NACE 94 – Activities of Membership Organisations | Public Tenders

NACE 94 Membership organisations: Business associations, trade unions and other organisations in public tenders. CPV codes and procurement procedures.

Definition: NACE 94 covers the activities of membership organisations, professional associations, trade unions and other organisations that represent and promote the interests of their members vis-à-vis third parties. These organisations are relevant in public procurement both as contracting authorities and as possible contractors for consultancy services.

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

What does NACE 94 cover?

NACE 94 (Activities of membership organisations) classifies associations, trade unions and organisations of all kinds — an area in public procurement that appears primarily as a contracting authority for conference, training and communication services and as a recipient of public funding.

Division 94 within Section S (Other services) is broken down into three groups:

Group	Title	Typical services
94.1	Activities of business, employers and professional membership organisations	Representation of interests, industry information, standardisation, certification
94.2	Activities of trade unions	Collective bargaining, member care, legal advice for employees
94.9	Activities of other membership organisations	Political parties, religious organisations, sports federations, environmental organisations

Public contracting authorities procure from associations and organisations in particular memberships, standardisation services, training and certification services.

Public Tenders: Activity area NACE 94

Public contracts involving membership organisations touch on an area in which the boundaries between membership, service and subsidy are fluid — what is relevant for procurement law is the procurement of services, not membership fees.

Typical types of contract

Standardisation services: Public contracting authorities commission standardisation organisations (DIN, ÖNORM, CEN) to develop technical standards
Certification and accreditation: Associations operating certification bodies sometimes award these services publicly
Training and continuing education: Professional associations deliver mandatory training for civil servants
Consultancy services: Associations are commissioned for their industry expertise
Conference organisation: Specialist associations take on conference management for public institutions
Public relations: Non-profit organisations are commissioned for communication campaigns in the public interest

Relevant CPV codes for NACE 94

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
75112100	Administrative services of economic-promotion programmes	Funding administration, programme delivery
80500000	Training services	Training, seminars, continuing education by associations
79411000	General management consultancy services	Strategy consultancy by association experts
79952000	Event services	Conferences, meetings, member events
73200000	Research and development consultancy services	Industry research, studies
72316000	Data analysis services	Industry statistics, market analyses

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

For contracting authorities and bidders

Public contracting authorities

Associations and organisations in the NACE 94 sector more frequently appear in procurement as contracting authorities than as bidders. Where associations are financed with public funds (e.g. social partners in Austria, statutory interest-representation organisations), they may themselves be subject to procurement law. Ministries and authorities procure specific industry knowledge, standardisation services and certifications from associations.

Companies and bidders

Associations and organisations acting as contractors of public contracts typically need to provide the following evidence:

Legal status and non-profit status: Statute, association register entry or corporate status
Industry expertise: Evidence of professional competence in the relevant area
Certification accreditation: For certification services: accreditation by the national accreditation body (DAkkS, Akkreditierung Austria)
Independence: For consultancy services, evidence of the absence of conflicts of interest

Frequently asked questions on NACE 94 and public tenders

Which organisations fall under NACE 94?
Chambers of commerce, craft associations, trade unions, political parties, religious organisations, sports and cultural associations, environmental organisations and professional associations of all kinds. The demarcation from NACE 85 (educational institutions) lies in the fact that NACE 94 places the membership organisation at the forefront.

Are membership fees to associations subject to procurement law?
No — membership fees are not procurement transactions and are not subject to procurement law. The situation is different for specific services that an association provides in return for payment (training, opinions, consultancy) — these must be tendered above the thresholds.

Can associations act as bidding consortia?
Yes — associations and their member companies can form bidding consortia, provided this is not impermissible under competition law. It must be ensured that the internal allocation of tasks is clearly regulated and that no anti-competitive exchange of information takes place.

Navigation: NACE 94 in context

NACE S – Other Services: Parent section
NACE 85 – Education: Educational institutions and schools
NACE 95 – Repair of computers and personal and household goods: Repair services
NACE 96 – Other personal service activities: Other personal services

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