NACE 46.4 – Wholesale of Household Goods | Public Tenders

Definition: NACE 46.4 covers the wholesale of household, consumer and consumable goods — including textiles, clothing, footwear, household goods, paper, office supplies, cleaning products and drugstore items. This group is particularly significant in public procurement, as office supplies, consumables and cleaning products are among the most procured goods of all public bodies.

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

What does NACE 46.4 cover?

NACE 46.4 (Wholesale of household goods) classifies companies distributing consumer goods of daily need at wholesale — a segment of very high relevance for public contracting authorities at all levels, as almost every authority, school, clinic or municipal facility regularly procures office supplies, hygiene items and cleaning products.

Group 46.4 within Division 46 (Wholesale trade) is divided into the following classes:

Public contracting authorities in this segment are practically all authorities, courts, schools, higher education institutions, clinics, care facilities, police stations and municipal offices — with office supplies and cleaning items as the most frequent needs.

Public Tenders: Scope of NACE 46.4

Office supplies, consumables and cleaning products are recurring needs in the public sector — they regularly generate recurring tenders and framework agreements at all levels of public procurement.

Typical contract types

• Office supplies and consumables: Paper, toner, printer cartridges, stationery, paper clips, folders — classical framework agreements for all authorities
• Cleaning products and hygiene items: Floor care, sanitary cleaners, disinfectants, paper towels, soaps for municipal properties, schools and clinics
• Workwear and protective equipment: Workwear for depots, protective clothing for security and cleaning personnel, police uniform accessories
• Office furniture and school equipment: Desks, office chairs, filing cabinets, school desks, cloakrooms for government buildings and educational facilities
• Kitchen equipment and tableware: Serving tableware, cutlery, pots for canteens, refectories and care facilities
• Laboratory supplies and glassware: Laboratory glassware, pipettes, disposable materials for public research institutions and schools
• Care products and medical supplies: Hygiene items for care facilities, personal care products for residential facilities

Thresholds and procedure types

Supply contracts for office supplies and consumables typically reach EU thresholds (EUR 221,000 for other contracting authorities) for framework agreements that bundle multi-year requirements or those of larger authorities. Individual annual requirements of small offices are often below the threshold. The open procedure for EU-wide tenders and the simplified procedure or direct award below national thresholds are common. Central procurement bodies (Federal Procurement Agency, BeschA) conclude framework agreements that subordinate bodies can call off.

Relevant CPV codes for NACE 46.4

Office supplies and consumables have a particularly differentiated CPV structure — a precise selection of CPV codes is decisive for tender searches.

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

Who is NACE 46.4 relevant for in public procurement?

Public contracting authorities

The range of public contracting authorities for household and consumer goods is virtually unlimited:

• Ministries and federal authorities: Central office supplies purchasing through the Procurement Office (BeschA) or the Federal Procurement Agency (BBB); call-offs from framework agreements
• Federal states and municipalities: Own framework agreements or accession to cooperation contracts; green-space offices and depots for protective clothing
• Schools and higher education institutions: Teaching materials, office supplies, laboratory accessories, school furniture
• Hospitals and care facilities: Hygiene products, cleaning agents, sanitary supplies in large quantities
• Police, fire brigade and emergency services: Workwear, personal protective equipment, consumables

Companies and bidders

Wholesalers under NACE 46.4 should bring the following to public tenders:

• Full range or specialisation: Full-range suppliers have advantages in bundled tenders; specialists score in subject-specific lots (e.g. cleaning products only or workwear only)
• Logistics infrastructure: Delivery capability within defined deadlines, nationwide or regional availability, storage capacity
• Sustainability evidence: Eco-labels (Blue Angel, EU Ecolabel, Green Dot) are frequently required as award criteria or minimum requirements
• Certifications: ISO 9001 (quality management), ISO 14001 (environment), where applicable OEKO-TEX for textiles
• E-procurement connection: Many contracting authorities require electronic ordering systems (SAP SRM, MACH, municipal ERP systems) — a structured product list (ETIM, PRICAT) is an advantage

SME suppliers should examine whether they can serve central framework agreements of procurement bodies or whether lot-based tenders of regional contracting authorities are more accessible.

NACE 46.4 in context: Section G and Division 46

NACE 46.4 is the most relevant segment in wholesale trade for the breadth of public administration — almost every public body regularly procures goods from this group.

• NACE G – Trade: Parent section covering all trade activities
• NACE 46 – Wholesale trade: Division covering all wholesale activities
• NACE 46.1 – Wholesale on a fee or contract basis: Intermediaries and agents for consumer goods
• NACE 46.3 – Wholesale of food, beverages and tobacco: Food wholesale for canteens and refectories
• NACE 46.5 – Wholesale of information and communication equipment: Computers, telecommunications, electronic components

Frequently asked questions on NACE 46.4 and public tenders

How are office supplies framework agreements typically structured?
Large contracting authorities such as the Procurement Office of the Federal Ministry of the Interior conclude multi-year framework agreements (usually 4 years) with one or more suppliers. Subordinate authorities call off from these contracts without having to tender themselves. Smaller contracting authorities conclude their own annual contracts or use cooperation frameworks.

What environmental requirements apply to office supplies tenders?
Recycled paper (at least 80% recycled content, Blue Angel DE-UZ 14), environmentally friendly inks and toners and low-pollutant materials are frequent minimum requirements. EU Green Public Procurement (GPP) provides concrete criteria for office supplies and cleaning products that many contracting authorities adopt.

Can manufacturers bid directly, or must it be a wholesaler?
Manufacturers can bid directly if they can demonstrate delivery capability and product range. Contracting authorities are not obliged to admit only wholesalers or only manufacturers. The decisive factors are suitability and offering — not the form of trade.

How do I find tenders for office supplies and consumables?
A CPV search on TED (particularly 30192000, 30197000, 39000000) produces EU-wide hits. National tenders below the thresholds can be found on AUSSCHREIBUNGEN.AT, DTVP, subreport or directly on the procurement platforms of federal states and large municipalities.

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