NACE 71 – Architectural and Engineering Activities; Technical Testing | Public Tenders
NACE 71: Architecture, engineering and technical testing in public tenders. CPV codes, contracting authorities and typical contract types.
Definition: NACE 71 covers the provision of architectural and engineering services, technical testing and inspection services and related technical consultancy. This division is one of the most significant professional service areas in European public procurement.
What does NACE 71 cover?
NACE 71 (Architectural and engineering activities) classifies all planning, supervision and testing services of a technical nature — a core area of public procurement in building and civil engineering projects.
| Group | Title | Typical services |
|---|---|---|
| 71.1 | Architectural and engineering activities and related technical consultancy | Building design, structural engineering, building services engineering, transport planning |
| 71.2 | Technical testing and analysis | Materials testing, geotechnical investigation, environmental testing |
Public Tenders – Architecture and Engineering
Architectural and engineering services must be tendered as soon as the relevant fee thresholds are exceeded — they accompany almost every public construction project and therefore form a permanent procurement market.
Typical types of contract
- Building design: Planning of public buildings (schools, town halls, hospitals) under HOAI service phases 1–9
- Civil engineering structures and transport facilities: Design of bridges, roads, tunnels, noise barriers
- Structural engineering: Statics and detailed structural design for building projects
- Building services engineering (MEP): Design of heating, ventilation, sanitation and electrical installations
- Geotechnical investigation: Soil surveys, foundation reports
- Technical testing services: Materials testing, quality assurance, environmental sampling and analysis
Relevant CPV codes
| CPV Code | Title | Application |
|---|---|---|
| 71200000 | Architectural services | Building design, urban planning, landscape architecture |
| 71300000 | Engineering services | Structural, building services and transport planning |
| 71310000 | Consultative engineering and construction services | Project management, construction supervision |
| 71500000 | Construction-related services | Project management, client-side consultancy |
| 71600000 | Technical testing, analysis and consultancy services | Materials testing, technical expert reports |
| 71630000 | Technical inspection and testing services | Quality assurance, acceptance testing |
Contracting Authorities
Typical public contracting authorities in the field of NACE 71 are:
- Federal building offices and regional building administrations: Planning of federal buildings, regional authorities and cultural institutions
- Municipalities and districts: School construction, town halls, road and civil engineering planning
- Public housing companies: Planning and renovation of social housing
- Transport infrastructure operators: ASFINAG, ÖBB, Autobahn GmbH (Germany), DB InfraGO
- Healthcare and education institutions: Hospital groups, universities, school associations
FAQ
From what contract value must architectural and engineering services be tendered EU-wide? The EU threshold for service contracts is EUR 221,000 (central government authorities) or EUR 443,000 (other contracting authorities). Since HOAI fees on larger construction projects rapidly exceed these thresholds, EU-wide tendering is very common in practice.
Are design competitions mandatory for architectural services? Not generally — contracting authorities may choose between a design competition (§ 78 ff. VgV / § 119 BVergG), a negotiated procedure with prior call for competition, or an open procedure. For urbanistically or architecturally significant projects, professional associations recommend running a competition.
- NACE M – Professional, scientific and technical activities: Parent section
- NACE 71.1 – Architectural and engineering activities: Sub-group for design
- NACE 71.2 – Technical testing and analysis: Sub-group for testing and analysis
- NACE 42 – Civil engineering: Related construction division
Last updated: January 2026
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