CPV 33 – Medical Equipment, Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products

What does CPV 33 cover?

CPV Division 33 is one of the highest-volume divisions in public procurement and covers medical devices and instruments, pharmaceuticals, dressings, surgical instruments, diagnostic systems such as X-ray and MRI equipment, ventilators, as well as disinfectants and personal care products. It spans the entire supply needs of the healthcare sector – from single-use clinical consumables to highly specialised medical technology.

Within the CPV hierarchy, Division 33 is clearly distinct from Division 85 (health and social services), which covers services. CPV 33 refers exclusively to the supply of products. Important sub-groups include medical devices and instruments (CPV Group 331), pharmaceuticals (CPV Group 336), dressings and single-use materials (CPV Group 335), and disinfectants and antiseptics (CPV Group 337). Emergency service products such as defibrillators and emergency kits are also classified here.

Public procurement in the healthcare sector is subject to particular regulatory requirements: medical devices fall under the EU Medical Device Regulation (MDR), and pharmaceuticals are governed by national medicines legislation. Publicly owned hospitals, municipal health departments and ambulance services are regular procurers with consistent and high-volume needs.

Further information on the CPV system is available from the European Commission's SIMAP portal and in Regulation (EC) No 213/2008.

Key CPV Groups in Division 33

Examples of Tenders with CPV 33

• Procurement of Ventilators for Intensive Care Units: A university hospital tenders the supply of 24 intensive care ventilators with extended monitoring capabilities, including staff training, warranty services and an optional maintenance contract.
• Framework Agreement for Pharmaceutical Supply: A consortium of municipal district hospitals awards a framework agreement for the supply of medicinal products across all categories for four years with call-off options as required.
• Emergency Equipment for an Ambulance Service: A district procures defibrillators, emergency backpacks and suction units for the re-equipment of 18 rescue vehicles in accordance with current DIN standards.

Current tenders with CPV 33 are published on TED (Tenders Electronic Daily) and on national procurement platforms such as the German Procurement Portal (DTVP).

Who is CPV 33 relevant for?

Public Contracting Authorities

Publicly owned hospitals and clinics are by far the most significant contracting authorities under CPV 33. In addition, public health departments, care homes and ambulance services at district level regularly procure medical products and consumables. In the pharmaceuticals segment, federal agencies such as the Robert Koch Institute and the Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance are also relevant procurers – particularly for strategic stockpiling and vaccination programmes.

Companies and Bidders

Medical technology companies, pharmaceutical firms and medical supply distributors are the principal bidder groups. Requirements in this segment are particularly stringent: MDR conformity, approval documentation, quality management systems certified to ISO 13485, and references at comparable healthcare institutions are standard requirements. Multi-year framework agreements are common in healthcare and provide predictable revenue streams. Further information is available from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK).

How does Bond help with CPV 33?

Tender Match – Automatically Find Tenders (CPV 33)

With tender.match, medical technology companies and pharmaceutical suppliers automatically receive all relevant tenders with CPV 33 directly in their dashboard. BOND indexes tenders from over 1,000 procurement portals in the EU – from TED to national platforms and regional contracting authorities. Instead of manually searching dozens of portals every day, matching medical equipment and pharmaceutical contracts are filtered and delivered by industry, competency, region, and company profile. An automated gap analysis immediately shows where the company meets the requirements and where gaps exist. This ensures companies never miss a deadline and can focus on preparing their bids.

Company Match – Find the Right Partners and Suppliers (CPV 33)

For companies looking for suppliers, subcontractors, or consortium partners for hospital equipment projects, company.match provides direct access to qualified firms from an EU-wide database of over 28 million companies. Especially for larger medical device and pharmaceutical contracts that a single company cannot handle alone, company.match automatically identifies suitable partners for bidding consortia and partial services – increasing the chances of winning the contract.

Frequently Asked Questions about CPV 33

What does the CPV code 33000000 mean?

CPV code 33000000 designates the division "Medical Equipment, Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products" in the European Common Procurement Vocabulary. It covers the entire supply spectrum for the healthcare sector – from single-use consumables and medicines, through surgical instruments, to diagnostic imaging systems and ventilators.

How do I find tenders with CPV 33?

Tenders with CPV 33 can be searched using the CPV filter on TED (Tenders Electronic Daily). At national level, the German Procurement Portal (DTVP) lists current procurements. BOND aggregates tenders from over 1,000 portals and delivers opportunities automatically and based on your company profile – including deadlines and document downloads.

What are the requirements for participating in tenders with CPV 33?

For medical devices, conformity with the EU Medical Device Regulation (MDR 2017/745) and a valid CE marking are prerequisites. ISO 13485 certification, reference evidence and information on supply chain security are frequently required. Details are governed by VgV and UVgO depending on the contract value.