CPV 85 – Health and Social Work Services

What does CPV 85 cover?

CPV division 85 covers health and social work services procured by public contracting authorities. These include medical and dental services, hospital services and clinical operations, outpatient nursing care, residential care facilities, social work, childcare and day nurseries, elderly care, and rehabilitation services. Health counselling, addiction counselling and other psychosocial services also fall within this division.

Health and social services occupy a special position in European procurement law: they fall under the so-called "light regime" pursuant to Articles 74 et seq. of Directive 2014/24/EU, which means that simplified procurement procedures apply. In Germany, this special character is regulated in §130 GWB and §65 VgV. Contracting authorities have greater flexibility in designing procurement procedures for social and other special services.

A key feature of this division is the large number of public and non-profit providers delivering social and health services. Municipalities, social insurance bodies and public health offices are contracting authorities that commission external providers for the delivery of social and care services. The welfare associations play a particularly significant role as bidders in this market. Further information on the CPV system is available from the European Commission (SIMAP) and from Regulation (EC) No 213/2008.

Key CPV Groups in Division 85

Examples of Tenders with CPV 85

• Outpatient nursing services for a social welfare authority: A municipal social welfare authority procures outpatient basic nursing care for benefit recipients under SGB XII — requiring qualified nursing professionals, ISO 9001 quality management certification and 24-hour availability.
• Operation of a municipal childcare centre: A municipality awards the operation of a day nursery with four groups (80 places for children aged 1 to 6) to an independent provider — including personnel responsibility, quality assurance and parent liaison.
• Addiction counselling and supported reintegration: A district authority procures addiction counselling services and occupational reintegration measures for people with addiction disorders within the framework of social psychiatry.

Current tenders with CPV 85 are published on TED (Tenders Electronic Daily) and on national procurement platforms.

Who is CPV 85 relevant for?

Public Contracting Authorities

Municipalities, social insurance bodies, public health offices and public providers in the care sector are the central contracting authorities. They commission external services for the delivery of nursing, care and social services when their own capacity is insufficient or when the use of independent providers is more cost-effective. Contracts are frequently awarded via framework agreements or concessions.

Companies and Bidders

Care companies, welfare associations, social services organisations and outpatient care providers are the primary bidders. Operating licences under SGB or state law, quality certification (care fund assessments, QM certifications), proof of staff qualifications and references for comparable services are required. The major welfare associations (AWO, Caritas, Diakonie, DRK) hold a particular market position as bidders. 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 85?

Tender Match – Automatically Find Tenders (CPV 85)

With tender.match, health service providers and care companies automatically receive all relevant tenders with CPV 85 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 social service 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 85)

For companies looking for suppliers, subcontractors, or consortium partners for social service projects, company.match provides direct access to qualified firms from an EU-wide database of over 28 million companies. Especially for larger social service tenders that a single organisation 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 85

What does the CPV code 85000000 mean?

The CPV code 85000000 designates the entire division of health and social work services in the European classification system for public contracts. It covers all services in the health and social care sector — from medical provision through nursing care to social work and childcare. Subordinate codes specify the type of service.

How do I find tenders with CPV 85?

Tenders with CPV 85 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 requirements apply to participating in tenders with CPV 85?

Bidders must generally provide operating licences under SGB or state law, proof of staff qualifications, QM certifications and references for comparable services. Care fund supply contracts are frequently a prerequisite for nursing services. Details are governed by the VgV and the UVgO depending on contract value.