NACE M – Professional, Scientific and Technical Activities | Public Tenders

NACE M: Professional and technical services in public tenders. Engineers, architects, consultancy — CPV codes and contracting authorities.

Definition: NACE Section M covers professional, scientific and technical activities requiring specific knowledge and skills. In public procurement, this section is particularly important through architect and engineering services, management consultancy, research contracts and advertising and marketing services.

What does NACE M cover?

Division	Title	Brief description
69	Legal and accounting activities	Lawyers, notaries, tax advisers, auditors
70	Activities of head offices; management consultancy activities	Management consultancy, holding companies
71	Architectural and engineering activities; technical testing and analysis	Planning, construction supervision, inspection engineers
72	Scientific research and development	Basic research, applied research, development
73	Advertising and market research	Advertising agencies, market research institutes
74	Other professional, scientific and technical activities	Translators, designers, photographers, expert appraisers
75	Veterinary activities	Vets, veterinary laboratories

Public Tenders in Professional and Technical Services

NACE M is one of the most diverse tender areas: every public construction project requires architect and engineering services, large authorities need management consultants, courts award legal advice, and authorities commission research institutions with studies.

Typical Contract Types

Architect services: Planning of public buildings (schools, administrative buildings, hospitals)
Engineering services: Structural engineering, building services planning, transport planning, bridge engineering
Expert reports and technical inspection: Ground reports, environmental impact assessments, expert appraisals
Legal advice: Procurement-law advice, contract drafting, litigation representation
Management consultancy: Administrative modernisation, organisational consultancy, strategy development
Research contracts: Studies, expert reports, applied research for ministries and authorities
Translation and interpreting services: Translations for authorities, court hearings

Thresholds

For service contracts in the professional services sector, the general EU threshold of EUR 221,000 applies. Architectural competitions may be conducted as design contests under RPW/WA. Research contracts may, under certain conditions, be excluded from procurement law.

Common CPV Codes

CPV Code	Title	Scope
71000000	Architectural, construction, engineering and inspection services	Planning services
71200000	Architectural services	Building design
71300000	Engineering services	Structural, building services, transport
73000000	Research and development services	Studies, expert reports, R&D
79000000	Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security	Organisational consultancy
79530000	Translation services	Authority translations

Contracting Authorities

Federal construction authorities and regional construction agencies: Architect and engineering services for public construction projects
Federal ministries: Studies, research contracts, management consultancy
Courts and public prosecutors: Expert services, translation
Universities and research institutions: R&D contracts, cooperative research
Highway authorities: Transport planning, engineering services for infrastructure projects

FAQ

How are architect services awarded publicly? Architect services can be tendered as service contracts (invited competition, open procedure) or as design contests (RPW/WA). For EU-relevant construction projects, a two-stage procedure (competition + subsequent award of the planning services) is often customary. Criteria: design quality, fee proposal, references.

What tenders are available for management consultancies? Authorities tender consultancy services for administrative modernisation, IT strategy, organisational development and process optimisation. Common CPV code: 79410000. Quality criteria such as concept, references and team qualifications often outweigh price.

Are research contracts subject to procurement law? Research contracts are subject to procurement law where the result accrues exclusively to the public contracting authority and the contracting authority pays the research work in full. R&D contracts where the contractor retains its own rights or can exploit the result on the market may be excluded from procurement law.

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