NACE 08.1 – Quarrying of Stone, Sand and Clay | Public Tenders

Definition: NACE 08.1 covers the quarrying of natural stone (dimension stone, ballast, chippings), gravel, sand, clay, kaolin and related minerals for use in construction. The group includes crushing, milling, washing, screening and other preparation work at the extraction site.

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

What does NACE 08.1 cover?

NACE 08.1 (Quarrying of stone, sand and clay) classifies construction-material extraction businesses — one of the highest-volume supplier sectors in public infrastructure construction, from local roads to motorway projects.

Group 08.1 within Section B (Mining and quarrying) and Division 08 (Other mining and quarrying) is broken down into the following classes:

Public contracting authorities relating to NACE 08.1 are municipal road authorities, federal states, motorway companies, water authorities and all civil engineering contracting authorities that procure stone material for construction and maintenance measures.

Public Tenders: Scope of NACE 08.1

Natural stone, gravel and sand are the most-procured construction materials in municipal and state infrastructure construction — ballast, chippings and gravel-sand are part of almost every road, path and civil engineering tender.

Typical types of contract

• Ballast and chippings supplies: Base-course material, frost-protection layer, surface-course material for roads and paths
• Gravel sand and raw gravel: Concrete aggregates for municipal building and civil engineering projects
• Paving stone and natural building stone: Inner-city design, square paving, kerbstones, masonry stones
• Lime and gypsum: Soil improvement for earthworks, landfill seals, road sub-base
• Filter gravel and sand: Water supply, sewage-plant technology, rainwater infiltration
• Decorative stones and bulk materials: Green-space design, playground surfaces, railway-trackbed ballast

Thresholds and procedure types

Deliveries of construction and stone materials are subject to classical procurement law. For federal authorities, an EU threshold of EUR 215,000 applies; for other public contracting authorities (municipalities, federal states) EUR 215,000 (as of 2024/2025). Below the thresholds, national procurement rules apply (UVgO in Germany, ÖNORM A 2050 in Austria). Framework agreements are frequently concluded for ongoing ballast and gravel-sand supplies.

Relevant CPV codes for NACE 08.1

CPV codes are the key to searching for construction-material tenders on TED and national procurement platforms.

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

Who is NACE 08.1 relevant for in procurement law?

Public contracting authorities

Municipal civil engineering offices, state and federal road administrations are the dominant contracting authorities for construction-material supplies. In Germany, Deutsche Autobahn GmbH, state road administrations and around 10,000 municipalities regularly procure ballast and gravel sand. In Austria, ASFINAG and state construction directorates are relevant contracting authorities. Water utilities and sewage-plant operators procure filter gravel and sand for drinking-water treatment. Railway operators (DB, ÖBB) tender track ballast in large volumes.

Companies and bidders

Gravel and ballast businesses wishing to participate in public tenders typically have to provide the following eligibility evidence:

• Authorisation: Mining-law operating-plan approval, extraction permits
• Quality evidence: CE marking of aggregates pursuant to EN 13242/EN 12620, quality surveillance
• Technical capacity: Evidence of extraction capacity and transport options
• Economic capacity: Annual turnover, sufficient capacity for framework-agreement volumes
• Environmental evidence: Valid extraction permits, restoration commitments

NACE 08.1 in context: Section B and Division 08

NACE 08.1 is part of Division 08 (Other mining and quarrying) within Section B — the economically most significant mining sub-group for municipal infrastructure.

• NACE B – Mining and quarrying: Parent section
• NACE 08.9 – Mining and quarrying n.e.c.: Salt, graphite, other minerals
• NACE 07.1 – Mining of iron ores: Ore extraction as related mining area
• NACE 42.1 – Construction of roads and railways: Main customer for construction materials

Frequently Asked Questions about NACE 08.1 and Public Tenders

Which companies fall under NACE 08.1? Gravel and ballast businesses, quarrying operations, clay pits and kaolin works whose economic focus lies in the extraction and processing of these materials. Companies that only provide transport are not classified under this group.

Do gravel supplies have to be tendered EU-wide? Only if the contract value exceeds the threshold (EUR 215,000 for public contracting authorities for supply contracts). For frequently concluded framework agreements, the total value of planned supplies is decisive. Many municipal gravel-sand supplies are awarded as national tenders or in the restricted procedure.

What should be considered for quality evidence for aggregates? Aggregates must be CE-marked under harmonised European standards (EN 13242 for base courses, EN 12620 for concrete). Public contracting authorities typically require test certificates from a notified test body and current declarations of performance.

How are framework agreements for ongoing ballast supplies awarded? Framework agreements are tendered like regular contracts (open or restricted) but concluded for periods of up to four years. Individual call-offs within the framework agreement do not require a separate tender as long as they remain within the agreed volumes and conditions.

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