NACE 85.2 – Primary Education | Public Tenders

Definition: NACE 85.2 covers teaching at secondary schools (ISCED levels 2 and 3), i.e. lower and upper secondary schools, grammar schools, intermediate and higher vocational schools. In public procurement, this group is particularly relevant for school equipment, digital infrastructure and construction works at secondary schools.

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

What does NACE 85.2 cover?

NACE 85.2 (Secondary education) classifies institutions of lower and upper secondary education — schools whose public operators are among the most active procurers in municipal and state-level procurement.

Group 85.2 belongs to Section P (Education) and Division 85. It is broken down into:

Contracting authorities under NACE 85.2 are municipalities, districts and states (as operators of higher secondary schools) as well as federal authorities for nationally managed school types in Austria. Church and free school operators can also be contracting authorities within the meaning of procurement law if they are predominantly financed from public funds.

Public Tenders: Activity area NACE 85.2

Secondary schools are particularly tender-intensive due to their size, range of subjects and technical requirements (laboratories, workshops, sports halls) — for works as well as for supplies and services.

Typical types of contract

• School construction and major refurbishment: New build and complete refurbishment of school buildings, including science classrooms, sports halls and outdoor facilities
• Digital school infrastructure: Wi-Fi expansion, school servers, fibre connection, digital learning platforms (LMS licences)
• Interactive displays and media technology: Large-format displays, interactive whiteboards, AV technology for halls and specialist classrooms
• Secondary-school equipment: Specialist classroom equipment (chemistry, physics, biology laboratories), workshop equipment for technical schools
• IT end devices: Pupil laptops and tablets under 1:1 equipment programmes of the states
• School catering: Canteen construction and operation, catering framework agreements for secondary schools
• Energy and building management: Energy management systems, building automation, smart meter integration

Thresholds and procurement procedures

State authorities as contracting authorities are subject to the EU threshold of EUR 143,000 (central contracting authorities) or EUR 221,000 (sub-central contracting authorities) for supply and service contracts. Construction works at larger grammar schools or school complexes frequently exceed the works threshold of EUR 5,538,000.

Relevant CPV codes for NACE 85.2

CPV codes allow tenders for secondary schools to be targeted on TED and national platforms.

Current tenders with these CPV codes are available on TED (Tenders Electronic Daily) and on national procurement platforms.

Who is NACE 85.2 relevant to under procurement law?

Public contracting authorities

School operation for secondary schools in Germany and Austria is organised at two levels depending on the school type: municipalities and districts are operators of lower-secondary and intermediate schools, while states are operators of grammar schools and higher vocational schools. In Austria, the federal government is the operator of the AHS upper level and BHS via the BMBWF. For investment projects, dedicated procurement bodies such as Dataport (digitalisation service provider for the North German states) or the BBH (education and counselling centre) are involved.

Companies and bidders

For contracts in the NACE 85.2 environment, typical suitability requirements depending on the service area are:

• IT suppliers and system integrators: Manufacturer certifications (e.g. Microsoft Education, Google for Education), GDPR compliance, references in the education sector
• Construction companies and specialist planners: School-construction references, sustainability certifications (DGNB, BNB), VOB tender experience
• Catering companies: DGE school catering quality standard, HACCP certification, regional supply chains
• Software providers: EU data protection compliance, interfaces to school administration systems (e.g. ASV-BW, LUSD)

Framework agreements for IT equipment are frequently pooled by central procurement bodies of the states (e.g. BITBW, ZIT-BB) — bidders should monitor these closely.

NACE 85.2 in context: Section P and Division 85

NACE 85.2 is part of Division 85 (Education) — an area with particularly high investment dynamics driven by digitalisation programmes and energy refurbishment obligations.

• NACE P – Education: Parent section
• NACE 85.1 – Pre-primary education: Primary stage
• NACE 85.3 – Higher education: Universities and higher-education institutions
• NACE 85.4 – Other education: Vocational training, continuing education
• NACE 85.6 – Educational support activities: School administration, counselling

Frequently asked questions on NACE 85.2 and public tenders

Which schools fall under NACE 85.2?
All institutions at secondary level: lower-secondary schools, intermediate schools, secondary modern schools, grammar schools, comprehensive schools, vocational schools as well as intermediate and higher vocational schools (BMS, BHS in Austria).

How do I find current tenders for secondary schools?
On TED via a CPV search (e.g. 45214200 for school buildings, 30213100 for laptops). State procurement platforms (e.g. eVergabe Baden-Württemberg, vergabe.NRW, Ankö in Austria) also publish sub-threshold contracts.

Are digitalisation measures at schools centrally tendered?
Frequently yes: states pool IT procurement via central procurement bodies or conclude framework agreements which individual schools can call off. Bidders should prioritise these framework agreements.

What role does the DigitalPakt Schule programme play in public tenders?
The DigitalPakt Schule (and its successor programme) has triggered investments worth billions in digital school infrastructure in Germany, all of which are subject to procurement law. Tenders have covered Wi-Fi, end devices, learning platforms and administration.

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