NACE 84 – Public Administration, Defence and Compulsory Social Security | Public Tenders

NACE 84: Public administration and defence in public tenders. Which contracts are procured by the administration itself? CPV codes and contracting authorities.

Definition: NACE 84 covers the activities of general public administration, defence, justice, public order and safety, as well as compulsory social security. While the authorities in this division are themselves contracting authorities, they in turn award supply, works and service contracts on a substantial scale.

What does NACE 84 cover?

NACE 84 (Public administration and defence) classifies government authorities, armed forces, security agencies and social security institutions — as contracting authorities, they are the main drivers of the entire public procurement market.

Group	Title	Typical services
84.1	Administration of the state and the economic and social policy of the community	Ministries, regional bodies, regulatory authorities
84.2	Provision of services to the community as a whole	Justice, prisons, fire services, civil protection
84.3	Compulsory social security activities	Health, pension and accident insurance institutions

Public Tenders – Administration and Defence

Public administrative authorities procure a broad range of goods and services for their own operations — from IT systems and office equipment to complex infrastructure projects.

Typical types of contract

IT systems and e-government: Software development, ERP systems, digital administration portals
Defence equipment and military technology: Defence procurement (governed by special procurement rules under Directive 2009/81/EC)
Police equipment: Vehicles, protective clothing, weapons, communications technology for security authorities
Fire services and civil protection: Fire engines, operational equipment, protective gear
Facility management: Operation of government buildings, prisons, barracks

Relevant CPV codes

CPV code	Title	Scope
35000000	Security, fire-fighting, police and defence equipment	Equipment for security authorities
35100000	Emergency and security equipment	Civil protection, first aid
72000000	IT services: consulting, software development, internet and support	E-government, IT infrastructure
48000000	Software packages and information systems	Administrative software, specialist applications
45000000	Construction works	Government buildings, barracks, correctional facilities

Contracting authorities

Typical contracting authorities under NACE 84 (as procurers, not as service providers) are:

Federal ministries and central authorities: IT, vehicles, office equipment, consultancy
Armed forces (Bundesheer, Bundeswehr): Defence goods, infrastructure, supply services
Police and security authorities: Equipment, IT systems, vehicles
Social security institutions: IT systems for insurance administration, customer services
Courts and public prosecution offices: Specialist IT applications, building management

FAQ

Do special procurement rules apply to defence contracts? Yes — defence equipment and security-related contracts fall under Directive 2009/81/EC (procurement in the fields of defence and security), implemented in Austria by the BVergGVS and in Germany by the VSVgV. These rules differ significantly from the general procurement rules.

Can authorities award contracts internally without tendering? In-house awards are possible under certain conditions: the awarded contractor must be 100% in public ownership, have no private participation, and carry out more than 80% of its activities for the contracting authority (in-house criteria established by the CJEU).

NACE O – Public Administration, Defence, Social Security: Parent section
NACE 84.1 – General public administration: Subgroup
NACE 84.3 – Compulsory social security: Subgroup
NACE 85 – Education: Related division

Last updated: January 2026