies looking for suppliers, subcontractors, or consortium partners for public authority testing instrument projects, company.match provides direct access to qualified firms from an EU-wide database of over 28 million companies. Especially for larger testing 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 389

What does the CPV code 38900000 mean?

The CPV code 38900000 classifies miscellaneous assessment and testing instruments within the EU's Common Procurement Vocabulary. It covers specialised instruments for public authorities that do not fall within other CPV 38 groups, including breathalysers, radiation detectors, X-ray screening systems and food analysers procured by police, customs, radiation protection and food safety authorities.

How do I find tenders with CPV 389?

Tenders are published on TED (Tenders Electronic Daily) for EU-wide procedures and on national platforms. Bond aggregates all relevant tenders automatically.

What are the requirements for participating in tenders with CPV 389?

National type-approvals under measurement law, accreditation by the relevant national metrology institute, and compliance with applicable technical standards (IEC 60846 for dosimeters, EN 15964 for evidential breathalysers) are typically required. For security-relevant applications the security procurement regulation may apply. The applicable frameworks are VgV and UVgO depending on contract value.