What Is a CPV Code and How to Use It

A CPV code (Common Procurement Vocabulary code) is a standardised number that describes what a public tender is buying — a good, service, or work. Contracting authorities across the EU use the same CPV system, so searching by CPV lets you find every relevant tender regardless of language or how the title was written.

How a CPV code is structured

Each CPV code has eight digits plus a check digit, and it works hierarchically — the further left you read, the broader the category:

• The first two digits identify the division (e.g. 45 is construction work, 72 is IT services, 33 is medical equipment).
• The next digits progressively narrow the category into groups, classes, and categories (e.g. 45000000 construction work → 45210000 building construction work → 45213000 commercial buildings).

Because the codes are hierarchical, you can search broadly with a two-digit prefix or precisely with a full eight-digit code.

Why CPV codes matter for finding tenders

Keyword search is unreliable: two buyers might describe the same requirement with completely different wording, and notices are published in many languages. CPV codes solve this. A buyer procuring cleaning services will tag the notice with the relevant CPV code no matter what they call it, so filtering by that code surfaces the tender even if the title never mentions "cleaning".

How to find your CPV codes

1. Start from what you sell. Identify the division (two digits) that covers your core offering, then drill down to the specific codes that match your products or services.
2. Include adjacent codes. Many businesses fit under several codes — an IT consultancy might use codes under both 72 (IT services) and 48 (software). Capturing all of them widens your pipeline.
3. Do not over-narrow. Using a two-digit division as a catch-all alongside your specific codes ensures you do not miss opportunities a buyer classified slightly differently.

Using CPV codes in practice

Once you know your codes, use them as the backbone of your search and your alerts. Save them as a filter so any new tender in those categories reaches you automatically. This is more durable than keyword alerts, which break the moment a buyer uses unexpected wording.

How Tendly helps

Tendly maps CPV codes to plain-language categories so you can browse tenders by category without memorising numbers, and its AI matching uses your profile — including your CPV codes — to rank tenders by relevance. See the CPV code glossary entry for a quick definition.