NACE 55.2 – Holiday and Other Short-Stay Accommodation | Public Tenders

Definition: NACE 55.2 covers the economic activity of operations providing holiday accommodation such as holiday houses, holiday flats, recreation homes, youth guest houses and group accommodation with a lower service level than classical hotels. In public procurement, these services are primarily relevant for procuring group accommodation for social programmes, youth trips and recreational measures.

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

What does NACE 55.2 cover?

NACE 55.2 (Holiday and other short-stay accommodation) classifies establishments that offer short-stay accommodation with a lower service level than hotels — a segment of particular importance in the public sector for social, education and youth programmes.

Group 55.2 within Section I (Accommodation and food service activities) and Division 55 (Accommodation) covers various forms of accommodation:

Public contracting authorities under NACE 55.2 are primarily youth welfare authorities, school authorities, social insurance providers (for treatment and recreation measures), municipalities (for holiday care programmes) and associations and non-profit providers managing public funds.

Public Tenders: Activities under NACE 55.2

Holiday accommodation is frequently procured in the public sector for social programmes and youth trips — contracting authorities are primarily youth welfare offices, school authorities and social institutions with a statutory remit to promote recreation.

Typical types of contract

• Holiday care accommodation: Booking of group accommodation for municipal holiday programmes and children's holiday camps
• Recreation measures of social insurance: Accommodation for treatment and recreation trips organised by health insurance funds or pension insurance providers
• School country homes and class trips: Official procurement of group accommodation for school events by public school authorities
• Integration programmes: Accommodation for language and integration trips, funded by federal or regional programmes
• Employee recreation: Public employers book recreational offers for civil servants under occupational health promotion
• Leisure and education trips for social benefit recipients: Accommodation for publicly funded holiday programmes for low-income families

Thresholds and procedure types

For framework agreements for recurring group accommodation, the thresholds for service contracts may be reached. Individual bookings for school trips usually fall below national thresholds and are handled via simplified procedures (direct award, simple enquiries).

Relevant CPV codes for NACE 55.2

CPV codes enable targeted searches for tenders in the holiday accommodation segment on national and European procurement platforms.

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 55.2 relevant in public procurement?

Public contracting authorities

Youth welfare offices and social ministries are the central contracting authorities for holiday accommodation in the public sector. In Germany, municipalities and districts regularly award accommodation for holiday programmes under SGB VIII (Child and Youth Welfare). In Austria, federal provinces and municipalities procure accommodation for publicly funded holidays as part of family burden equalisation and social programmes. Statutory health insurance funds and pension insurance providers award recreational measures under social law.

Companies and bidders

Providers of holiday accommodation in the public procurement market should observe the following requirements:

• Group suitability: Capacity for groups (communal rooms, dormitories or multi-bed rooms, catering infrastructure)
• Youth and child protection: Requirements for supervision ratios, safety standards and emergency call structures for children's and youth programmes
• Accessibility: Increasingly required, particularly for inclusion and social-law funded measures
• Food safety: Hygiene evidence and HACCP concepts for catering offered
• Economical pricing: Public contracting authorities frequently have tight budget limits per person/night

Frequently asked questions about NACE 55.2 and public tenders

Which establishments fall under NACE 55.2 as opposed to NACE 55.1?
NACE 55.2 covers accommodation with a lower service level than classical hotels — i.e. without permanent reception, with self-catering facilities or simpler equipment. Holiday flats, recreation homes, holiday camps and group accommodation are typical examples.

Do schools have to tender holiday accommodation for class trips?
Public school authorities are in principle bound by public procurement law. For low-value individual contracts, direct-award thresholds apply; for higher volumes or framework agreements, procurement procedures must be observed. The specific thresholds vary by federal state or province.

How do I find tenders for holiday accommodation in the public sector?
On TED via CPV search (55200000, 55240000, 55250000) and on municipal notice portals and the tender portals of the federal states.

What sustainability criteria are relevant for holiday accommodation?
Public contracting authorities increasingly take regional value creation, energy efficiency, environmental certifications (e.g. EMAS, Blue Flag for waterfront access) and fair supply chains in catering into account.

NACE 55.2 in context: Section I and Division 55

• NACE I – Accommodation and food service activities: Parent section covering all accommodation and food service activities
• NACE 55 – Accommodation: Division covering all forms of accommodation
• NACE 55.1 – Hotels and similar accommodation: Classical hotel operations for official travel and seminars
• NACE 55.3 – Camping grounds, recreational vehicle parks and trailer parks: Camping and motorhome pitches
• NACE 55.9 – Other accommodation: Youth hostels, asylum accommodation

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