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Understanding CPV Codes: Practical Guide for SMEs

TenderIQ Team9 November 20256 min read

Decode CPV hierarchies, map them to your services, and prevent irrelevant alerts clogging your pipeline.

The Common Procurement Vocabulary (CPV) tree contains 9,454 codes. Most SMEs only need 15–20 well-chosen leaf codes to cover their service catalogue. Start with the two-digit division (e.g., 45 Construction), drill down to four digits (4521 General construction), then finish with five digits that reflect delivery (45233223 Carriageway construction).

Inside TenderIQ, tag your profile with both broad and niche CPVs so the AI can match borderline opportunities (e.g., facilities management tenders that sit under cleaning categories). Review your CPV map quarterly—buyers frequently mislabel notices, so capturing adjacent codes is the difference between spotting or missing a fit-for-purpose contract.