NACE S – Other Service Activities | Public Tenders

Definition: NACE S covers other service activities that cannot be assigned to any other section – including activities of membership organisations and religious associations, repair services for consumer goods, and personal services such as hairdressing, beauty treatment and cleaning. In public procurement, the section is mainly relevant through repair and maintenance services.

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

What does NACE S cover?

NACE S (Other service activities) classifies economic activities that are recorded separately because of their heterogeneous nature – from membership organisations through repair services to personal services.

Section S is broken down into three divisions:

In public procurement, Division 95 (repair and maintenance of equipment) and services from Division 96 (e.g. cleaning services in municipal baths) play the main role. Division 94 is relevant for commissioning associations with public-interest tasks.

Public Tenders: Scope of NACE S

Contracting authorities procure in the NACE S area primarily repair and maintenance services for equipment and personal services for municipal facilities.

Typical Contract Types

• IT repair and equipment service: Maintenance and repair of computers, printers and office equipment in authorities and schools
• Repair of domestic and kitchen appliances: Maintenance contracts for large kitchen appliances in municipal facilities, hospitals and schools
• Personal services in public institutions: Hairdressing services in care homes, bath operations and correctional institutions
• Funeral services: Municipal funeral services for indigent deceased persons (welfare burials)
• Cleaning and personal care: Laundry services and personal care in public social institutions
• Association services: Commissioning of sector associations with standardisation work or expert reports

Thresholds and Procedure Types

Service contracts in the NACE S area from EUR 221,000 are subject to EU-wide tendering. Many services in the personal services area fall under the special procurement rules for social and other specific services (Annex XIV of Directive 2014/24/EU) with the higher threshold of EUR 750,000. Contracts are frequently awarded under the open procedure or, in markets with few bidders, under the negotiated procedure.

Relevant CPV Codes for NACE S

CPV codes enable structured searches for tenders in the area of other service activities on procurement platforms such as TED.

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 are the main public contracting authorities in the NACE S area. They award repair and maintenance contracts for equipment in schools, administrative buildings and social institutions. Public order authorities award funeral services for indigent deceased persons. Public social institutions commission personal services such as hairdressing or laundry operations. When commissioning membership organisations, the law on grants must be distinguished from procurement law.

Companies and Bidders

Companies in the NACE S area – from repair workshops through hairdressing businesses to funeral directors – typically need to provide the following evidence in public tenders:

• Trade authorisation: Craftsman's licence, trade licence or concession (e.g. funeral business)
• Technical capability: Reference list of comparable public contracts, equipment inventories
• Economic capability: Annual turnover evidence, professional liability insurance
• Quality management: ISO 9001 or equivalent evidence for larger framework agreements

Frequently Asked Questions on NACE S and Public Tenders

Are services of membership organisations (Division 94) subject to tendering obligations?
Grants to associations for general association work are subject to grant law, not procurement law. Where associations are, however, specifically commissioned with concrete service or works performance (e.g. expert reports, standardisation work), procurement rules apply.

Does a special threshold apply to funeral services?
Funeral services count as social and specific services under Annex XIV of the EU procurement directive. The higher threshold of EUR 750,000 therefore applies to EU-wide tendering obligations. Below this, national procurement rules apply.

How are framework agreements for IT repair services structured?
IT repair and maintenance are often tendered as multi-year framework agreements. Call-off quantities, response times (SLA) and spare-part supply can be defined as award criteria. Division into lots by equipment type or location is customary.

Can small craft firms participate in repair tenders?
Yes – division into lots by equipment type or geographic region actively involves smaller bidders. Bidding consortia additionally enable participation without full in-house capacity.

• NACE R – Arts, Entertainment and Recreation: Previous section with cultural and leisure services
• NACE T – Activities of Households: Domestic staff and own use
• NACE 95 – Repair of consumer goods: IT and household-appliance repair division
• NACE 96 – Personal services: Hairdressing, body care, funeral 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.