The Common Procurement Vocabulary is a standardised, hierarchical classification system designed to label public procurement tenders/contracts so bidders can identify relevent tender notices.
The system consists of 9,454 codes structured in a five-level tree hierarchy. Each 8-digit code has a description of the type of works, supplies or services that are featured in the contract.
Originally, conceived in the EU, the system is used for categorising government contracts across Europe and the United Kingdom. Since 2006, every published EU or UK government tender or awarded contract is required to label the good or service being procured with a Common Procurement Vocabulary code (CPV code).
In the UK, Common Procurement Vocabulary codes help classify over £400 billion of public sector spending each year including: IT services, construction projects, medical equipment, or professional consulting.
Indeed, CPV codes sit at the heart of how government contracts are categorised and found.
To search, find, or browse individual codes or categories, head over to the Stotles CPV Code Finder.
Keep reading to learn more about how the system works.
Every code follows a clear structure that makes it easier for buyers and suppliers to describe, find, and compare public sector opportunities.
Each CPV code is made up of up to 8 digits, built on two layers, grouped to create a hierarchy:
Each CPV code is a numeric sequence made up of eight digits plus a check digit (shown after a hyphen). The numbers form a hierarchy, moving from the broadest sector down to very specific products or services.
The more digits you include, the more specific the classification. This makes it easier for buyers to describe exactly what they need and for suppliers to quickly find relevant tenders:
In the below table, you can see an example CPV code that narrows down from broad transport equipment to a specific vehicle type: a tanker.
Yes, any given government tender, framework, dynamic purchasing system, etc. can have one or many associated CPV codes. Since the CPV code classification system is essentially tagging or labelling tenders, it often makes sense to add multiple codes, especially for complex projects.
A tender could have dozens of associated CPV codes.
For example, let's look at the dynamic purchasing system below titled "Public Healthcare - Outsourcing DPS."
This is a government dynamic purchasing system from the NHS National Services Scotland for the provision of comprehensive and effective medical services for adults and children.
Now, we can see the associated CPV codes for this system. There are 15 codes attached because the NHS this type of procurement is like a "rolling" digital shortlist of pre-qualified suppliers that the NHS can use to buy clinic and outpatient services. Thus, the broad range of services being purchased, comes with a broad range of CPV codes.
CPV codes are deeply embedded in the legal framework governing public sector procurement in the UK. Every regulated procurement process requires buyers to classify their contract notices using CPV codes, which is why these codes appear in nearly every live tender. They are a key component in B2G (business-to-government) transactions.
Previously, the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 would have delineated requirements for CPV codes. Today, PCR 15 has been replaced by the Procurement Act of 2023, which has similar CPV related requirements.
In short, CPV codes are a key filtration mechanism for finding both open tenders and framework agreements. New models like Dynamic Purchasing Systems (DPS) and Dynamic Markets introduce more flexible ways for suppliers to join approved lists and compete for work. However, buyers still rely on CPV codes to organise these categories and ensure transparency.
There are dozens of official UK government procurement portals where you can search for CPV codes:
While these portals hold the source data, the current structure of public procurement portals often means suppliers are missing tenders. Tenders are spread across 100+ portals and are difficult to find and filter.
Because there are so many different portals, government suppliers will often use a free or paid service like the Stotles tender search engine to find relevant tenders in a single place.
The European Union still maintains the full CPV codes list and remains the standard used by UK buyers when publishing public tenders.
Because the list includes thousands of codes across all industries, many suppliers use a full reference list when identifying the right codes for their business or setting up search alerts.
Full CPV Codes List - Google Sheet
This version reflects the latest EU release as of 2025 and remains in active use across UK procurement systems.
If you want to make sure you're seeing the right tenders at the right time, solutions like the Stotles Platform and our Tender Tracker can help you search by CPV codes and uncover hidden opportunities. If you're new to public sector procurement, start by learning how to find tenders and basic procurement tender documentation. Understanding how the government goes to market is helpful for learning how CPV codes play a key role in the tender process.
In theory, CPV codes streamline the entire procurement process. They create a shared language for buyers and suppliers across sectors and regions. Broad categories like 72000000 (IT services) or 48000000 (software packages) help suppliers find opportunities aligned to their business, while subcategories offer more detail.
But in practice, CPV codes do not always work as intended.
Many buyers misclassify their tenders, include typos, or ommit sub-categories necessary to label a properly contract. They often select broad, catch-all categories or simply choose the wrong codes. A contract that should sit under a specific software subcategory might only be tagged at the high level, with only the first two digits for the category code.
Consistent mislabeling or ommited sub-categories, make it easy for suppliers to miss tenders that they are well-suited to win.
Take the example below: a Pipeline Notice for Jet Fuel Storage Installation being procured by the Defence Infrastructure Organnisation.
The associated CPV code is the broad category of construction work alone.
Storage of jet fuel is an incredibly delicate and specialised contract that only a few government contractors are likely able to do. Categorising jet fuel storage alongside broad construction like scaffolding or road work is clearly not doing enough to tag the specific work required.
The buyer could have easily added the below codes to label the contract properly:
In short the propensity of human laziness, errors, or data deficiencies can make CPV code searches unreliable, especially if you are targeting niche services or emerging technology categories. Furthermore, limited keyword search functionality make it more challenging for suppliers to identify every opportunity that aligns with their business.
This is where keyword search becomes essential. Keywords add precision, capturing opportunities that codes alone may overlook.
Stotles tender portal combines 10 different search functionalities including, CPV codes, keyword search logic, associated buyers, contract value, etc. to give suppliers a more accurate, complete view of active tenders. The platform takes your pre-filled relevancy filters and adds a relevancy score to indicate just how closely a contract aligns with a suppliers interests, past wins, and capabilities.
You see what matters to your business without depending on perfect classification from buyers.
Because these government sites sit across different portals and don’t always allow for flexible tender searches, many suppliers turn to tender platforms like Stotles to simplify the process.
Platforms like this combine contract data from multiple government sources into a single view. You can search by CPV code, apply keyword filters, and set up alerts to track new tenders as they’re published. This helps suppliers stay on top of relevant opportunities without having to manually monitor multiple portals each day.
Here is how you perform a CPV-code based search with Stotles.
Finding public sector tenders is a challenge. Even with CPV codes, suppliers still face misclassified notices, fragmented portals, and the constant risk of missing opportunities. Surfacing tenders early is critical, which is why many suppliers rely on tender alerts and innovative search tools to stay ahead.
But finding a tender is only the first step. Winning it requires a clear strategy, targeted positioning, and a consistent bid management approach.
That’s where many suppliers build out their full approach using platforms like Stotles. Beyond surfacing tenders, Stotles helps suppliers:
Public procurement rewards suppliers who stay organised, plan ahead, and engage early. CPV codes help you get into the right arena. Strategy and execution turn opportunities into revenue.
Dive into the platform Stotles to see how you can filter all government notices by CPV code and keywords relevant to your business.
