NACE 85 – Education | Public Tenders

NACE 85: Education and teaching in public tenders. Education services, CPV codes and contracting authorities for the education sector.

Definition: NACE 85 covers all forms of education and teaching, from pre-primary to tertiary education, vocational and continuing training, and other educational services. Education providers are both providers and procurers of services in public procurement.

What does NACE 85 cover?

NACE 85 (Education) classifies schools, universities, vocational schools, continuing training providers and all other educational institutions — a sector with substantial public procurement volumes at both the infrastructure and service level.

Group	Title	Typical services
85.1	Pre-primary education	Kindergartens, crèches, early years support
85.2	Primary education	Primary stage, elementary schools
85.3	Secondary education	Lower secondary, grammar schools, secondary modern schools
85.4	Higher education	Universities, universities of applied sciences, academies
85.5	Other education	Driving schools, music schools, sports schools
85.6	Educational support activities	Educational counselling, examination services, school administration

Public Tenders – Education services

Educational institutions procure teaching and learning resources, IT infrastructure, facility services and continuing education — a continuing and substantial procurement market.

Typical types of contract

Vocational and continuing training: Training for public-sector staff, IT training, leadership programmes
Teaching materials and textbooks: Procurement of teaching materials, school book framework agreements
IT equipment for schools: Computers, tablets, Wi-Fi infrastructure, interactive whiteboards
E-learning platforms: Licensing of learning management systems (LMS), online courses
School catering: Lunch service for schools and kindergartens (often as a concession)

Relevant CPV codes

CPV code	Title	Scope
80000000	Education and training services	General education services
80100000	Primary and secondary education services	Pupil education, tutoring
80400000	Adult education and other education services	Continuing education, vocational training
80500000	Training services	Vocational training, retraining
39162000	Educational equipment	Teaching materials, school supplies
48190000	Educational software package	Learning management, e-learning

Contracting authorities

Typical contracting authorities under NACE 85 are:

Education ministries and school authorities: Framework agreements for teaching materials, digital education infrastructure
Universities and universities of applied sciences: IT infrastructure, library services, research equipment
Municipalities (school operators): School buildings, cleaning, catering, school transport
Labour market authorities: AMS (AT), BA (DE) — award of qualification measures for unemployed people
Bundeswehr and police: Specialised training services, foreign language training

FAQ

Are education services subject to the full procurement regime? Education services are "special services" under Annex XIV of Directive 2014/24/EU with an elevated threshold of EUR 750,000 (EU-wide obligation) and a simplified procedure. Below this threshold, national procurement rules apply.

How are training services for civil servants procured? Training contracts are frequently awarded as framework agreements with multiple providers, from which call-offs are made via mini-competitions. For specialised content (e.g. IT certifications, language courses), individual contracts via direct award below the thresholds are often possible.

NACE P – Education: Parent section
NACE 85.4 – Higher education: Subgroup higher education
NACE 85.5 – Other education: Subgroup continuing education
NACE 86 – Human health activities: Related division

Last updated: January 2026