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Learn / updated 2026-10-03

CPV codes and OCDS explained: how public tenders are described

Public buyers in the EU publish notices about what they want to buy. Two ideas make those notices searchable and comparable: CPV codes describe the subject, and OCDS describes the data.

CPV: the Common Procurement Vocabulary

The CPV is a classification system with numeric codes of up to eight digits, plus a check digit. Each code stands for a type of goods, works or services, and the codes form a tree: the first digits give the broad area and further digits narrow it down.

Searching by a CPV prefix returns the whole branch: 72 finds everything in IT services, which is more reliable than guessing keywords in several languages.

OCDS: the Open Contracting Data Standard

OCDS is an open standard for publishing contracting data as structured JSON. Information is grouped into a release (an event, such as a tender notice) and a record (the full history of a process), and many releases are bundled into a release package.

Why it matters: when different portals publish in different shapes, OCDS gives one common shape that analytics and alert tools can read.

Using both when searching

  1. Pick a CPV prefix for what you sell.
  2. Filter by country and by publication date, and keep the date of your last run so you only see new notices.
  3. Export in OCDS if your own system already reads it.

Ambolt's TenderFeed returns one record shape for EU and UK notices, with an OCDS export, and the free EU tenders by CPV tool lets you try a search.

Frequently asked questions

Do all notices have a deadline and a value? No. A field the notice does not publish is returned as empty, not guessed.

Is it a bidding service? No. It lists public notices; check each notice before you bid.

Related

Informational only, not financial, legal or tax advice.