NACE 20.1 – Manufacture of Basic Chemicals, Fertilisers and Nitrogen Compounds | Public Tenders

NACE 20.1: basic chemicals in public tenders. CPV codes, contracting authorities and procurement relevance for industrial and laboratory chemicals.

Definition: NACE 20.1 covers the manufacture of basic and intermediate chemicals — inorganic and organic base chemicals, fertilisers, plastic granulates and gases. These products are industrial intermediates and are also demanded in the public sector as laboratory chemicals, water-treatment chemicals and process chemicals.

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

What does NACE 20.1 cover?

NACE 20.1 (Manufacture of basic chemicals, fertilisers and nitrogen compounds) classifies the production of base chemical products — from industrial gases to inorganic acids to organic solvents and fertilisers.

Group 20.1 within Section C and Division 20 (Manufacture of chemicals and chemical products) is structured as follows:

Class	Title	Typical Products
20.11	Manufacture of industrial gases	Oxygen, nitrogen, argon, hydrogen, CO₂
20.12	Manufacture of dyes and pigments	Inorganic pigments, pigment lakes
20.13	Manufacture of other inorganic basic chemicals	Hydrochloric acid, sulphuric acid, alkalis, chlorine
20.14	Manufacture of other organic basic chemicals	Alcohols, ketones, esters, organic acids
20.15	Manufacture of fertilisers and nitrogen compounds	Ammonia, urea, calcium ammonium nitrate
20.16	Manufacture of plastics in primary forms	Polyethylene, polypropylene, PVC granulate
20.17	Manufacture of synthetic rubber in primary forms	Synthetic rubber as raw material

Public tenders: basic chemicals

Basic chemicals are procured by the public sector primarily for water treatment, laboratory operations, sewage works and technical processes of public undertakings.

Typical contract types

Industrial gases: Oxygen for hospitals and fire services, nitrogen for laboratories, CO₂ for food production in municipal undertakings
Water-treatment chemicals: Chlorine, sodium hypochlorite, aluminium and iron salts for municipal waterworks and sewage works
Laboratory chemicals: Reagents, solvents and standard solutions for public testing laboratories, university institutes and environmental laboratories
Fertilisers: Procurement for municipal parks departments, forestry authorities and public agricultural operations
Process chemicals: Chemicals for municipal swimming pools, sewage works and in-house industrial operations

Thresholds and procedure types

Chemical supplies for sewage works and waterworks are frequently subject to utilities procurement law. Laboratory chemicals for universities and public authorities are tendered nationally or EU-wide depending on volume.

Relevant CPV codes for NACE 20.1

CPV Code	Title	Application
24100000	Gases	Industrial gases in general
24110000	Industrial gases	Oxygen, nitrogen, noble gases
24310000	Basic inorganic chemicals	Acids, alkalis, salts
24320000	Basic organic chemicals	Alcohols, ketones, organic compounds
24400000	Fertilisers and nitrogen compounds	Mineral and nitrogen fertilisers
24951100	Pool chemicals	Chlorine products, pH regulators

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

Contracting authorities and bidders

Public contracting authorities

Important contracting authorities for basic chemicals are municipal waterworks and wastewater associations (water-treatment chemicals), hospitals and emergency services (medical gases), public universities and research institutions (laboratory chemicals), municipal parks departments (fertilisers) and swimming-pool operators and leisure facilities owned by the public sector.

Companies and bidders

Chemical businesses seeking public contracts must typically demonstrate:

Authorisations and registrations: REACH compliance, hazardous-substance authorisations
Quality evidence: ISO 9001, industry-specific quality certifications
Safety evidence: Safety data sheets per GHS/CLP Regulation, ADR transport authorisations
Supply capability: Reliable provision, short response times for critical needs

Frequently asked questions about NACE 20.1 and public tenders

Which particular requirements apply to the tendering of hazardous substances?
Hazardous substances are subject to extensive safety requirements. Contracting authorities must consider transport rules (ADR), storage rules and the GHS-CLP Regulation. Bidders must submit current safety data sheets and hold the corresponding transport authorisations.

Are laboratory chemicals subject to EU tendering?
Yes, where the EU threshold for supplies (EUR 221,000 for federal authorities) is exceeded. Universities and research institutions therefore frequently bundle laboratory-chemical needs in annual framework agreements tendered EU-wide to reduce the burden of individual orders.

NACE 20.1 in context: Section C and Division 20

NACE C – Manufacturing: Parent section
NACE 20 – Manufacture of chemicals and chemical products: Parent division
NACE 20.2 – Pesticides and disinfectants: Related group

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