NACE 87.2 – Residential Care Activities for Psychosocial Support | Public Tenders

Definition: NACE 87.2 covers residential facilities for psychosocial support, in particular psychiatric clinics, addiction treatment facilities, facilities for people with intellectual disabilities and forensic facilities. These institutions are simultaneously service providers and procurers of publicly financed care services.

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

What does NACE 87.2 cover?

NACE 87.2 (Residential care activities for psychosocial support) classifies inpatient psychiatry, addiction and disability care facilities — areas dominated by public and non-profit operators and generating substantial procurement volumes.

Group 87.2 within Section Q (Human health and social work activities) and Division 87 is broken down into the following classes:

Typical contracting authorities include public psychiatric centres, municipal clinics with psychiatric departments, integration assistance centres and forensic facilities for preventive detention.

Public Tenders: Activity area NACE 87.2

Psychiatric facilities and residential homes for people with disabilities in public or non-profit ownership regularly procure supply services, medical devices, therapeutic products and infrastructure services.

Typical types of contract

• Catering: Kitchen operations, catering services for psychiatric wards and residential homes
• Laundry services: Workwear, bed linen, patient linen
• Medical devices and aids: Care aids, wheelchairs, communication aids for people with disabilities
• Therapeutic services: Occupational therapy, speech therapy, physiotherapy — where outsourced
• IT systems: Clinical information systems (CIS), electronic patient records, documentation systems
• Construction and refurbishment: Accessibility conversion, fire-safety refurbishment, security technology

Specific feature: social-law service agreements

The remuneration of services by social benefit providers (e.g. integration assistance under SGB IX) takes place through performance and remuneration agreements under social law — these are not subject to general procurement law. The procurement of operational and supply services by the facilities themselves, by contrast, is subject to procurement law.

Relevant CPV codes for NACE 87.2

Who is NACE 87.2 relevant to under procurement law?

Public contracting authorities

Psychiatric clinics and integration assistance facilities in public ownership are contracting authorities. The market is characterised by a high share of non-profit operators (Caritas, Diakonie, AWO) which, as private operators, are not subject to procurement law, but must often comply with comparable transparency requirements in the context of subsidies.

Companies and bidders

• Data protection: Particular protection of health and social data (Article 9 GDPR, § 203 StGB)
• Hygiene standards: Compliance with hygiene regulations (Infection Protection Act, KRINKO recommendations)
• Specialist personnel: Evidence of qualified specialist staff for therapeutic services
• References: Experience in psychiatric or disability facilities as a quality criterion

NACE 87.2 in context: Section Q and Division 87

• NACE Q – Human Health and Social Work Activities: Parent section
• NACE 87 – Residential care activities: Division
• NACE 87.1 – Residential nursing care activities: Nursing homes
• NACE 87.3 – Residential care for the elderly: Inpatient elderly care
• NACE 87.9 – Other residential care activities: Children's and youth homes

Frequently asked questions on NACE 87.2 and public tenders

Must psychiatric clinics tender their procurement? Psychiatric clinics in public ownership are, as contracting authorities, in principle obliged to tender, unless exemptions apply. The tender obligation applies to supply and service contracts, but not to social-law service agreements.

Are non-profit operators of psychiatric facilities subject to a tender obligation? Only if they qualify as "bodies governed by public law" within the meaning of procurement law (i.e. predominantly publicly financed and publicly controlled). In many cases, the case law denies this status for non-profit operators.

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