NACE 50.3 – Inland Passenger Water Transport | Public Tenders

Definition: NACE 50.3 covers the economic activity of commercial passenger transport on inland waters — on rivers, canals, lakes and inland ports. This includes ferry services, passenger vessels in scheduled and occasional services and harbour tours, where these are not classified under sea transport.

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

What does NACE 50.3 cover?

NACE 50.3 (Inland passenger water transport) classifies undertakings that transport passengers on inland waterways — a segment of growing importance for publicly commissioned ferry services and supplementary local public transport.

Group 50.3 within Section H (Transportation and storage) and Division 50 (Water transport) covers the following typical activities:

Public contracting authorities are primarily municipal transport operators, districts with ferry crossings, federal waterway administrations and cities with local public transport supplemented by shipping lines (e.g. Hamburg HADAG, Bodensee-Schiffsbetriebe).

Public Tenders: Activities under NACE 50.3

Ferry services and passenger shipping on inland waters are frequently awarded as public service contracts — particularly where municipal or regional public services are involved.

Typical types of contract

• Ferry operation: Award of concessions and operation of municipal ferry connections across rivers and lakes (e.g. municipal cross-connections on the Rhine, Elbe, Danube)
• Scheduled services on inland waterways: Supplementary local public transport services in port cities and lake regions, integrated tickets and clock-face timetables
• Excursion and seasonal shipping: Publicly commissioned tourist shipping connections at federal and regional level
• School and social transport: Island transport and connections to remote settlements by vessel
• Accompanying infrastructure services: Landing stages, passenger shelters, ticketing systems as ancillary services

Thresholds and procedure types

Service contracts in the inland navigation area are subject to the EU threshold for services (EUR 221,000 for municipalities, as of 2024/2025). Where a services concession is in place, the concession procurement rules apply (Directive 2014/23/EU, § 97 et seq. GWB). Open procedures or negotiated procedures with prior call for competition are frequently used.

Relevant CPV codes for NACE 50.3

CPV codes (Common Procurement Vocabulary), which must be specified in every contract notice on TED, link the NACE classification with tender searches.

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

For whom is NACE 50.3 relevant in public procurement?

Public contracting authorities

Municipalities and districts with ferry infrastructure are the most frequent contracting authorities in the NACE 50.3 segment. In Germany, cities such as Hamburg (HADAG Seetouristik und Fährdienst AG), Konstanz (Stadtwerke Konstanz) or Frankfurt (Primus Linie) tender inland ferry services or operate them in-house. In Austria, federal states with lakeland (Vorarlberg, Carinthia, Salzkammergut) and Vienna (DDSG Blue Danube) are relevant public contracting authorities. Federal waterway authorities may also tender ferry connections accompanying infrastructure works.

Companies and bidders

Shipping undertakings active under NACE 50.3 typically have to provide the following evidence of eligibility:

• Authorisation: Concession under inland navigation law, boatmaster's licences and approvals from the water police
• Technical capacity: Fleet evidence, maintenance concepts, accessibility standards (e.g. EU passenger rights)
• Economic capacity: Annual turnover, insurance cover (inland navigation liability)
• Safety evidence: Safety management systems, nautical qualifications of the crew

NACE 50.3 in context: Section H and Division 50

NACE 50.3 forms part of Division 50 (Water transport) within transport Section H — an area with significant public service relevance in public procurement.

• NACE H – Transportation and storage: Parent section covering all transport activities
• NACE 50 – Water transport: Division covering sea and inland water transport
• NACE 50.1 – Sea and coastal passenger water transport: Sea transport equivalent
• NACE 50.4 – Inland freight water transport: Freight transport on inland waters

Frequently asked questions about NACE 50.3 and public tenders

Which companies fall under NACE 50.3?
All shipping undertakings that predominantly transport passengers on inland waters (rivers, lakes, canals). The NACE classification follows the principal economic activity — not the legal form or company size.

Do I need a special concession for public ferry services?
Yes. The operation of commercial passenger ferries generally requires a concession under national inland navigation law. In Germany, the Federal Office for Goods Transport (BAG) is responsible; in Austria, the provincial government. This concession is regularly required as evidence of eligibility in tender procedures.

How are publicly commissioned ferry services remunerated?
Common models are gross-cost models (the contracting authority bears the revenue risk and pays an operating cost lump sum) and net-cost models (the operator retains fare revenues). For services concessions, the concessionaire bears the operating risk in full.

Does the Passenger Transport Act (PBefG) also apply to inland ferries?
In Germany, passenger ferries on inland waters are subject to the PBefG. The licensing obligation under § 2 PBefG also applies to scheduled ferries — relevant when structuring public service contracts under Regulation (EC) No 1370/2007.

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