NACE N – Administrative and Support Service Activities | Public Tenders

NACE N: Administrative and support services in public tenders. Security, cleaning, employment agencies — CPV codes and contracting authorities.

Definition: NACE Section N covers a wide range of support services for businesses and organisations, including rental and leasing, employment activities, travel agencies, security, building cleaning and office services. These services are tendered regularly and at scale by the public sector.

What does NACE N cover?

Division	Title	Brief description
77	Rental and leasing activities	Vehicle rental, machinery rental, equipment leasing
78	Employment activities	Recruitment, temporary employment, personnel leasing
79	Travel agency, tour operator and other reservation service activities	Business travel bookings, travel management
80	Security and investigation activities	Guarding, security services, alarm systems
81	Services to buildings and landscape activities	Cleaning, caretaker services, green-space maintenance
82	Office administrative, office support and other business support activities	Call centres, document management, debt collection

Public Tenders in Administrative and Support Services

NACE N is one of the most practically significant tender sections: almost every public institution procures cleaning services, security services and fleet leasing. These services feed directly into the ongoing operation of public institutions.

Typical Contract Types

Building cleaning: Routine cleaning, window cleaning and special cleaning for public properties
Guarding and security services: Object protection, reception services, mobile patrols for authorities and public institutions
Vehicle leasing and rental: Fleet leasing for authority vehicles, rental cars for business travel
Temporary work and personnel leasing: Temporary reinforcement of staff during peak periods in authorities
Green-space maintenance: Maintenance of parks, roadside vegetation, municipal gardens
Document management and archiving: Records management, digitisation, file destruction
Travel management: Business-travel bookings, corporate tickets for authority staff

Thresholds

Service contracts from EUR 221,000 (other contracting authorities) are subject to EU-wide tendering. Cleaning and security services for large properties regularly exceed this threshold.

Common CPV Codes

CPV Code	Title	Scope
90910000	Cleaning services	Routine cleaning, window cleaning
79710000	Security services	Guarding, reception
77310000	Planting and maintenance services of green areas	Green-space maintenance
79620000	Supply services of personnel including temporary staff	Temporary work, personnel leasing
79500000	Office-support services	Document management
71420000	Landscape architectural services	Garden design

Contracting Authorities

Federal authorities and ministries: Cleaning and guarding of federal buildings
Municipalities and regions: Green-space maintenance, cleaning of municipal facilities
Hospitals and care homes: Hygiene cleaning, security services
Schools and universities: Routine cleaning, green-space maintenance
Armed forces and police: Barracks guarding, cleaning, fleet rental

FAQ

What tenders are available for cleaning companies? Cleaning services for public buildings are regularly tendered as framework agreements. Requirements: evidence of technical equipment, reference contracts, quality management system (ISO 9001), where applicable environmental certification (ISO 14001). Division into lots by property or location is customary. CPV: 90910000 ff.

How are security services awarded? Guarding and security services are tendered by authorities and are subject to strict eligibility requirements: security trade authorisation (§ 34a GewO), reliability evidence for staff deployed, training records. Collective bargaining (BDSW collective agreement) and the minimum wage must be observed.

Can personnel-leasing firms participate in authority contracts? Yes, temporary work and personnel leasing for public institutions are admissible under procurement law. Requirements: valid temporary work licence (AÜG), evidence of compliance with collective agreements and minimum-wage legislation. Where need is frequent or permanent, a formal tendering procedure should be carried out.

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