NACE 31 – Manufacture of Furniture | Public Tenders

NACE 31: Furniture in public tenders. Office furniture, school equipment, hospital furniture – CPV codes, GPP criteria and procurement procedures.

Definition: NACE 31 covers the manufacture of furniture of all kinds — including office, kitchen, bedroom and other home furniture as well as mattresses — irrespective of the material used (wood, metal, plastic or other materials). Contracting authorities are among the most significant institutional buyers in this division.

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

What does NACE 31 cover?

NACE 31 (Manufacture of furniture) is structured as a single-group division — the entire furniture sector is combined into one group ranging from mass production to bespoke manufacture.

Division 31 within Section C (Manufacturing) comprises one group:

Group	Title	Typical Products
31.0	Manufacture of furniture	Office furniture, school equipment, hospital furniture, kitchen furniture, garden furniture, mattresses

Within group 31.0, different product segments are distinguished by statistical class (31.01–31.09): office furniture (31.01), kitchen furniture (31.02), bedroom furniture (31.03) and other furniture (31.09). For contracting authorities, office furniture, school equipment, library fittings and furniture for the healthcare sector are particularly relevant.

Public Tenders: Scope of NACE 31

Furniture procurement is part of the standard business of contracting authorities — every new administrative office, school or healthcare facility triggers procurement under NACE 31.

Typical Contract Types

Office furniture for authorities and courts: Desks (including height-adjustable variants), filing cabinets, conference tables, ergonomic office chairs for administrative buildings, town halls, courts and ministries
School equipment: Pupil and teacher desks, chairs in various seating heights, cloakroom elements, school shelving for classrooms, staff rooms and school canteens
Hospital furniture: Hospital beds, bedside cabinets, patient chairs, nurses' workstations, visitor chairs for hospitals, care homes and rehabilitation centres
Library fittings: Bookshelves, reading desks, research workstations, children's library furnishings, media furniture for public libraries
Waiting room furniture: Waiting benches, individual seats, side tables for medical centres, public authorities, social services and public transport infrastructure
Street furniture: Urban furniture, park benches, litter bins for public spaces and green areas

Sustainability Requirements (GPP)

Furniture procurement is one of the most developed areas of Green Public Procurement (GPP). The European Commission has adopted binding GPP criteria for office furniture and school equipment. Typical requirements:

EU Ecolabel or equivalent evidence (Blue Angel, Nordic Swan)
PEFC or FSC certification for wood components
Formaldehyde and emission limits in accordance with EN 717 / AgBB scheme
Recyclability and repairability as award criteria

Thresholds and Procedure Types

For larger projects, furniture procurement is often tendered as framework agreements to efficiently bundle recurring needs (new build fit-outs, replacement purchases). The EU threshold for supply contracts is EUR 221,000 (classical contracting authorities) and EUR 443,000 (utility contracting entities). Central purchasing bodies (e.g. Kaufhaus des Bundes, Beschaffung Austria) conclude framework agreements for many buyers.

Relevant CPV Codes for NACE 31

CPV Code	Title	Scope
39100000	Furniture	Furniture in general
39130000	Office furniture	Desks, filing cabinets, shelves
39160000	School furniture	Pupil desks, school chairs
39150000	Miscellaneous furniture and equipment	Library and waiting room furniture
39180000	Laboratory furniture	Laboratory benches, laboratory cabinets
33192000	Medical furniture	Hospital beds, patient chairs
34928300	Safety barriers	Street furniture, street benches
39113000	Miscellaneous seats and chairs	Waiting benches, visitor chairs

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

Who is NACE 31 relevant for in public procurement?

Public Contracting Authorities

All public institutions with fit-out needs are potential contracting authorities — from the small municipal library to the large federal ministry. School authorities (districts, municipalities), publicly sponsored clinics and the federal and state governments for new build projects and refurbishment measures are particularly high-volume buyers. Central purchasing bodies such as the BMI Procurement Office (BeschA) bundle demand via framework agreements.

Companies and Bidders

Furniture manufacturers and dealers must typically demonstrate for public tenders:

Product standards: Compliance with relevant EN standards (EN 527 for office desks, EN 1335 for office chairs, EN 1729 for school chairs/desks)
Emission evidence: Test reports according to AgBB or equivalent laboratory certificates for pollutant emissions
Environmental certifications: EU Ecolabel, Blue Angel or equivalent labels for GPP tenders
Wood origin evidence: PEFC, FSC or self-declaration under the EU Timber Regulation
Supply capability: Capacity evidence for project-specific quantities and delivery dates

Frequently Asked Questions on NACE 31 and Public Tenders

Why does NACE 31 have only one group (31.0)?
The NACE classification combines the entire furniture manufacture in one group because production processes and materials are similar across sub-sectors. Finer breakdown is at class level (31.01–31.09), which is relevant for statistical purposes but plays no direct role in procurement law.

Must furniture supplies be tendered EU-wide?
Only if the contract value exceeds the threshold (EUR 221,000 for classical contracting authorities). Many furniture procurements lie below this and can be tendered nationally — often by open invitation or restricted invitation with prior competition.

Which sustainability certificates are accepted in furniture tenders?
Alongside the EU Ecolabel, the Blue Angel (RAL UZ 38) is frequently accepted in Germany and the Austrian Ecolabel (UZ 05) in Austria. The Nordic Swan (Scandinavian ecolabel) is also recognised as equivalent. Bidders can also submit equivalent evidence (e.g. test reports from accredited bodies).

Can furniture be called off via framework agreements of central purchasing bodies?
Yes — Kaufhaus des Bundes (KdB) in Germany and Beschaffung Austria (BBG) in Austria offer framework agreements for office furniture from which user agencies can call off without their own tender. For school equipment, separate state framework agreements often exist.

NACE 31 in context: Section C and related divisions

NACE C – Manufacturing: Parent section covering all manufacturing activities
NACE 16 – Manufacture of wood and of products of wood and cork: Upstream wood processing
NACE 32 – Other manufacturing: Medical devices, sports goods, toys
NACE 33 – Repair and installation of machinery and equipment: Maintenance and upkeep

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