What does NUTS codes mean?
NUTS stands for "Nomenclature des unités territoriales statistiques" (Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics). It is a hierarchical classification developed by Eurostat that divides the territory of the European Union into comparable regions. In public procurement, NUTS codes are used to mark the place of performance of a contract geographically. This lets bidders search specifically for tenders in certain regions.
The NUTS system has several levels. NUTS-0 stands for the country level (for example DE for Germany), NUTS-1 for the large regions (for example DE1 for Baden-Württemberg), NUTS-2 for the medium-sized regions (for example DE11 for the Stuttgart administrative district) and NUTS-3 for small areas (for example DE111 for the city of Stuttgart). Thanks to this hierarchical structure, contracts can be assigned to regions both broadly and precisely.
When tenders are published on TED (Tenders Electronic Daily), stating the NUTS code is mandatory. In eForms notices, NUTS codes are captured as structured data, which enables machine processing and targeted search. The current version is the NUTS 2024 classification, which is updated regularly to reflect territorial reforms and administrative changes.
Relevance for bidders
For bidders, NUTS codes are an important tool when researching relevant tenders. By filtering by NUTS code, companies can find contracts in their regional catchment area and make their business development more efficient. This matters especially for companies that work mainly in one region or whose logistics costs depend heavily on distance.
NUTS codes also play a role when you submit a bid, for example when regional references are required or when the contracting authority defines presence in a certain region as a suitability criterion. Bidders should know the NUTS codes of their reference projects and be able to state them correctly in their suitability documents.
Legal framework
The use of NUTS codes in public procurement is required by EU Procurement Directives 2014/24/EU and 2014/25/EU. EU Implementing Regulation 2019/1780 on eForms specifies which NUTS codes must be stated in notices. In Germany, the VgV (Public Procurement Ordinance) together with the GWB (German Act against Restraints of Competition) governs how the EU standards apply. The NUTS Regulation (EU) 2003/1059 is the statistical legal basis for the classification and is updated regularly through amending regulations.