CPV, NAICS and UNSPSC codes in Tender Navigator
Tender Navigator supports three procurement classification systems: CPV (used across the EU and the UK), NAICS (United States and Canada) and UNSPSC (international). Codes are entered from a built-in dictionary with autocomplete, and a tender matches if it carries any selected code in any system.
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The three systems
| System | Used by | Code format | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPV (Common Procurement Vocabulary) | EU portals such as TED and national portals in Europe, and UK portals | 8 digits | 72000000 - IT services |
| NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) | United States and Canada, for example SAM.gov | 6 digits | 541512 - Computer systems design services |
| UNSPSC (United Nations Standard Products and Services Code) | International bodies and portals outside Europe and North America | 8 digits | 43232400 - Development software |
Tender Navigator shows all three fields on every search surface and in the filter editor, whatever countries you selected. A code from another system never breaks a search; because codes are combined with OR, it can only add results. Use the system that the portals in your target market actually use, and add a second system when you also bid outside it.
Entering a code
- Click the code field (CPV, NAICS or UNSPSC).
- Type digits to search by code prefix, or type a word to search the code labels. For example "72" lists CPV codes starting with 72, and "software" lists codes whose label mentions software.
- Pick a code from the list. It appears as a removable chip. Hovering a chip shows its full label.
- Repeat for as many codes as you need. Duplicates are refused.
Only codes present in Tender Navigator's dictionary can be added. Free-typed digits that match nothing are rejected with a message, so a partial or invalid code can never be saved on a filter. The dictionary loads the first time a field is used; while it loads, the field says so and does not accept input.
How codes match
- A tender matches a code if the notice carries that code (or, for CPV families, a code within the category you chose). A CPV family such as 72000000 covers the IT services category as a whole.
- Codes in one system are ORed with each other and with the other systems.
- In a filter, at least one code in any system is required before the filter can be activated, because codes are the most reliable way to keep a daily filter from reading everything.
Limits
A filter holds up to 10 codes per system (10 CPV, 10 NAICS and 10 UNSPSC). The Pre-search tool has no practical cap.
Where else codes appear
- On a tender notice, the panel and the notice page list the codes the tender carries as chips.
- On the Results page, the CPV, NAICS and UNSPSC fields narrow the list of evaluated tenders to those carrying a code.
- In the Business Profile, the Procurement codes section stores the codes for the work you want to see; Generate filter carries them into a draft filter.
- The tour "Find tenders and save a filter" asks you to add one code before the first search, because a filter needs at least one.
Related articles
- Keywords, countries and codes: how search criteria workHow Tender Navigator combines keywords, countries and classification codes in a search: every list widens the search (OR), one constraint is required, and multi-word phrases stay intact.
- Creating and editing a filterEvery field of the Tender Navigator filter editor explained: Basics, Search criteria, AI evaluation, Notifications & schedule, Usage, Tender budget, the setup checklist, and the three ways to start a filter.
- The Business ProfileThe private Business Profile in Tender Navigator: its sections (operating regions, what you do, target buyers, procurement codes, capacity, exclusions, evaluation notes), the completeness card, and how Generate filter turns it into a draft filter.