NACE C – Manufacturing | Public Tenders

NACE C: Manufacturing in public tenders. Which supply contracts, CPV codes and contracting authorities are relevant to industrial suppliers?

Definition: NACE Section C covers the mechanical, physical or chemical transformation of materials, substances or components into new products. With 24 divisions, it is the largest section of the NACE classification and represents the principal supply area of public procurement for goods of every kind — from food and medical devices to vehicles and machinery.

What does NACE C cover?

Division	Title	Brief description
10	Manufacture of food products	Meat, dairy, bakery, ready meals
11	Manufacture of beverages	Water, juices, alcoholic beverages
12	Manufacture of tobacco products	Tobacco products
13	Manufacture of textiles	Yarns, fabrics, technical textiles
14	Manufacture of wearing apparel	Workwear, protective clothing
15	Manufacture of leather and related products	Leather goods, footwear
16	Manufacture of wood and of products of wood	Wooden building components, wooden furniture
17	Manufacture of paper and paper products	Printing paper, packaging
18	Printing and reproduction of recorded media	Printed materials, forms
19	Manufacture of coke and refined petroleum products	Fuels, lubricants
20	Manufacture of chemicals and chemical products	Detergents, chemicals
21	Manufacture of basic pharmaceutical products	Medicines, vaccines
22	Manufacture of rubber and plastic products	Pipes, seals, plastic containers
23	Manufacture of other non-metallic mineral products	Building materials, tiles, cement
24	Manufacture of basic metals	Steel, aluminium, semi-finished products
25	Manufacture of fabricated metal products	Structures, containers, tools
26	Manufacture of computer, electronic and optical products	IT hardware, computers, electronics
27	Manufacture of electrical equipment	Cables, switchgear, lighting
28	Manufacture of machinery and equipment n.e.c.	Industrial machinery, pumps, lifts
29	Manufacture of motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers	Vehicles, commercial vehicles
30	Manufacture of other transport equipment	Rail vehicles, ships, aircraft
31	Manufacture of furniture	Office and institutional furniture
32	Other manufacturing	Medical devices, sports goods, toys
33	Repair and installation of machinery and equipment	Maintenance and repair of technical installations

Public Tenders in Manufacturing

Manufacturing is the largest supplier base for the public sector. Almost every public institution sources goods from NACE C industries: from medicines for hospitals to vehicles for authorities and IT hardware for administrations.

Typical Contract Types

Vehicle procurement: Operational vehicles for police, fire and rescue services; commercial vehicles for municipalities; electric vehicles for authorities
IT hardware: Computers, servers, printers and network components for public administrations and schools
Medical devices and medicines: Hospital procurement of single-use materials, implants and medicines
Office equipment: Furniture, office supplies and printed materials for public institutions
Clothing and protective equipment: Service uniforms for police, military and fire brigades; PPE for public operations
Building materials and technical products: Cement, steel and pipes for infrastructure projects
Food supplies: Catering for schools, barracks, hospitals and correctional facilities

Thresholds

Supply contracts of central contracting authorities from EUR 143,000, and of other contracting authorities from EUR 221,000, must be tendered EU-wide (2024/2025).

Common CPV Codes

CPV Code	Title	Scope
33000000	Medical equipments, pharmaceuticals and personal care products	Hospitals, rescue services
30000000	Office and computing machinery, equipment and supplies	IT hardware, printers, copiers
34100000	Motor vehicles	Service and operational vehicles
18100000	Occupational clothing, special workwear and accessories	Uniforms, protective clothing
15000000	Food, beverages, tobacco and related products	Community catering
44000000	Construction structures and materials	Building materials, metal structures

Contracting Authorities

Central procurement agencies: BBG (Austria), BeschA/KdB (Germany) as central buyers of goods for federal authorities
Hospitals and healthcare facilities: Largest buyers of medical devices and pharmaceuticals
Schools and universities: IT hardware, office equipment, teaching materials
Police and military: Vehicles, clothing, equipment
Municipalities and utility companies: Vehicles, technical installations, building materials

FAQ

What tenders are available for clothing and textile manufacturers? Uniforms and service clothing for the police, armed forces, fire brigades and public utilities are regularly tendered EU-wide. Key CPV codes: 18100000, 18200000, 18300000. Typical requirements: quality evidence, reference projects, and where applicable certifications (OEKO-TEX, bluesign).

How can pharmaceutical companies participate in public tenders? Medicine supplies are tendered by hospitals, university clinics and central healthcare buyers (e.g. AGES Pharmamed, statutory health insurers). Dynamic purchasing systems (DPS) are increasingly used in the pharmaceutical sector. Relevant CPV codes: 33600000 ff.

Does the NACE classification serve as evidence of eligibility for supply contracts? No, the NACE classification is a statistical attribute. What matters for eligibility are product certifications, reference deliveries and economic capacity.

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