CPV Code Finder

Find the most relevant CPV codes for your public tender search

Discover the official classification of products, works and services used in European public procurement

What are CPV codes?

CPV codes (Common Procurement Vocabulary) are a standardized numerical classification used in European public procurement to identify products, works and services uniformly. Their main utility is to facilitate the search and comparison of public tenders in any European Union country without the need for translations or knowledge of the specific terminology of each contracting body.

Comparación con CNAE

To understand their function in Spain, a parallel can be drawn with CNAE codes, which also catalog economic activities, although they are not directly applied to public tenders.

Estructura Jerárquica

The hierarchical structure of CPV codes ranges from general categories to very specific subcategories, facilitating both search by companies and classification by public entities.

Structure of a CPV code: How do they work?

CPV codes consist of a structure of up to 9 digits that allows detailing with great precision the object of a contract. The more numbers the code has, the more specific the classification.

The structure breaks down as follows:

Division (2 digits)

First 2 digits: The division, which identifies the general sector (e.g. 45XXXXXX-X for construction work).

Group (3 digits)

First 3 digits: The group, which narrows down the type of work (e.g. 452XXXXX-X for complete or partial civil engineering work).

Class (4 digits)

First 4 digits: The class, which offers another level of detail (e.g. 4521XXXX-X for building construction).

Category (5 digits)

First 5 digits: The category, which specifies the object even more (e.g. 45213XXX-X for construction of commercial, storage and industrial buildings, and buildings related to transport).

Verification Digit

The code is detailed with the following digits until reaching the ninth, which is a verification digit. For example, within fuels, code 09000000-3 refers to petroleum and coal products, while 09111100-1 refers only to coal.

How to search for public tenders by CPV code

Searching by CPV codes is one of the most direct ways to find business opportunities in the public sector. To do this effectively, we recommend following these steps:

Identify your CPV codes

The first step is to know which codes correspond to your activity. You can explore the complete list to identify not only the main codes, but also the secondary ones that may be relevant to your company.

Use a specialized search engine

Once identified, the key is to use a tender platform like Tendios, which allows you to filter searches and create automatic alerts based on these codes.

Combine CPVs with keywords

This is the most important step. Relying solely on CPV codes to search for tenders is a common mistake that can make you lose many opportunities. As we will see in the next section, the use of CPVs in Spain is irregular, so a robust search strategy should always combine CPV codes with keywords relevant to your business.

CPV Classifications in Spain: Uses and Recommendations

Although the CPV system is a European standard, its application in Spain presents certain challenges that every bidding company should know:

Irregular use by administrations

A significant percentage of tender announcements do not include the CPV code, so if your search is limited to this code, you simply will not find those opportunities.

Assignment of generic or erroneous codes

On many occasions, public entities use very generic CPV codes instead of the specific one that best describes the contract. Other times, they even assign incorrect codes. If you only search by a very particular code, you may not find relevant tenders that have been catalogued with a more general code.

A closed and slow-updating list

The CPV vocabulary is a list that, although reviewed periodically, does not always have the agility to incorporate new categories of products or services that arise with market innovation.

💡 Recomendación de Expertos

Our expert recommendation: The safest and most effective strategy is to always use a combination of CPV codes and keywords in your alert system. This way you ensure you cover both well-classified tenders and those that are not.

Main CPV code categories

Total: 9454 CPVs

Access free +2,000,000 tenders today

You're just one click away.

For Bidders

Find more business opportunities

Start today

For Public Institutions

Optimize your procurement processes

Schedule meeting

Free
No credit card required
24/7 Support
Alternative to PLACE