NACE R – Arts, Entertainment and Recreation | Public Tenders

Definition: NACE R covers all economic activities in the field of arts, entertainment and recreation – from creative and performing arts through libraries, museums and gambling to sports facilities, amusement parks and recreational facilities. The section is one of the most culturally significant in public procurement.

Legal basis: NACE Rev. 2 (Regulation (EC) No 1893/2006) · Last updated: January 2026

What does NACE R cover?

NACE R (Arts, entertainment and recreation) classifies undertakings and institutions that provide cultural, sporting and leisure-related services – an area in which contracting authorities act both as operators and as buyers.

Section R is broken down into four divisions:

Public contracting authorities in this section are primarily municipalities, regions, cultural authorities, municipal leisure operators, public-service broadcasters and cultural institutions in public ownership.

Public Tenders: Scope of NACE R

Culture, sport and leisure are traditionally heavily publicly funded areas – contracting authorities award contracts both for the construction and operation of facilities and for cultural services and events.

Typical Contract Types

• Cultural building works and refurbishment: New build and renovation of theatres, concert halls, museums and library buildings
• Sports infrastructure: Construction and operation of swimming pools, sports halls, stadiums and sports grounds
• Cultural services: Exhibition design, curatorial services, restoration of artworks
• Event management: Organisation of municipal cultural events, town festivals, public concerts
• IT and digitalisation: Library management systems, digital archiving, online ticketing systems
• Operator models: Concessions for leisure pools, amusement parks or sports facilities

Thresholds and Procedure Types

Service contracts in the field of culture and sport are subject to EU-wide tendering from EUR 221,000 (classical contracting authority, 2024/2025). For social and specific services under Annex XIV of Directive 2014/24/EU, a higher threshold of EUR 750,000 applies. Cultural services are frequently awarded under the negotiated procedure or as a design contest pursuant to § 78 ff. GWB.

Relevant CPV Codes for NACE R

CPV codes enable targeted searches for tenders in the field of arts, culture and recreation on European and national procurement platforms.

Current tenders with these CPV codes can be found on TED (Tenders Electronic Daily) and on national procurement platforms.

For Contracting Authorities and Bidders

Public Contracting Authorities

Municipalities and regions are the dominant contracting authorities in the NACE R area. They operate theatres, museums, libraries and swimming pools either as in-house operations or award operating services to private third parties. Cultural institutions in public ownership – such as state operas or regional museums – independently award procurement contracts for stage equipment, restoration or IT systems. When awarding cultural services, the principle of artistic freedom must be observed, which sometimes constrains strict tendering obligations.

Companies and Bidders

Companies in the NACE R area – from cultural agencies through sports facility operators to restoration workshops – must typically provide the following evidence in public tenders:

• Professional capability: Reference lists of comparable cultural or sporting projects, artistic CV for creative services
• Economic capability: Annual turnover evidence, insurance certificates (in particular event organiser liability)
• Certifications: ISO 9001 for standardisable services, sector-specific quality evidence
• Concession procedures: For operator models, the rules of concession procurement law apply (§§ 97 ff. GWB in conjunction with KonzVgV)

Frequently Asked Questions on NACE R and Public Tenders

Which cultural services are exempt from the tendering obligation?
Services protected by artistic freedom (Article 5(3) of the Basic Law) and in which the creative-artistic character is paramount may, under certain circumstances, be awarded under the negotiated procedure without prior call for competition. This applies only to the genuinely artistic core – construction, technology and logistics are subject to the regular procurement obligations.

How are concessions for leisure pools or sports facilities awarded?
Operator concessions for municipal facilities must be tendered EU-wide from a threshold of EUR 5,538,000 under the Concession Award Ordinance (KonzVgV). Below this, national budgetary principles and the transparency principle apply.

Can small cultural institutions participate in EU-wide tenders?
Yes – particularly where the award is divided into lots. The requirement to divide into lots is intended to involve SMEs, including small cultural undertakings, in public contracts.

Which platforms are particularly relevant for cultural tenders?
In addition to TED, national platforms such as DTVP, Vergabe.NRW and the Austrian contracting authority database (data.gv.at) are relevant. Specialist cultural authorities also publish tenders directly on their websites.

• NACE S – Other Services: Interest representation, repair, personal services
• NACE Q – Human Health and Social Work: Parent area of social services
• NACE 90 – Creative activities: Theatre, art, concerts division
• NACE 91 – Libraries and museums: Archives, museums, zoos division
• NACE 93 – Sports and recreation: Sports facilities, amusement parks division

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