NACE 20.6 – Manufacture of Man-Made Fibres | Public Tenders

Definition: NACE 20.6 covers the manufacture of synthetic and artificial man-made fibres such as polyester, polyamide (nylon), polyacrylic, viscose and other cellulosic fibres. These fibres form the basis for technical textiles, occupational protective clothing and functional materials, which play an increasingly important role in public procurement.

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

What does NACE 20.6 cover?

NACE 20.6 (Manufacture of man-made fibres) classifies businesses that produce synthetic or regenerated fibres and filament yarns from chemical inputs — a key industry for technical textiles and protective equipment in the public sector.

Group 20.6 within Section C (Manufacturing) and Division 20 (Chemical industry) is structured into two classes:

Synthetic fibres (polyester, nylon, aramid fibres such as Kevlar) are used as intermediates for protective vests, firefighter clothing, occupational protective clothing and military equipment. Regenerated fibres (viscose, lyocell) are used in medical textiles and hygiene products for hospital use.

Public contracting authorities procuring products from this segment are primarily Bundeswehr procurement offices, police forces, fire services, hospitals and municipal institutions with needs for service apparel and personal protective equipment (PPE).

Public tenders: scope of NACE 20.6

Man-made fibres are procured in public tenders predominantly as intermediates — that is, embedded in finished products such as protective clothing, medical textiles or technical filters. Direct raw-material procurement under NACE 20.6 takes place primarily through state production facilities and federal institutions with in-house manufacture.

Typical contract types

• Personal protective equipment (PPE): Fire-protection clothing, cut-protection gloves, high-visibility vests for police, fire services, THW and works yards
• Military equipment: Ballistic protection materials, camouflage clothing and carrier systems from aramid fibres for the Bundeswehr
• Medical disposable textiles: Operating-theatre drapes, single-use gowns and sterilisation textiles from viscose or polypropylene nonwovens for hospitals
• Technical filters: Filter fabrics for municipal sewage works and industrial filter installations
• Service apparel: Uniform textiles for authorities requiring polyester-based functional fabrics

Thresholds and procedure types

Tenders for protective clothing and technical textiles in the below-threshold range (under EUR 221,000 for supplies) are frequently conducted via national procurement platforms. For larger framework agreements — such as outfitting police forces or Bundeswehr contingents — the open procedure is regularly conducted EU-wide.

Relevant CPV codes for NACE 20.6

The link between man-made fibre manufacture and specific tenders runs through CPV codes used for search on TED and national procurement platforms.

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

For whom is NACE 20.6 relevant under procurement law?

Public contracting authorities

Direct procurement of man-made fibres is restricted to state institutions with in-house manufacture. NACE 20.6 is far more significant as an upstream value-chain stage: manufacturers of PPE, service apparel and technical textiles participating in public tenders depend on the quality and availability of man-made fibre products. Contracting authorities such as the Procurement Office of the BMI, the BAAINBw (Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support) and municipal procurement offices are the decisive contracting bodies for finished products containing man-made fibres.

Companies and bidders

Man-made fibre manufacturers supplying intermediates to public contracting authorities or their suppliers should consider the following:

• Product certifications: OEKO-TEX Standard 100 and 1000, REACH compliance, Bluesign for sustainable fibres
• Technical performance evidence: Test reports to EN standards for protective effects (EN ISO 11612 for heat protection, EN 388 for cut protection)
• Supply-chain evidence: Increasingly required evidence of origin and sustainability of raw materials (Supply Chain Due Diligence Act)
• Framework-agreement suitability: Capacity evidence for reliable supply of larger quantities over multi-year contract terms

NACE 20.6 in context: Section C and Division 20

NACE 20.6 is part of Division 20 (Manufacture of chemicals and chemical products) within manufacturing — one of the most procurement-intensive sections in European public procurement.

• NACE C – Manufacturing: Parent section
• NACE 20 – Manufacture of chemicals and chemical products: Parent division
• NACE 20.5 – Manufacture of other chemical products: Adhesives, explosives, essential oils
• NACE 13 – Manufacture of textiles: Further processing of man-made fibres into textile products

Frequently asked questions about NACE 20.6 and public tenders

Which businesses fall under NACE 20.6? Businesses that produce fibres and filaments from chemical inputs — that is, spinning mills for synthetic or regenerated fibres. Downstream businesses (weaving mills, garment making) are allocated to other NACE groups.

How do I find public tenders related to man-made fibres? Because man-made fibres are predominantly procured as intermediates, searching by CPV codes for finished products (e.g. 35113400 for protective clothing, 18110000 for occupational clothing) on TED is recommended.

Which sustainability requirements do public contracting authorities set? Environmental criteria are increasingly integrated into tenders for textiles and PPE — for example requirements for OEKO-TEX certifications, recycled-fibre content or energy efficiency in fibre manufacture, based on EU GPP (Green Public Procurement) criteria.

Does NACE 20.6 play a role in supply-chain due diligence? Yes — the German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act (LkSG) obliges buyers to perform risk reviews on their suppliers, which affects man-made fibre manufacturers as important upstream suppliers to PPE buyers.

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