NACE 50.2 – Sea and Coastal Freight Water Transport | Public Tenders

Definition: NACE 50.2 covers the commercial transport of goods, wares and materials on sea and coastal waterways. The group includes container transport, bulk freighters, RoRo services and special transports on maritime routes — a segment of major relevance for armed forces, infrastructure operators and port authorities.

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

What does NACE 50.2 cover?

NACE 50.2 (Sea and coastal freight water transport) classifies undertakings that transport goods of all kinds on maritime routes — from coastal motor vessels through container freighters to specialised supply vessels for offshore installations and islands.

Group 50.2 within Section H (Transportation and storage) and Division 50 (Water transport) consists of a single class:

Public contracting authorities in this segment are primarily armed forces and defence ministries, port administrations, supply operations on islands and offshore platforms, the German Waterways and Shipping Office and coastal protection authorities.

Public Tenders: Activities under NACE 50.2

Maritime freight transport appears in public procurement in very diverse contexts — from military supply logistics through island transports to offshore supply for wind farms operated by public energy utilities.

Typical types of contract

• Island transport and supply trips: Goods supply to North and Baltic Sea islands, freight transport for island municipalities and federal authorities on islands
• Military sea transport: Transport of vehicles, equipment and materiel of the armed forces, NATO logistics at sea
• Offshore supply shipping: Supply to publicly operated offshore wind farms, operations and maintenance logistics at sea
• Navigation aids and buoy services: Supply and maintenance of lighthouses, buoys and navigation aids by public authorities
• Port logistics and tug services: Tug and assistance services in public ports, icebreaker operations
• Special transport for infrastructure projects: Sea transport of large components (rotor blades, transformers) for public infrastructure projects

Thresholds and procedure types

Freight transport services at sea are awarded as service contracts. For classical public contracting authorities, the EU threshold is EUR 221,000, for utility sector contracting entities (e.g. port authorities, energy utilities) EUR 443,000 (as of 2024/2025). Framework agreements with call-offs are usual for regular transport; for individual projects, negotiated procedures are often used.

Relevant CPV codes for NACE 50.2

Sea freight transport and maritime cargo logistics in public procurement are covered by a manageable number of CPV codes.

Additional relevant CPV codes for related procurement:

Current tenders can be found on TED (Tenders Electronic Daily) as well as on national procurement platforms.

For whom is NACE 50.2 relevant in public procurement?

Public contracting authorities

In Germany, the Federal Ministry of Defence (Bundeswehr sea transport), the Waterways and Shipping Offices (WSA), port administrations such as the Hamburg Port Authority and public energy utilities with offshore activities (e.g. EnBW, 50Hertz) are important contracting authorities. In Austria, the segment is significantly constrained by the country's inland waterways; procurement by Danube shipping companies is relevant here. At EU level, institutions such as the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) procure maritime services.

Companies and bidders

Shipping companies and maritime service providers participating in public tenders under NACE 50.2 typically have to provide the following evidence:

• Authorisation: Valid operating licence as a shipping company, ownership certificate for freight vessels (load-line certificate, safety certificate, classification certificate)
• Technical capacity: Suitable fleet (tonnage, hold configuration, technical equipment), captains with valid certificates of competency, references
• Economic capacity: P&I insurance (Protection & Indemnity), hull insurance, sufficient annual turnover
• Certifications: ISM Code certificate, ISPS Code compliance (ship security), MLC 2006 for crews, ISO 9001

Military procurement (e.g. NATO logistics) is often subject to additional security requirements (security clearance, NATO confidentiality).

NACE 50.2 in context: Section H and Division 50

NACE 50.2 forms part of Division 50 (Water transport) within Section H (Transportation and storage) — as the counterpart to passenger transport at sea (NACE 50.1).

• NACE H – Transportation and storage: Parent section covering all transport and storage activities
• NACE 50 – Water transport: Division covering sea and inland water transport
• NACE 50.1 – Sea and coastal passenger water transport: Ferry services and maritime passenger transport
• NACE 50.4 – Inland freight water transport: River and canal freight transport

Frequently asked questions about NACE 50.2 and public tenders

Which companies fall under NACE 50.2?
All shipping companies whose economic focus is on freight transport on sea and coastal waters. These include container shipping companies, tramp shipping operators, coastal motor shipping operators, offshore suppliers and tanker operators.

How does NACE 50.2 differ from NACE 52 (Warehousing and port handling)?
NACE 50.2 covers exclusively the actual transport at sea. Port handling, storage and ancillary logistics services in the port are classified under NACE 52. In practice, many shipping groups perform both functions; the NACE classification follows the principal economic activity.

How do I find tenders for maritime freight transport?
On TED under CPV code 60640000 (shipping operations) and 60600000 (water transport services). Military contracts are often published with a security classification or on specialist defence procurement portals (e.g. the German Procurement Portal for NATO contracts).

Are offshore wind farm supply vessels relevant to NACE 50.2?
Yes. The growing number of public and quasi-state offshore wind farm operators in the North and Baltic Seas regularly tenders supply vessel capacity (CTVs, SOVs) for operations and maintenance. These contracts typically fall under NACE 50.2 and are awarded under utility sector procurement rules.

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