NACE 87.1 – Residential Nursing Care Activities | Public Tenders
NACE 87.1: Nursing homes in public tenders. CPV codes, contracting authorities and contracts for nursing beds, care software and catering.
Definition: NACE 87.1 covers residential nursing care facilities that, under medical supervision, provide care and support services for people in need of care: nursing homes, residential homes for the elderly with a nursing focus, and long-term care facilities. This group is a significant contracting authority for nursing equipment, catering services and construction works.
Legal basis: NACE Rev. 2 (Regulation (EC) No 1893/2006) · Last updated: January 2026
What does NACE 87.1 cover?
NACE 87.1 (Residential nursing care activities) classifies institutions providing residential care with a medical and nursing focus — a sector with growing demand for public investment and high procurement intensity.
Group 87.1 within Section Q (Human health and social work activities) and Division 87 (Residential care activities) includes:
| Class | Title | Typical institutions |
|---|---|---|
| 87.10 | Residential nursing care activities | Nursing homes for the elderly, long-term care facilities, nursing wards, facilities for people with disabilities in need of care |
Contracting authorities under NACE 87.1 are municipal and state-owned nursing homes, non-profit operators with a public service mandate (Caritas, Diakonie, AWO), nursing homes operated by social security institutions, and state nursing facility companies.
Public Tenders: Activity area NACE 87.1
Nursing homes in public or non-profit ownership regularly tender contracts for nursing equipment, catering, construction and digital infrastructure — with rising volumes driven by demographic developments and quality requirements.
Typical types of contract
- Nursing beds and care accessories: Electrically adjustable nursing beds, stand-up aids, bed rails, anti-decubitus mattresses, wheelchairs and transfer aids
- Nursing software and documentation systems: Care documentation software (PDok), resident management systems, electronic care planning, scheduling software
- Catering and kitchen technology: Cook-and-chill systems, food distribution trolleys, meal ordering systems, catering services, dietary catering
- New build and refurbishment of care facilities: Nursing-home construction, accessibility conversions, fire-safety upgrades, lift systems, dementia-friendly design
- Laundry and hygiene supply: Home laundry, flat linen, protective clothing, incontinence products
- Security and call systems: Nurse-call systems, fall sensors, dementia wandering protection, emergency call wristband systems
- Medical care in nursing homes: Wound-care products, dressing materials, medication dispensing devices, inhalation devices
Thresholds and procurement procedures
Nursing-home construction projects regularly exceed the EU works threshold (EUR 5,538,000) and must be tendered EU-wide. Supply contracts for nursing beds or IT systems can exceed the supply threshold (EUR 221,000) when procured centrally for several facilities. Services such as catering can be treated as social services with the elevated threshold (EUR 750,000).
Relevant CPV codes for NACE 87.1
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.
| CPV code | Title | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| 33192000 | Medical furniture | Nursing beds, bedside cabinets, care chairs |
| 33196200 | Devices for the disabled | Walking frames, wheelchairs, walking aids |
| 48180000 | Medical software package | Care documentation, resident management |
| 55321000 | Meal-preparation services | Catering, meal supply |
| 45215212 | Construction work for retirement homes | New build, refurbishment, conversion |
| 85311100 | Welfare services for the elderly | Outpatient and inpatient care services |
Current tenders with these CPV codes are available on TED (Tenders Electronic Daily) and on national procurement platforms.
Who is NACE 87.1 relevant to under procurement law?
Public contracting authorities
In Austria, nursing homes operated by states, municipalities or non-profit organisations with a public service mandate are subject to procurement obligations. State funds (e.g. Wiener Fonds Soziales Wien, Salzburger Pflegefonds) coordinate tenders centrally. In Germany, municipal and faith-based nursing homes are subject to GWB procurement law where there is a majority of public financing. The BAGFW operators (Caritas, Diakonie, AWO, DRK, Paritätischer) hold a special position.
Companies and bidders
Suppliers and service providers for the nursing-home sector need:
- Product compliance: CE marking for medical devices (MDR), EN standards for nursing beds (EN 60601-2-52), food-law approvals for catering
- Sector experience: Reference evidence on comparable supplies or services in care facilities
- Hygiene requirements: HACCP concepts for food services, hygiene evidence for laundries
- Economic stability: Sufficient insurance cover, evidence of business continuity
NACE 87.1 in context: Section Q and Division 87
NACE 87.1 is part of Division 87 (Residential care activities) — the central area for inpatient care and residential-care facilities in public procurement.
- NACE Q – Human Health and Social Work Activities: Parent section with all health and social services
- NACE 87 – Residential care activities: Division with nursing, care and elderly homes
- NACE 87.2 – Facilities for people with mental health conditions and disabilities: Specialised residential care
- NACE 87.3 – Residential care for the elderly: Elderly homes without nursing focus
- NACE 88.1 – Outpatient care for the elderly: Social care without accommodation
Frequently asked questions on NACE 87.1 and public tenders
What distinguishes NACE 87.1 from NACE 87.3?
NACE 87.1 covers nursing homes with a nursing and medical focus under medical supervision. NACE 87.3 covers facilities for the elderly in which social care and assisted living are at the forefront, without necessarily intensive nursing requirements.
How are nursing beds typically tendered?
Nursing beds are frequently tendered as framework agreements for operators with multiple facilities. Award criteria include not only price but also equipment features (motorisation, safety systems), delivery times, maintenance service and spare-parts availability.
What specific features apply to the tendering of nursing software?
Care documentation software must have interfaces to cash-register systems, electronic health records (eGA/EPA) and social insurance billing systems. Tenders increasingly require open standards (HL7 FHIR) and data migration options on system change.
Can smaller nursing homes tender jointly?
Yes. Joint procurement by purchasing groups or central procurement bodies (e.g. municipal service companies) is permissible and recommended to bundle thresholds meaningfully and to share procurement costs.
Last updated: January 2026
All information is provided without guarantee. For legally binding advice, please consult a law firm specialising in public procurement law.
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