NACE B – Mining and Quarrying | Public Tenders

NACE B: Mining and raw material extraction in public tenders. Relevant CPV codes, contracting authorities and contract types in the mining sector.

Definition: NACE Section B covers the extraction of natural raw materials from the earth — including coal, crude petroleum, natural gas, metal ores, stone, sand and other minerals. In public procurement, mining services, mineral supplies for road construction and exploration services are the most relevant areas.

What does NACE B cover?

Division	Title	Brief description
05	Mining of coal and lignite	Hard coal and lignite extraction
06	Extraction of crude petroleum and natural gas	Production of liquid and gaseous hydrocarbons
07	Mining of metal ores	Iron ore and non-ferrous metal ore extraction
08	Other mining and quarrying	Natural stone, gravel, sand, clay, salt
09	Mining support service activities	Drilling, deposit testing, mine operation

Public Tenders in Mining and Raw Material Extraction

In the mining sector, the state acts primarily as a regulator and concession grantor rather than a classic contracting authority. Nonetheless, public tenders arise in adjacent areas: the supply of building materials for public infrastructure projects, drilling and exploration services, and waste-disposal services for mining residues.

Typical Contract Types

Building material supplies: Crushed stone, gravel and sand for road and civil engineering projects
Drilling and exploration services: Geotechnical investigations for infrastructure projects (tunnels, foundations)
Mining services: Operation and maintenance of state-owned mining facilities, mine safety services
Remediation services: Clean-up of contaminated mining sites, slag heap stabilisation
Salt and mineral supplies: De-icing salt for winter services, specialist minerals for public laboratories

Thresholds

Supply contracts from EUR 221,000 and service contracts from EUR 221,000 (central contracting authorities: EUR 143,000) must be tendered EU-wide. Works contracts with mining-related scope (e.g. tunnel construction) are subject to the EUR 5,538,000 threshold.

Common CPV Codes

CPV Code	Title	Scope
14000000	Mining, basic metals and related products	General mineral supplies
14210000	Gravel, sand, crushed stone and aggregates	Building materials for civil engineering
14600000	Metal ores and alloys	Ore supplies
45500000	Hire of construction and civil engineering machinery and equipment	Mining machinery for public works
71351500	Geological investigation services	Exploration drilling, deposit testing
90523000	Toxic-waste disposal services	Disposal of overburden and mining residues

Contracting Authorities

Road and civil engineering authorities: Largest buyers of crushed stone, gravel and sand for infrastructure projects
Railway infrastructure operators: Demand for ballast (ÖBB, DB InfraGO)
Environmental and mining authorities: Award of exploration and remediation services
Energy utilities (utility contracting entities): Drilling and exploration services in the energy sector
Municipalities: De-icing salt for winter services, sands for municipal construction projects

FAQ

What tenders are available for aggregate suppliers? Crushed stone supplies (CPV 14210000) are regularly tendered by road construction agencies, railway infrastructure operators and municipalities. Tenders are often structured as multi-year framework agreements. Relevant platforms are TED for EU-wide procedures and national portals for sub-threshold awards.

Are mining companies active as bidders in public procurement? Yes, above all as suppliers of building materials and providers of drilling and exploration services. The company's NACE classification is not decisive — what counts is its capability for the specific subject-matter of the contract.

What are typical eligibility requirements in the mining sector? In addition to general eligibility evidence (authorisation, economic capacity), specific technical certifications, reference projects and quality assurance evidence (ISO 9001) are often required for drilling and exploration 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.