CPV 72 – IT Services

What does CPV Division 72 cover?

CPV division 72 covers the full spectrum of IT services procured by public contracting authorities. This includes IT consultancy and IT management advisory, bespoke software development and software customisation, system integration and data migration, internet services and web development, data centre services and cloud computing. IT support, helpdesk services, cybersecurity services and digitalisation projects are also classified under this division.

The distinction from CPV 48 (software packages) is important for both contracting authorities and bidders: CPV 72 focuses on the individual provision of services – the development, adaptation and operation of IT systems by external service providers – whereas CPV 48 covers the supply of finished software products. In practice, both codes are frequently combined in complex IT projects.

Public IT procurement has grown substantially in volume in recent years. E-government programmes have triggered a wave of IT tenders. Open-source software, sovereign cloud solutions and cybersecurity to recognised national standards are topics that increasingly feature in specifications and eligibility requirements.

Further information on the CPV system is available from the European Commission (SIMAP) and from Regulation (EC) No 213/2008 on the revision of the CPV.

Key CPV Groups in Division 72

Examples of Tenders with CPV 72

• Development of an Online Citizen Portal: A city authority procures the design, development and operation of a municipal citizen portal delivering digital public services, including authentication, form management and database connectivity.
• IT Security Services for a Federal Agency: A federal authority procures penetration testing, vulnerability assessments and a Security Operations Centre (SOC) for its IT infrastructure, including 24/7 monitoring and incident response.
• System Integration and Data Migration for a Government Ministry: A ministry awards the migration and integration of three legacy systems onto a new unified platform, including data cleansing, interfaces to third-party systems and staff training.

Current tenders with CPV 72 are published on TED (Tenders Electronic Daily) and on national procurement platforms.

Who is CPV Division 72 relevant for?

Public Contracting Authorities

All public authorities, municipal IT service providers, universities and hospitals are potential contracting authorities. Digitalisation projects, the modernisation of legacy systems and e-government implementation are the key drivers behind the growing IT procurement volume. Centralised procurement bodies and shared IT services aggregate IT requirements for multiple public bodies.

Companies and Bidders

IT consultancies, software developers, system integrators and cloud providers are the typical bidders. Required qualifications include references from comparable IT projects in the public sector, evidence of IT security credentials (ISO 27001), methodology certifications such as ITIL or PRINCE2, and data protection concepts (GDPR compliance). Further 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 72?

Tender Match – Automatically Find Tenders (CPV 72)

With tender.match, IT service providers and software companies automatically receive all relevant tenders with CPV 72 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 IT 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 72)

For companies looking for suppliers, subcontractors, or consortium partners for digitalisation projects, company.match provides direct access to qualified firms from an EU-wide database of over 28 million companies. Especially for larger IT 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 72

What does the CPV code 72000000 mean?

The CPV code 72000000 designates the entire division of IT services in the European classification system for public procurement. It covers all services relating to information technology – from consultancy and development through to operation and support. Sub-codes specify the type of service.

How do I find tenders with CPV 72?

Tenders with CPV 72 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 72?

Bidders are generally required to provide references from comparable IT projects – preferably in the public sector – evidence of IT security qualifications (e.g. ISO 27001), GDPR-compliant processing concepts and staff qualification certificates. Details are governed by the VgV and, for below-threshold awards, the UVgO.