CPV Codes UK: 5 Steps to Pick Codes and Set Alerts 2026
In the UK, CPV codes (Common Procurement Vocabulary) are the standard numbers public buyers use to label what a contract is for. That makes them the most reliable way for a supplier to filter tenders. The fastest way to use them: find your codes with the Industry CPV code filter on Find a Tender, shortlist 3-5 that match your work, then save the search with email alerts so new notices come to you. Do the same on Contracts Finder to catch notices for procurements that started under the older rules. Both services are free. The government's Central Digital Platform factsheet says "you should not pay to view opportunities in the public sector."
Which option is right for you?
Most small suppliers should begin with Find a Tender, because since it is where new procurements under the Procurement Act 2023 are published (GOV.UK factsheet). Pick your starting point from the table.
| Your situation | What to pick first | First page to open |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner who has never searched for tenders | One Find a Tender search: your main keyword plus 1-2 CPV codes, no other filters | Find a Tender search |
| You bid regularly and want new opportunities every day | Saved searches with email alerts on Find a Tender, plus a backup saved search on Contracts Finder | Find a Tender sign-in, then Save search |
| Zero budget | The free government portals only; avoid paid alert services until you know your codes | Find a Tender |
| Charity, CIC or social enterprise | Find a Tender with Suitability set to VCSE, plus light-touch service codes (see below) | Procurement Regulations 2024, Schedule 1 |
| You sell into Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland as well | Add the devolved portals (Public Contracts Scotland, Sell2Wales, eTendersNI) or a paid aggregator | See "Next steps" |
Why it works this way: Find a Tender is the legal home for new notices. Contracts Finder remains in place for contracts let under PCR 2015, so it still matters but shrinks over time. Our Contracts Finder vs Find a Tender comparison covers the split in more depth.
What Is a CPV Code in the UK?
A CPV code is a standard number that classifies what a public contract buys: goods, works or services. UK buyers attach CPV codes to their tender notices, and suppliers search and filter on them.
The system started in the EU. It was introduced by Regulation (EC) No 2195/2002 and last substantially revised by Regulation (EC) No 213/2008. The UK kept it after Brexit as retained law and still amends it: the Common Procurement Vocabulary (Amendment) Regulations 2023, in force from , changed the wording of codes 85311200-4 and 85312120-6 from "handicapped" to "disabled people" and "disabled". In other words, the UK now maintains its own copy of the list in UK law.
The codes also have legal effect under the Procurement Act 2023. The Procurement Regulations 2024, Schedule 1 defines "light touch" services, such as health, social care, education and some legal services, by listing CPV codes. Services marked "R" in that table can be reserved for public service mutuals. If you are a charity or social enterprise delivering care or community services, the CPV code on a notice can tell you which rules that procurement follows.
Some figures on the size of the list (as of October 2026): the main vocabulary has about 9,454 codes, according to the European Commission's CPV 2008 guide. The independent lookup site cpvcodes.eu counts those codes across 45 divisions, plus 903 supplementary codes.
For example, a notice for office cleaning at a council depot would usually carry a code from the 9091 cleaning-services family. A cleaning company that filters on that family will see it even if the title just says "Depot Facilities Services Lot 2".
What Are CPV Codes Made Of? (Structure Explained)
Each CPV code has 8 digits plus a check digit. The digits run from broad to specific: division, group, class, then category. The EU regulation sets out the pattern:
| Level | Digits that matter | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Division | First 2 | XX000000-Y | 90000000 (sewage, refuse, cleaning and environmental services) |
| Group | First 3 | XXX00000-Y | 90900000 (cleaning and sanitation services) |
| Class | First 4 | XXXX0000-Y | 90910000-9 (cleaning services) |
| Category | First 5 | XXXXX000-Y | 90911000 (accommodation, building and window cleaning) |
| More specific | Digits 6-8 | XXXXXXXX-Y | 90911200-8 (building-cleaning services) |
The digit after the hyphen is the check digit. It verifies the first eight digits and catches typos (EU regulation), but it doesn't describe anything. When you search, the first eight digits are what count.
Trailing zeros tell you how broad a code is. 45000000-7 (construction work) sits at the top of a whole division. A code with no trailing zeros is a single, narrow item. Here is how to read any code you come across:
- Ignore the check digit after the hyphen.
- Count the trailing zeros. Six zeros means a division, five a group, four a class, three a category.
- Trim the code back one digit at a time to see its parent level, and check the parent covers your work too.
- Look at the sibling codes under the same parent. Buyers often choose a neighbour of the code you expected.
There is also a supplementary vocabulary. Its codes are alphanumeric: a letter for the section followed by digits (Wikipedia summary of the CPV regulation). It adds detail such as purpose or material. You will rarely need it to find tenders, because portal filters work on the main 8-digit codes.
Where to Find the Official UK CPV Codes List
The authoritative list is the annex to Regulation (EC) No 213/2008, as amended in UK law by SI 2023/601. For day-to-day use, the best list is the one built into the Industry CPV code filter on Find a Tender and Contracts Finder, because those are the codes buyers actually pick from.
Which source to use for what:
| Source | Use it for | Limitation |
|---|---|---|
| EUR-Lex Regulation 213/2008 | The legal text and full annex | A long PDF that is hard to browse; doesn't include the UK wording changes |
| legislation.gov.uk SI 2023/601 | UK amendments | Only shows the changes, not the whole list |
| Find a Tender search | Picking codes and checking live notices | You need to sign in to save searches |
| Contracts Finder search | Older-regime and historic notices | Holds no notices posted before (shown on the search page) |
| Procurement Regulations 2024, Schedule 1 | Light-touch service codes | Only covers light-touch services |
| Third-party lookups, e.g. cpvcodes.eu | Quick keyword browsing | Not official; the site says it isn't affiliated with the European Commission |
Pitfalls and fixes:
- Copying a code from a blog list without checking it. Paste the first eight digits into the Find a Tender CPV filter. If it doesn't appear, or the description is different, use the portal's version.
- Using the EU's newer TED interface as your UK source. TED covers EU tenders. UK notices are on Find a Tender, so build your UK searches there.
- Treating Contracts Finder as the whole market. Under the Procurement Act, procurements started from only need notices on Find a Tender. Treat Find a Tender as your main source.
How to Find CPV Codes on GOV.UK (Find a Tender & Contracts Finder)
Both GOV.UK portals have a filter labelled Industry CPV code, where you pick codes before you run and save a search. The labels below are taken from the live search pages (as of October 2026).
On Find a Tender
- Go to find-tender.service.gov.uk/Search/Results.
- Type your main trade word, for example "grounds maintenance", into Keywords. This searches titles, descriptions, identifiers and organisation names.
- Open Industry CPV code and search or browse for the matching code. Tick it.
- Under Procurement stage, choose Open opportunities if you only want things you can bid for now. Add Pipeline or Planning if you want early warning.
- Optional: set Contract location to the regions you can serve, and under Suitability tick SME or VCSE.
- Sort by Published (newest), then run the search.
- Open 5-10 results and check the CPV codes listed on each notice. Add any useful codes you hadn't thought of to your shortlist.
Other filters on the page include Notice type (the Procurement Act notices UK1-UK17 and the older F and T forms), Value, Commercial tool (Framework, Dynamic market, Dynamic purchasing system and others) and Date range. If frameworks or dynamic markets are part of your plan, see our guides on getting onto a framework agreement and dynamic purchasing systems.
On Contracts Finder
- Go to contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Search/Results.
- Fill in Keywords, then open Industry CPV code and pick the same codes as on Find a Tender.
- Set Procurement stage to Opportunity and Notice status to Open.
- If it fits, set Notice suitability to SME or VCSE, and Location of contract to a region or a postcode with a distance.
- Click Update results.
For example, a landscaping sole trader in Leicestershire might run "grounds maintenance" with CPV 77314000-4 (grounds maintenance services), Open opportunities, and East Midlands as the location. That is an illustration of the filter combination, not a forecast of how many tenders will show up.
How to Choose the Right CPV Code for Your Business
Begin with the keyword for your main service or product. Test it in the Find a Tender CPV search, then shortlist 3-5 codes (a main code plus related ones) instead of relying on one broad code. These five steps will get you there.
Step 1: Write down what buyers call your work
Buyers use procurement language. A "window cleaner" may be buying "building-cleaning services". A "web agency" may be buying "website design services". List 3-4 phrases that describe how a council or NHS trust would word your service in a specification.
Step 2: Find the code that matches your core work
Search each phrase in Industry CPV code on Find a Tender. Choose the most specific code that still covers your main service. For an office cleaner that might be 90919200-4 (office cleaning services), with 90910000-9 (cleaning services) as the broader parent.
Step 3: Add the parent and 1-3 siblings
Buyers don't always pick the narrowest code, so add the parent class and the neighbouring codes you could deliver. Use the trim-a-digit method from the structure section.
Example shortlists (illustrations; check every code in the portal before relying on it):
| Business | Main code | Related codes to test |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial cleaner | 90919200-4 Office cleaning | 90911200-8 Building-cleaning; 90910000-9 Cleaning services |
| Web design studio | 72413000-8 Website design | 72000000-5 IT services (broad, test the volume first) |
| Training provider | 80500000-9 Training services | Codes from division 80 that match your subjects |
| Catering social enterprise | 55520000-1 Catering services | Check Schedule 1 to see whether it counts as light touch |
| Community care charity | 85310000-5 Social work services | Light-touch codes in Schedule 1 |
Step 4: Check the shortlist against real notices
Run a search with your shortlisted codes and read the results. A good code returns mostly contracts you could bid for. If more than half the results are irrelevant, the code is too broad. If you see almost nothing over the last few months, add the parent or a sibling. Then check the awarded side too: set Procurement stage to Award or Contract, look at notices won by businesses like yours, and note their codes.
Step 5: Pair each code with a keyword set
Codes catch notices that use unusual wording. Keywords catch notices that a buyer coded badly. Running both, in separate saved searches, gives you the widest safe coverage (next section).
How to Set Up Daily Alerts Using CPV Codes
When your shortlist is ready, save it as a search with email alerts on both Find a Tender and Contracts Finder. New matching notices will then reach you without you having to search each morning. Both services are free (as of October 2026; check the official page).
Find a Tender
- Make sure you have a Find a Tender account. The GOV.UK factsheet lists "Set up alerts for tenders of interest" as a supplier feature, and it's the same account you use to register your organisation. Our Find a Tender registration guide walks through it.
- Run your search with Industry CPV code, Procurement stage and any location or suitability filters.
- Choose Save search and sign in when asked. The search page says a saved search appears "in your list of saved searches, so you can easily run it again", and that you "can choose to receive emails when new notices are published that meet your search criteria."
- Switch on the email option and give the search a clear name, such as "CPV 9091 cleaning, open, East Midlands".
- Save a second search that uses Keywords only, with no CPV codes, as a safety net.
Contracts Finder
- Run the same search and click Update results.
- Click Save search. Register or sign in if asked. A GOV.UK Contracts Finder supplier guide says the alerts are free, that you can create as many as you like, and that you name each search and choose whether and how often to get emails. The guide dates from 2011, so the screen labels may have changed.
- Manage your alerts later from your profile page.
A 10-minute daily routine
- Open the alert emails. Discard anything outside your region, value range or capacity straight away.
- For anything promising, open the notice and check the closing date, the lots and whether there is an SME/VCSE suitability flag.
- Once a week, run your saved searches by hand sorted by Published (newest) to check the alerts are firing.
- Once a month, look at which codes produced the useful notices and drop the ones that only bring noise.
Pitfalls: an alert filtered to Open opportunities will never show pipeline or planning notices, which are often your earliest warning. Keep one wider saved search for them. Also, saved searches from accounts on the old Find a Tender service were carried over to the new accounts. If you had an old account, review those searches rather than leaving them running unchecked.
CPV Codes vs UNSPSC and Other Classification Systems
CPV is the system used for UK and EU public contract notices. UNSPSC is a separate global classification that some organisations use for their internal catalogues and spending data. For finding UK tenders, CPV is the one that counts.
| System | Who uses it | Where you'll see it | Should an SME searching for UK tenders use it? |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPV | UK and EU public buyers | Every Find a Tender and Contracts Finder notice (used by UK buyers per Tussell) | Yes, it is the main filter |
| UNSPSC | Private and public sector, internationally | Some buyer catalogues; NHS product classification | Only if a buyer's catalogue or e-procurement system asks for it |
| GS1 (GTIN, GPC) | Product supply chains, incl. NHS | NHS product identification | Only if you supply physical products to the NHS |
| eCl@ss | Mainly industrial companies | Engineering and manufacturing catalogues | Rarely relevant to UK public tenders |
| SIC codes | Companies House | Your company registration | No, a SIC code is not a CPV code |
The usual mix-up is with SIC codes. Your Companies House SIC code describes your company, while a CPV code describes a contract. You won't find tenders by typing your SIC code into the CPV filter. A supplier selling medical consumables to NHS trusts may need CPV codes to find tenders and also UNSPSC or GS1 codes once they are listed in a catalogue. Those are separate steps that happen at different stages.
Common Mistakes When Using CPV Codes to Search for Contracts
The most common mistakes are using one code that is too broad or too narrow, ignoring related secondary codes, and never updating saved searches. Each one has a simple fix.
Only using a top-level division code. If you filter on 45000000-7 (construction work), most results will be jobs you can't bid for. Fix: move down to the class or category that matches your trade, and keep the division only for an occasional manual scan.
Only using one very narrow code. A buyer may file your kind of work under the parent or a sibling code. Fix: add the parent and 1-3 siblings (Step 3 above).
Ignoring secondary codes on notices. Multi-service contracts often carry several codes. The main code might be facilities management while your cleaning work sits in a secondary code or a single lot. Fix: when you read notices, record every code listed, not just the first one.
Relying on codes alone. Buyers sometimes miscode notices. Fix: keep a keyword-only saved search running alongside your CPV search.
Filtering out SME-suitable work by accident. The Suitability box is useful, but not every buyer ticks it. Fix: run one version with it and one without, then compare.
Never revisiting searches. Your services change, and so does buyer behaviour. Fix: review your codes each quarter using the notices you actually bid on.
Missing how light-touch codes affect the rules. For care, education and community services, the code can put a procurement under the light-touch regime (Schedule 1), which allows more flexible procedures and sometimes reserved contracts. Fix: check Schedule 1 for your codes before you plan a bid.
Finding the notice is only the start. After that you will face the selection questionnaire and the scoring, which our guide on how to win government contracts covers.
Next steps
You can have a working CPV setup today using only the free GOV.UK portals.
Do it yourself today:
- Open Find a Tender, test your main keyword in Industry CPV code, and write down a shortlist of 3-5 codes.
- Save two searches with email alerts: one based on CPV codes and one keyword-only safety net. Then repeat the CPV search on Contracts Finder and click Save search.
- Put a monthly reminder in your calendar to check which codes brought you useful notices and to cut the rest.
If you'd rather not do it yourself: paid alert services combine the UK portals into one feed. For example, PSIP monitors Find a Tender, Contracts Finder, Public Contracts Scotland, Sell2Wales and eTendersNI. Its Essential plan costs £199 a month plus VAT for a daily digest and 6 saved alerts. Growth costs £599 a month for alerts every 4 hours, and there is a 14-day free trial (as of October 2026; check the official page). It suits businesses that bid across several UK nations and want one inbox. It is not for a sole trader serving one English region: the free Find a Tender alerts cover the same English notices, and £199 a month is a big cost before you have won anything. A paid service still uses the codes you give it, so you need to choose the right codes either way.
Related guides on this site:
- Find a Tender Registration: 5 Steps for UK Suppliers 2026
- Contracts Finder vs Find a Tender: 2026 Table and Steps
- How to Win Government Contracts UK: 7 Steps for SMEs (2026)
- Framework Agreement How to Get On: 6 SME Steps (2026)
- Dynamic Purchasing System: 6 SME Steps for 2026
FAQ
What are CPV codes used for?
Buyers use CPV codes to classify the subject of a public contract in a standard way. Suppliers use them to filter and get alerts for relevant notices. In UK law they also define which services count as light touch under the Procurement Regulations 2024.
Are CPV codes still used in the UK after Brexit?
Yes. The UK kept the CPV regulation and has amended it itself, for example through SI 2023/601 in June 2023. Both Find a Tender and Contracts Finder have an Industry CPV code search filter.
How many digits does a CPV code have?
A CPV code has eight digits plus a check digit after a hyphen, for example 45000000-7. The first two digits give the division, and each further digit narrows it down (Regulation 213/2008). The check digit only guards against typing errors.
Can I search Contracts Finder by CPV code only?
Yes. Leave Keywords empty, choose codes under Industry CPV code, and click Update results. A codes-only search misses notices that buyers coded badly, though, so keep a keyword search running too. Also search Find a Tender, because new Procurement Act notices don't have to appear on Contracts Finder.
Sources
- Find a Tender: search results and filters
- Find a Tender home
- Contracts Finder: search results and filters
- GOV.UK: Central Digital Platform factsheet
- GOV.UK: PPN 019 guidance on transparency requirements for publishing on Contracts Finder (March 2025)
- GOV.UK: Getting the most from Contracts Finder, supplier guide
- EUR-Lex: Regulation (EC) No 213/2008 on the CPV
- European Commission: CPV 2008 guide
- legislation.gov.uk: The Common Procurement Vocabulary (Amendment) Regulations 2023
- legislation.gov.uk: The Procurement Regulations 2024, Schedule 1
- Wikipedia: Common Procurement Vocabulary
- cpvcodes.eu: CPV codes list and search
- Tussell: What are CPV codes?
- Contracts Advance: UNSPSC codes
- Using GS1 codes in NHS procurement
- PSIP: Tender alerts plans and pricing
Spotted something out of date or wrong? Tell us at shigoto.ai.note@gmail.com. Guides are re-checked against official sources on a rolling schedule.