CPV 803 – Higher Education Services

What does CPV 803 cover?

CPV group 803 covers education services at higher education level, including university teaching, university of applied sciences study programmes, academic continuing education and scientific qualification measures. Bachelor's and master's degree programmes, doctoral programmes, certificate courses at higher education level, visiting professorships and teaching assignments, and continuing education degree programmes for working professionals are all covered. Online degree programmes, blended learning higher education programmes and scientific conferences may also fall under CPV 803.

Public contracting authorities draw on CPV 803 when procuring external higher education services — for example when federal agencies commission research services from universities or universities of applied sciences, when public enterprises tender academic development programmes for senior managers, or when state bodies award higher education certificate programmes for their employees. Cooperation agreements with higher education institutions for the development of teaching programmes are also occasionally tendered under CPV 803.

Digitalisation has substantially changed the higher education sector: public contracting authorities are increasingly procuring e-learning certificate programmes from universities, micro-credentials and online MBA programmes. At the same time, demand is growing for academic continuing education offerings on topics such as AI, sustainability and public administration. Further information on the CPV system is available from the European Commission (SIMAP) and from Regulation (EC) No 213/2008.

Typical Services in CPV 803

Examples of Tenders with CPV 803

• Executive education programme for a federal authority: A federal supreme authority procures an academic leadership development programme — with modules on strategic management, digital transformation and administrative innovation, a concluding higher education certificate and cooperation with an accredited university.
• Online master's degree in public administration: A federal state procures a part-time online master's programme in Public Administration for senior civil servants in cooperation with a state-recognised university of applied sciences.
• Academic continuing education for municipal senior managers: A municipal association procures a twelve-month development programme for municipal senior managers — with residential modules, online components and completion with a higher education certificate.

Current tenders with CPV 803 are published on TED (Tenders Electronic Daily) and on national procurement platforms such as the German Procurement Portal (DTVP).

Who is CPV 803 relevant for?

Public Contracting Authorities

Federal ministries, state authorities, public enterprises and municipalities are contracting authorities for higher education services when procuring external academic qualification programmes for their staff or senior managers. Public-law bodies such as chambers and professional associations also occasionally tender academic continuing education services.

Companies and Bidders

State-recognised universities, universities of applied sciences, accredited educational institutions and business schools are the typical providers. Requirements include state recognition as a higher education institution, accreditation of the offered programmes by a recognised accreditation agency (such as AQAS or FIBAA) and references for comparable continuing education programmes for public contracting authorities. 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 803?

Tender Match – Automatically Find Tenders (CPV 803)

With tender.match, universities and academic education providers automatically receive all relevant tenders with CPV 803 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 higher education 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 organisations never miss a deadline and can focus on preparing their bids.

Company Match – Find the Right Partners and Suppliers (CPV 803)

For organisations looking for suppliers, subcontractors, or consortium partners for higher education projects, company.match provides direct access to qualified firms from an EU-wide database of over 28 million companies. Especially for larger higher education tenders that a single institution 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 803

Can higher education institutions themselves participate in tenders with CPV 803?

Yes. State-recognised higher education institutions may participate as bidders in procurement procedures, provided they can deliver the required services. Key criteria are state recognition, accreditation of the offered programmes and references for comparable cooperation agreements. Consortia comprising a higher education institution and a private education provider are also possible.

What procurement rules apply to academic continuing education services?

Academic continuing education services generally fall under the social services category under §130 GWB. Above the EU threshold of €750,000, a transparent but less formal procurement procedure applies. Below the threshold, the UVgO and the VgV govern the procedure.

Where can I find current tenders with CPV 803?

Tenders are published on TED (Tenders Electronic Daily) for EU-wide procedures and on the German Procurement Portal (DTVP) for national tenders. Bond automatically aggregates all relevant tenders from over 1,000 portals, filtered by company profile.