NACE 56 – Food and Beverage Service Activities | Public Tenders
NACE 56 Food and beverage service activities: public tenders for canteens, catering, school catering and food service. CPV codes and contracting authorities.
Definition: NACE 56 covers the preparation and serving of meals and beverages — from restaurants and canteens to catering service providers. Public bodies regularly award canteen operation, school catering and catering contracts on a competitive basis.
Legal basis: NACE Rev. 2 (Regulation (EC) No 1893/2006) · Last updated: January 2026
What does NACE 56 cover?
NACE 56 (Food and beverage service activities) classifies all providers of food and beverages for on-site consumption or delivery — central for the public sector for canteen operation and catering concessions.
| Group | Title | Typical services |
|---|---|---|
| 56.1 | Restaurants and mobile food service activities | Operation of restaurants, bistros, refectories in public buildings |
| 56.2 | Event catering and other food service activities | Event catering, canteen catering, school meal delivery service |
| 56.3 | Beverage serving activities | Cafés, kiosks, vending machine catering in public authorities |
Public Tenders – Food and beverage service activities
Catering services are awarded by the public sector in various forms:
- Canteen and refectory operation in public authorities, hospitals and educational institutions
- School catering (lunches for schools — often as a concession or service contract)
- Catering for public events (receptions, conferences, congresses)
- Operation of cafeterias and kiosks in public buildings (concession)
- Catering services for hospitals and care facilities
- Patient and inmate catering (prisons, Bundeswehr)
Relevant CPV codes
| CPV code | Title | Field of application |
|---|---|---|
| 55510000 | Canteen services | Canteen and refectory operation |
| 55511000 | Canteen and other restricted-clientele cafeteria services | Operation of authority canteens |
| 55512000 | Canteen management services | Management of canteen facilities |
| 55520000 | Catering services | Meals on wheels, school meals |
| 55523000 | Catering services for other enterprises | Catering for public authorities |
| 55524000 | School catering services | School refectory and school catering |
Contracting authorities
- Schools and educational institutions (school authorities — municipalities and districts)
- Hospitals and care facilities (patient and staff catering)
- Federal authorities and regional ministries (canteen operation)
- Bundeswehr (troop catering — partly own operation, partly tendered)
- Prisons (inmate catering)
FAQ
Is canteen operation a service contract or a concession? This depends on who bears the economic risk. Where the operator takes on the operating risk (revenues from user fees), it is a services concession. Where remuneration is paid independent of usage, it is a service contract. The distinction must be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
Are there quality standards for publicly tendered school catering? Yes. The German Nutrition Society (DGE) has developed quality standards for school catering that are anchored in many tenders as technical requirements or award criteria. Organic and regional products are increasingly evaluated as award criteria.
- NACE I – Accommodation and food service activities: Parent section
- NACE 55 – Accommodation: Hotel services and conference rooms
- NACE 47 – Retail trade: Food retail
Last updated: January 2026 All information is provided without guarantee. For legally binding advice, please consult a law firm specialising in public procurement law.
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