NACE 07.1 – Mining of Iron Ores | Public Tenders

Definition: NACE 07.1 covers the extraction and processing of iron ores, including roasting, sintering and other preparatory work. The group covers all activities for iron-ore extraction in underground and opencast mining and the mechanical and physical processing into pig-iron pellets or iron-ore concentrate.

Legal basis: NACE Rev. 2 (Regulation (EC) No 1893/2006) · Last updated: January 2026

What does NACE 07.1 cover?

NACE 07.1 (Mining of iron ores) classifies businesses engaged in iron-ore extraction and processing — a sector that plays an important role in public procurement as an upstream industry for steel production and thus for public infrastructure projects.

Group 07.1 within Section B (Mining and quarrying) and Division 07 (Mining of metal ores) is broken down into the following classes:

Public contracting authorities relating to NACE 07.1 are state-owned or partly state-owned steel companies, national raw-material agencies, infrastructure authorities that procure steel for construction projects, and research institutions in raw-material geology.

Public Tenders: Scope of NACE 07.1

Iron-ore mining is closely linked in public procurement to steel and infrastructure procurement — tenders arise from state-owned mining companies, public-sector steel buyers and mining services.

Typical types of contract

• Iron-ore supply contracts: Procurement of iron-ore concentrate and pellets for state-owned smelters
• Mining equipment: Crushers, mills, flotation plants, conveyor belts, loading equipment
• Processing chemicals: Flotation reagents, flocculants, collector solutions
• Drilling and blasting services: Drilling of blast holes in opencast mining
• Geological reports: Resource estimates, feasibility studies, environmental impact assessments
• Environmental protection and recultivation: Overburden-dump construction, leachate treatment, restoration

Thresholds and procedure types

Iron-ore mining is not a classical utility sector within the meaning of Directive 2014/25/EU (unlike oil and gas). Tenders by state-owned mining companies therefore generally follow classical procurement law (VgV / BVergG 2018). EU thresholds for supply contracts: EUR 215,000, for works contracts: EUR 5,538,000 (as of 2024/2025).

Relevant CPV codes for NACE 07.1

CPV codes enable targeted searches for iron-ore and mining tenders on European procurement platforms.

Current tenders can be found on TED (Tenders Electronic Daily) and on national procurement platforms.

Who is NACE 07.1 relevant for in procurement law?

Public contracting authorities

There are only a few state-controlled iron-ore mining companies in Europe. The most relevant are national raw-material agencies (such as BGR in Germany or GBA in Austria), which commission exploration and assessment studies. State-owned steel companies (e.g. with state participation) procure iron ore in large volumes. In addition, public research institutions (Montanuniversität Leoben, TU Bergakademie Freiberg) are relevant contracting authorities for mining research services.

Companies and bidders

For tenders in iron-ore mining and related services, the following eligibility evidence is typically required:

• Authorisation: Mining-law operating-plan approvals, trade-law permits for blasting work
• Technical capacity: Reference projects in ore or hard-rock mining
• Economic capacity: Evidence of sufficient capacity and insurance cover
• Certifications: ISO 9001, ISO 14001, where applicable ISO 45001 for occupational safety

NACE 07.1 in context: Section B and Division 07

NACE 07.1 is part of Division 07 (Mining of metal ores) within Section B — an area that, as a raw-material supplier to the steel and metal processing industry, is indirectly linked to the entire public infrastructure sector.

• NACE B – Mining and quarrying: Parent section
• NACE 07.2 – Mining of non-ferrous metal ores: Copper, aluminium, lead, zinc, precious metals
• NACE 08.1 – Quarrying of stone, sand and clay: Construction materials for public infrastructure
• NACE 09.9 – Support activities for other mining and quarrying: Mining-technical services

Frequently Asked Questions about NACE 07.1 and Public Tenders

Which companies fall under NACE 07.1? Mining companies whose economic focus lies in the extraction and processing of iron ores. In Europe, these are mainly LKAB (Sweden, state-owned) and ArcelorMittal Mines Canada (with state holdings in individual countries).

Is iron-ore mining still relevant in Central Europe? As a standalone mining sector, scarcely so — active iron-ore mines exist in Europe mainly in Scandinavia. For public procurement in Germany and Austria, the group is relevant for the procurement of semi-finished steel products and construction steel, and at historical mining sites (restoration, heritage protection, museums).

How does procurement differ for mining research services? Expert reports and research services are tendered as service contracts and are subject to the VgV (Germany) and BVergG 2018 (Austria). From EUR 221,000 (federal authority) or EUR 443,000 (other contracting authorities), EU-wide tendering obligations apply.

Where do I find tenders for mining equipment? On TED with CPV code 43600000 (mining machinery) or 14600000 (metal ores). State-owned mining companies such as LKAB also publish on their own procurement portals.

Last updated: January 2026 All information is provided without guarantee. For legally binding advice, please consult a law firm specialising in public procurement law.