NACE I – Accommodation and Food Service Activities | Public Tenders

NACE I: Accommodation and food service in public tenders. Catering, hotel services and community catering — CPV codes and contracting authorities.

Definition: NACE Section I covers the provision of accommodation as well as the supply of food and beverages. In public procurement, catering and community catering services for public institutions, conference hotels and overnight accommodation are particularly relevant.

What does NACE I cover?

Division	Title	Brief description
55	Accommodation	Hotels, guesthouses, youth hostels, camping sites
56	Food and beverage service activities	Restaurants, snack bars, caterers, canteen operations

Public Tenders in Accommodation and Food Service

The accommodation and food service sector enters public procurement primarily as a provider of catering and accommodation services for public institutions. Hospitals, schools, care homes, barracks and correctional facilities regularly require catering services.

Typical Contract Types

Community catering (catering): Catering in schools, kindergartens, hospitals, care homes and barracks
Canteen operation: Operation of staff canteens for authorities and public undertakings
Event catering: Catering for public events, conferences and receptions
Hotel services for business travel: Framework agreements for overnight accommodation during official travel
Conference room hire: Rental of conference and seminar rooms in hotels and conference centres
School catering: Lunches for compulsory schools, all-day care provision

Thresholds

Service contracts for catering and canteen operation from EUR 221,000 are subject to EU-wide tendering. Hotel services and conference rooms may, as accommodation and conference services, be subject to specific procurement rules.

Common CPV Codes

CPV Code	Title	Scope
55500000	Canteen and catering services	Community catering
55510000	Canteen services	Staff canteen operation
55520000	Catering services	Event catering
55100000	Hotel services	Business-travel accommodation
55300000	Restaurant and food-serving services	Authority catering
55110000	Hotel accommodation services	Conferences, seminars

Contracting Authorities

Hospitals and care institutions: Patient catering, staff canteens
Schools and kindergartens: Lunch catering, break-time service
Federal ministries and authorities: Canteen operation, business-travel framework agreements
Armed forces and police: Troop catering in barracks
Correctional facilities: Inmate catering
Universities: Mensa and cafeteria operation (Austrian Mensa AG, student services)

FAQ

What tenders are available for catering businesses? Catering businesses find contracts in school catering, hospitals and authority canteens. Tenders typically involve multi-year contracts (3–5 years) with defined quality and nutritional standards (e.g. organic share, allergen labelling). Relevant CPV codes: 55500000, 55520000.

Are tenders available for small catering operators? Smaller contracts such as event catering or school catering for individual sites are often accessible to SMEs. Through division into lots, larger catering programmes can be split into manageable units. Quality evidence (HACCP plan, food hygiene) is always mandatory.

How are hotel services procured for authorities? Authorities often conclude framework agreements with hotel groups or use central booking platforms of the federal procurement agencies (BBG, BeschA). Individual overnight stays are usually not subject to a tendering obligation, since the thresholds are not reached.

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