NACE 24.3 – Other First Processing of Iron and Steel | Public Tenders

NACE 24.3: Steel bars, sheets and sections in public procurement. CPV codes, contracting authorities and procurement procedures for steel semi-finished products.

Definition: NACE 24.3 covers the first processing of iron and steel into semi-finished products such as bars, rods, angles, sections, sheets, strips and wire by hot and cold forming. These products form the basis for metal construction and the construction industry.

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

What does NACE 24.3 cover?

NACE 24.3 (Other first processing of iron and steel) classifies rolling-mill and drawing-mill production of steel semi-finished products — essential precursors for construction, mechanical engineering and metalworking.

The group is broken down into the following classes:

Class	Title	Typical outputs
24.31	Cold drawing of bars	Bright, cold-drawn steel and stainless-steel bars
24.32	Cold rolling of narrow strip	Cold-rolled steel strip and sheets
24.33	Cold forming or folding	Cold-formed open and closed steel sections
24.34	Cold drawing of wire	Steel wires, springs, ropes, mesh

Public tenders: steel semi-finished products and sections

Products from NACE 24.3 flow into virtually every public construction project — as reinforcing steel, beam sections, sheet cladding and wire products.

Typical contract types

Reinforcing steel for concrete structures: ribbed bars and reinforcing-steel mats for bridges, tunnels and public buildings
Steel sections for steel construction: I-beams, U and L profiles for halls, bridges and scaffolding
Sheet metal supplies: trapezoidal sheets for roof structures of public buildings, cladding sheets
Barbed wire and security fences: procurement for correctional facilities and military properties
Steel mesh and netting: security mesh, noise barriers, embankment stabilisation

Relevant CPV codes

CPV code	Title	Application area
44313000	Reinforcing mesh	Concrete reinforcement for building and civil engineering
44312000	Reinforcing bars	Ribbed bars, reinforcing-steel bars
44315000	Welding materials and accessories	Welding wire, solder
44211100	Steel buildings	Prefabricated steel elements
34928210	Barbed wire	Security fences, demarcations

Contracting authorities and bidders

Public contracting authorities

Building departments at federal, state and municipal level procure steel semi-finished products as material supplies for their own construction projects. Public housing associations, infrastructure companies and rail-infrastructure operators are other significant buyers. Material supplies are frequently procured as part of works contracts (supply by the construction contractor).

Bidders and eligibility requirements

Works standards and certificates: EN 10025 for structural steel, EN 10080 for reinforcing steel, CE marking under the Construction Products Regulation
Volumes and capacities: evidence of production capacities for large-volume supplies
Warehouse logistics: own warehouses or cooperation with steel traders for short call-off lead times
Quality test evidence: material test certificates under EN 10204

Frequently asked questions on NACE 24.3 and public tenders

Are steel traders or steel producers the right bidders for steel supply tenders? Public contracting authorities generally allow both. Traders can meet the requirements via supplier-source declarations or manufacturers' CE certificates, provided that works test certificates are submitted.

How are price fluctuations in steel products handled in long-term contracts? For framework agreements, escalation clauses for steel prices (e.g. linked to the Federal Statistical Office's steel price index) are common. Contracting authorities should expressly provide for price-adjustment mechanisms in accordance with § 7 VOB/A or equivalent rules.

NACE C – Manufacturing: parent section
NACE 24 – Manufacture of basic metals: parent division
NACE 24.1 – Basic iron and steel: primary production
NACE 25.1 – Metal containers and packaging: downstream processing stage

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