CPV 55 – Hotel and Restaurant Services

What does CPV 55 cover?

CPV division 55 covers catering and hotel services procured by public contracting authorities. This includes collective catering services such as works canteens, school meals and canteen operations in government offices, as well as event and conference catering for events organised by public institutions. Hotel services for business travel by public servants procured via framework contracts, and meeting room hire with catering support, are also covered.

The particular relevance of this division stems from the large number of public institutions that regularly require catering services. Schools, nurseries, hospitals, university canteens, barracks and prisons feed large groups of people every day and rely on professional catering companies. These contracts are usually awarded for several years and often have significant volumes exceeding procurement thresholds.

A growing trend in this area is the inclusion of sustainability criteria: organic content, regional food origin, vegetarian and vegan options, and minimisation of food waste are increasingly being included as award criteria in procurement exercises. This reflects the public procurement strategies of both federal and state governments. Further information on the CPV system is available from the European Commission (SIMAP) and Regulation (EC) No 213/2008.

Key CPV Groups in Division 55

Examples of Tenders with CPV 55

• School meals for municipal schools: A school authority tenders the delivery and serving of lunch for 2,500 pupils at twelve primary schools – requiring a minimum organic content of 30 per cent and fully vegetarian alternatives every day.
• Operation of a federal authority canteen: A federal supervisory authority awards the operation of its canteen serving approximately 400 meals per day, including breakfast offering, coffee bar and conference catering for five years.
• Framework contract for hotel services for business travel: A federal ministry concludes a framework contract with several hotel chains for accommodation and meeting services nationwide, with defined quality and pricing standards.

Current tenders with CPV 55 are published on TED (Tenders Electronic Daily) and on national procurement platforms.

Who is CPV 55 relevant for?

Public Contracting Authorities

Educational institutions, the armed forces, federal authorities, clinics and cultural establishments are the main contracting authorities in this division. They need reliable catering partners for daily collective catering or for special events. Contracts are often awarded as service contracts with functional service descriptions defining quality standards, hygiene regulations and sustainability requirements.

Companies and Bidders

Catering companies, hotel chains with meeting facilities and hospitality businesses are typical bidders. Hygiene certificates (HACCP concept), references for comparable catering contracts, evidence of staffing capacity and food certifications are generally required. For school catering, nutritional qualifications and compliance with nutritional quality standards are also relevant. Further information on eligibility requirements and procurement procedures is provided by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK).

How does Bond help with CPV 55?

Tender Match – Automatically Find Tenders (CPV 55)

With tender.match, catering and hospitality companies automatically receive all relevant tenders with CPV 55 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 catering tenders 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 55)

For companies looking for suppliers, subcontractors, or consortium partners for catering and hospitality projects, company.match provides direct access to qualified firms from an EU-wide database of over 28 million companies. Especially for larger catering 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 55

What does the CPV code 55000000 mean?

The CPV code 55000000 designates the entire division of hotel and restaurant services in the European classification system for public contracts. It is used when a contract covers various types of catering services, for example a combination of canteen management and event catering. Subordinate codes specify the contract subject at group and class level.

How do I find tenders with CPV 55?

Tenders with CPV 55 are published on TED (Tenders Electronic Daily) for EU-wide procedures for national tenders. Bond automatically aggregates all relevant tenders from over 1,000 portals and delivers them filtered by company profile.

What are the requirements for participating in tenders with CPV 55?

Bidders must generally provide an HACCP concept, food safety certifications, references for comparable catering contracts and proof of staff qualifications. For school catering, DGE-compliant menus and a nutritional concept are often required. Details are governed by the VgV or the UVgO depending on the contract value.