Códigos CPV: el lenguaje de clasificación de la contratación pública

Every public contract published in Belgium or across Europe is assigned one or more CPV codes. CPV stands for Common Procurement Vocabulary — the standardised classification system of the European Union that describes the subject of a contract unambiguously, regardless of the language of the notice.

As a contractor competing for public contracts, CPV codes are your most important search key. They determine which contracts you see in e-Notification, in TED, and in monitoring tools like TenderWolf. A poorly configured CPV profile means you miss relevant contracts.

Why do CPV codes exist?

Before the introduction of the CPV, each EU country used its own classification system for public contracts. A Belgian construction company looking for a contract in France had to know the local nomenclature. This made cross-border tendering unnecessarily complex.

The CPV solves this. The system is available in all official EU languages and provides a uniform structure that is identical in every country. Since 1 February 2006, the use of CPV codes has been mandatory for all European and Belgian procurements. The current version stems from Regulation (EC) No 213/2008, in effect since 17 September 2008.

The structure: 8 digits + 1 check digit

A CPV code consists of eight digits followed by a check digit, separated by a hyphen. The hierarchy runs from broad to specific:

The ninth digit (after the hyphen) is solely a check digit and plays no role in classification.

There are over 9,000 codes in the main vocabulary, divided across 45 divisions. Divisions 03 to 44 cover supplies, 45 covers works, and 48 to 98 cover services — although some overlap exists.

Supplementary vocabulary

In addition to the main vocabulary, there is a supplementary vocabulary for adding extra characteristics. These codes consist of a letter (the section) followed by four digits. Sections A to M relate to product properties (material, function, dimensions), while sections P to U relate to services.

For example: a contract for office furniture (39130000-2) with supplementary code DA18 (for recycled material) clarifies that the contract concerns office furniture made from recycled materials.

In practice, the supplementary vocabulary is used less frequently. Most contracting authorities limit themselves to the main vocabulary. However, it can be useful to take it into account when setting up search profiles.

How does a contracting authority choose the right CPV code?

The contracting authority must select a main CPV code when publishing a contract that best describes the main subject. For contracts divided into lots, each lot receives its own main CPV code. Additionally, the authority may add supplementary CPV codes describing secondary parts of the contract.

TED (Tenders Electronic Daily) checks whether the chosen main CPV code matches the contract type (works, supplies or services). An incorrect combination — e.g. a supply CPV code for a contract marked as works — will be rejected.

The European Commission recommends choosing the most specific code possible. A code at division level (e.g. 45000000 “Construction work”) is too vague and misleading for potential tenderers. A code at category or subcategory level is more informative and leads to better matchmaking.

How to use CPV codes as a contractor

Setting up search profiles

In e-Notification and monitoring tools like TenderWolf, you set up search profiles based on CPV codes. Some guidelines:

Don’t search too broadly. If you are an electrician searching on division 45 (all construction work), you will get thousands of irrelevant contracts. Search instead on class 45310000 (electrical installation work) or category 45311000 (wiring and fitting installation work).

Don’t search too narrowly. An overly specific code (e.g. 45311200 for fittings only) may cause you to miss contracts that are formulated more broadly. It is often wise to search at class level and optionally set up a second profile at category level.

Combine multiple codes. Many companies are active in multiple domains. Create a separate search profile for each domain with the relevant CPV codes.

Common mistakes

Relying solely on CPV codes. Not all contracting authorities choose the most appropriate code. A contract for security cameras might be classified under 32323500 (video surveillance systems), but also under 35125300 (security cameras) or even under a broader IT code. Therefore, always search by keywords in addition to CPV codes.

Ignoring the supplementary vocabulary. Although used less frequently, the supplementary vocabulary may contain relevant contracts you would otherwise miss.

Outdated profiles. Your activities evolve. Check your search profiles at least annually and add new CPV codes when you offer new services or products.

The most commonly used CPV divisions

To give you an initial orientation, here are the most common divisions:

CPV codes in TenderWolf

TenderWolf makes extensive use of CPV codes for matchmaking. When setting up your profile, you select the CPV codes that match your activities. The system then automatically matches new contracts with your profile — but goes a step further than e-Notification. TenderWolf combines CPV matchmaking with text analysis of specification documents, so you also find contracts that are relevant in content but have been placed by the authority under a less obvious CPV code.

Sources

• CPV — TED/SIMAP (official EU search interface)
• Common procurement vocabulary — EUR-Lex
• Regulation (EC) No 213/2008 — EUR-Lex
• CPV codes — PIANOo
• CPV code search engine — Europa Decentraal