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What is CPV? Common Procurement Vocabulary explained
The Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV) provides a single classification system for public procurement. It standardises the references that contracting authorities and entities use to describe the subject of procurement contracts.
What is the Common Procurement Vocabulary?
The Common Procurement Vocabulary consists of a main vocabulary, which defines the subject of a contract, and a supplementary vocabulary, which adds extra qualitative detail. Every main code covers a specific category of supplies, works or services, so contracting authorities and suppliers can describe and search for the same contract using one shared reference instead of free-text descriptions that vary by country or language.
Current CPV codes and documents
The version of the CPV in force today was adopted by Regulation (EC) No. 213/2008 and has applied since 17 September 2008; it's commonly referred to as CPV 2008. The European Commission maintains the code lists, and TED, the EU's official procurement portal, publishes the reference documents and guidance you'll find linked below.
How to read a CPV code
The main vocabulary is organised as a tree with codes of up to nine digits. The first eight digits narrow the subject step by step, from a broad division down to a precise category, and the ninth digit — shown after a hyphen — is a check digit used to verify the rest of the code. The more digits two codes share, the more closely related the underlying products or services are.
- The first two digits identify divisions (XX000000-Y).
- The first three digits identify groups (XXX00000-Y).
- The first four digits identify classes (XXXX0000-Y).
- The first five digits identify categories (XXXXX000-Y).
Each of the last three classification digits adds precision within the category. The ninth digit, shown after the hyphen, is the check digit.
What is the supplementary vocabulary?
The supplementary vocabulary adds detail that the main vocabulary alone can't capture, such as the specific nature, shape, quantity or intended use of the goods, works or services in a contract. It uses alphanumeric codes drawn from sections covering materials, shapes, functions and other attributes, and it's typically added alongside a main code rather than used on its own. See the supplementary codes explanatory notes below for the full list of sections and attributes.
How to choose a CPV code for a contract notice
Contracting authorities should choose the code that describes the intended purchase as precisely as possible, since this is what suppliers use to find the notice. Several codes may be relevant to a single contract, but one main CPV code must identify its primary subject; additional codes can cover secondary supplies, works or services. If no code is precise enough, choose the closest division, group, class or category — these more general codes can be recognised by their greater number of trailing zeros.
How to use CPV codes to find tenders
On Tenderwell, open the Sectors filter in tender search to explore procurement categories built on CPV codes. You can search by a specific code, a code prefix, or a sector name, and select the categories that match what your business sells. Combining a sector filter with a keyword or location filter usually narrows results to the tenders most relevant to you.
- Start with what you sell. Search for the goods, services or works you provide, then inspect the matching categories before selecting them.
- If the results are too narrow, try a broader sector or add related categories. Compare the results with a keyword search to spot opportunities you may have missed.
- Read each tender’s description and documents. A category match is a starting point; check the scope, location, deadline and eligibility requirements before deciding whether to bid.
Examples of CPV codes by sector
The CPV's main vocabulary groups everything into 45 broad divisions. A few you'll see often on tender notices:
- 45000000 — Construction work
- 72000000 — IT services: consulting, software development, internet and support
- 79000000 — Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment and security
- 33000000 — Medical equipment, pharmaceuticals and personal care products
- 80000000 — Education and training services
- 90000000 — Sewage, refuse, cleaning and environmental services
Explore procurement sectors
Tenderwell uses CPV codes to power sector-based search across the platform. In tender search, the Sectors filter lets you narrow results to the categories that match what you sell; in organization search, the same sectors let you find companies and contracting authorities active in a given category, so you can research competitors, partners or potential clients.
Once you've built a search that works, save it so you don't have to rebuild it every time, or turn it into an alert to get notified by email as soon as a new tender matching your sectors, keywords and other filters is published — no need to check back manually.
Not every contracting authority tags its notices with a CPV code. When a tender is published without one, Tenderwell's platform classifies it automatically using AI and statistical models trained on historical procurement data, so it still appears under the right sector instead of being missed by sector-based searches.