NACE 46.7 – Other Specialised Wholesale | Public Tenders

Definition: NACE 46.7 covers the wholesale of solid fuels, mineral oils, ores, metals, chemical products, other raw materials, semi-finished goods and auxiliary materials. This group is relevant in the public sector, as energy, building materials and industrial raw materials are regularly procured by public institutions and state undertakings.

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

What does NACE 46.7 cover?

NACE 46.7 (Other specialised wholesale) classifies companies distributing raw materials, energy carriers and industrial input goods at wholesale — a segment with direct relevance for public energy procurement and building materials supply.

Group 46.7 within Section G (Trade) and Division 46 (Wholesale trade) is divided into several classes:

Public contracting authorities under NACE 46.7 are combined heat and power plants and district heating companies, state construction administrations, road maintenance authorities (de-icing salt), hospitals (chemicals, hygiene products) and municipal waste management operators.

Public Tenders: Raw Materials and Basic Materials in the Public Sector

Energy carriers, building materials and industrial materials are among the largest procurement items of the public sector by volume. In energy procurement in particular, EU-relevant tenders are regularly published.

Typical contract types

• Energy procurement – heating oil and natural gas: Framework agreements for heat supply to public buildings, schools, hospitals and authorities; frequently as annual or multi-year tenders
• Wood pellets and biomass: Procurement for biomass heating plants and municipal district heating in the context of the energy transition
• De-icing salt and de-icing agents: Annual contracts for road maintenance authorities, frequently as framework agreements with call-off as needed
• Building materials and auxiliary materials: Supply of crushed stone, chippings, sand, precast concrete elements and paving stones for municipal civil engineering projects
• Steel and metal semi-finished products: Procurement of steel beams, pipes and profiles for building and civil engineering works of public contracting authorities
• Chemical-technical auxiliary and operating materials: Cleaning chemicals, disinfectants, lubricants for municipal operations and hospitals

Thresholds and procedure types

For supply contracts, the EU-wide tendering obligation on TED applies from EUR 221,000 (central authorities: EUR 143,000, as of 2024/2025). Energy procurement by utility contracting entities (municipal utilities, district heating suppliers) is subject to higher utility thresholds (EUR 443,000). In raw materials, the open procedure is standard; for volatile market prices, price-escalation clauses and index links are frequently included in the contract documents.

Relevant CPV codes for NACE 46.7

The bridge between NACE classification and tender search is formed by CPV codes (Common Procurement Vocabulary), which must be stated in every EU-wide notice.

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

Who is NACE 46.7 relevant for in public procurement?

Public contracting authorities

Energy procurement is carried out by public building operators at all administrative levels — from municipalities to the federal government. Road and civil engineering administrations are the largest customers for mineral building materials. In Germany, the procurement offices of the federal states and the Procurement Office of the Federal Ministry of the Interior (BeschA) partly coordinate central framework agreements for energy carriers. In Austria, the BBG offers framework agreements for heating oil and related products that can be used by federal bodies. Municipal energy suppliers and municipal utilities as utility contracting entities are subject to the EU Utilities Directive (Directive 2014/25/EU).

Companies and bidders

Raw materials and energy wholesalers typically must provide the following suitability evidence for public tenders:

• Trade authorisation: Relevant trade licence (e.g. energy trading licence under EnWG, mineral oil trade authorisation)
• Technical capacity: Supply capacity evidence, storage facility evidence, references for comparable supply contracts
• Economic and financial capacity: Minimum annual turnover, creditworthiness evidence, transport insurance
• Environmental and quality evidence: ISO 9001, evidence of origin for biomass (RED II), sustainability certificates

For energy deliveries, price-escalation clauses, supply security guarantees and contingency plans are frequent requirements in the contract documents.

NACE 46.7 in context: Section G and Division 46

NACE 46.7 is part of Division 46 (Wholesale trade) within the trade Section G — an economically significant area of public procurement.

• NACE G – Trade: Parent section covering all trade activities
• NACE 46 – Wholesale trade: Division covering all wholesale groups
• NACE 46.6 – Wholesale of other machinery, equipment and supplies: Investment goods and industrial equipment
• NACE 46.9 – Non-specialised wholesale trade: Wholesale with a broad range of goods

Frequently asked questions on NACE 46.7 and public tenders

Which companies fall under NACE 46.7?
Energy wholesalers (heating oil, gas, pellets), building materials dealers, metal wholesalers, chemicals suppliers and recyclables traders whose economic focus is on trade in raw materials, energy carriers or semi-finished goods.

How are volatile raw material prices taken into account in tenders?
Public contracting authorities frequently use price-escalation clauses that link contract prices to recognised market indices (e.g. oil price index, steel index). This protects both contracting authorities and bidders from extreme price fluctuations.

Are municipal utilities as energy suppliers subject to different procurement rules?
Yes. Municipal utilities and municipal energy suppliers qualified as utility contracting entities apply the Utilities Directive (Directive 2014/25/EU), which provides more flexible procedures and higher thresholds.

Does sustainability play a role in the procurement of fuels?
Increasingly yes. Many public contracting authorities require evidence of the share of renewable energy, CO2 offsetting measures or prefer biomass from sustainably managed sources. The EU's RED II Directive sets binding sustainability criteria for liquid and gaseous biomass fuels.

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