NACE 86.1 – Hospital Activities | Public Tenders

Definition: NACE 86.1 covers inpatient and specialised hospital care provided by general and specialist hospitals, psychiatric clinics and rehabilitation medical institutions. Hospitals are among the highest-volume contracting authorities in Europe's healthcare sector.

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

What does NACE 86.1 cover?

NACE 86.1 (Hospital activities) classifies institutions that provide inpatient medical care under medical supervision with nursing services and diagnostic services — one of the most procurement-intensive sectors in the public domain.

Group 86.1 within Section Q (Human health and social work activities) and Division 86 (Human health activities) is broken down into two classes:

Contracting authorities under NACE 86.1 are primarily municipal and university hospitals, state hospitals, hospital association operators (e.g. KAGes, Vinzenz Group, religious orders with public mandate), and federal institutions such as federal clinics (in Austria: Klinik Floridsdorf, Klinik Favoriten).

Public Tenders: Activity area NACE 86.1

Hospitals award contracts worth billions each year — from medical devices through construction and refurbishment to IT systems and services.

Typical types of contract

• Medical devices and medical technology: Procurement of imaging equipment (CT, MRI, X-ray), surgical robots, ventilators, infusion pumps and single-use products
• Hospital construction and refurbishment: New build and major refurbishment of ward buildings, operating-theatre wings, intensive care units and emergency departments
• Hospital IT and information systems: Hospital information systems (HIS), electronic patient records (EPR), PACS systems for radiology, communication systems
• Laboratory and diagnostics: Laboratory automation, laboratory information systems (LIS), reagents and consumables
• Sterilisation services and technology: Central sterile services (CSSD), sterilisation equipment, external sterilisation services
• Catering: Kitchen technology, meal distribution systems, dietary catering, catering services
• Laundry and cleaning: Hospital laundry, bed cleaning, building cleaning in line with hygiene regulations

Thresholds and procurement procedures

Supply contracts for medical devices and laboratory equipment frequently exceed the EU supply threshold (EUR 221,000 for public contracting authorities, as of 2024/2025). Works contracts regularly exceed the works threshold of EUR 5,538,000. These contracts must be tendered EU-wide on TED, usually via the open procedure or, where technically complex, via the competitive dialogue.

Relevant CPV codes for NACE 86.1

CPV codes (Common Procurement Vocabulary) form the bridge between the NACE classification and the tender search — they must be stated in every notice published on TED.

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

Who is NACE 86.1 relevant to under procurement law?

Public contracting authorities

Publicly operated hospitals are classic contracting authorities within the meaning of procurement law. In Austria, hospitals in public ownership are subject to BVergG 2018. In Germany, municipal hospitals and university clinics are subject to the procurement law under GWB. Privately operated hospitals with predominantly public financing can also be classified as utility contracting authorities.

Companies and bidders

Companies participating in tenders in the hospital segment typically need to provide the following evidence of suitability:

• Authorisations: CE marking for medical devices (MDR 2017/745), GMP certification for pharmaceuticals, trade authorisation for construction and IT
• Technical capacity: Reference lists with comparable hospital projects, manufacturer certifications, service records
• Economic capacity: Annual turnover, product liability insurance with sufficient coverage
• Quality assurance: ISO 13485 (medical devices), ISO 9001, ISO 27001 for IT systems

NACE 86.1 in context: Section Q and Division 86

NACE 86.1 is part of Division 86 (Human health activities) within Section Q — the central section for health and social services in the public sector.

• NACE Q – Human Health and Social Work Activities: Parent section with all health and social services
• NACE 86 – Human health activities: Division with hospitals, medical practices and other health services
• NACE 86.2 – Medical and dental practice activities: Outpatient medical care, health centres
• NACE 86.9 – Other human health activities: Laboratory services, physiotherapy, ambulance services

Frequently asked questions on NACE 86.1 and public tenders

Which businesses fall under NACE 86.1?
All institutions that predominantly provide inpatient hospital care: general hospitals, specialist clinics (e.g. eye clinics, orthopaedic clinics), psychiatric hospitals and rehabilitation clinics with an inpatient focus.

How do I find current tenders for the hospital sector?
EU-wide tenders are available on TED via a CPV search (e.g. 33100000 for medical technology, 45215000 for hospital construction). In Austria, the tender database of the BMöDS provides a national overview, in Germany the DTVP and Bund.de.

Must private hospitals tender publicly?
Purely privately financed hospitals are in principle not subject to procurement law. Hospitals with predominantly public financing (e.g. state subsidies, statutory health insurance) can, however, be classified as contracting authorities — this must be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

What special features apply to medical devices in tenders?
Medical devices are subject to the EU Medical Devices Regulation (MDR 2017/745). Contracting authorities must ensure that the products required are CE-certified. For innovative medical technology, the competitive dialogue or the innovation partnership is frequently used.

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