CPV 555 – Canteen and Catering Services

What does CPV 555 cover?

CPV group 555 covers canteen and catering services. This includes the ongoing operation of works canteens, the provision of school meals and nursery catering, institutional food service in hospitals, prisons, barracks and care homes, and mobile meal delivery services such as meals-on-wheels for elderly residents. It also covers the management of staff restaurants in government buildings and the supply of meals to public facilities under contract catering arrangements.

In public procurement, CPV 555 is one of the most frequently used service codes. The regular daily provision of meals to large groups is a core public-sector function outsourced to professional catering companies. Schools and nurseries, in particular, generate high contract volumes: a school catering contract covering 1,000 meals per day over four years can exceed EU threshold values and therefore require a Europe-wide tender.

A growing area of focus within CPV 555 is the integration of sustainability and nutrition quality criteria into award requirements. Minimum organic content, regional sourcing, DGE-compliant nutritional standards, vegetarian and vegan options, and food waste reduction targets are increasingly embedded in procurement specifications at both federal and municipal level. Further information on the CPV system is available from the European Commission (SIMAP) and Regulation (EC) No 213/2008.

Typical Services in CPV 555

Service Type	Example	Contracting Authority
School catering	Lunch provision at primary and secondary schools	School authorities, municipalities
Nursery meals	Daily meal provision for children in day care	Youth welfare offices, municipalities
Works canteen management	Operation of a government canteen	Federal, state and local authorities
Hospital catering	Patient and staff meals in public hospitals	Public hospital operators
Meals-on-wheels	Home meal delivery for elderly residents	Municipal social services

Examples of Tenders with CPV 555

• School catering for a municipal school authority: A city administration tenders lunch provision for 3,200 pupils across 18 municipal schools – requiring a minimum organic content of 30 per cent, daily vegetarian alternatives, compliance with DGE quality standards and on-site warm meal service with trained catering staff.
• Canteen management for a federal authority complex: A federal authority awards a five-year contract for the operation of its staff canteen providing approximately 600 lunches per day, including a breakfast offer, coffee bar, weekly rotating menu and catering services for internal events.
• Meals-on-wheels service for a municipal social services department: A municipal social services office tenders a framework contract for the daily delivery of hot meals to approximately 400 elderly and disabled residents, including weekend and public holiday coverage, special diets and chilled delivery options.

Current tenders with CPV 555 are published on TED (Tenders Electronic Daily) and on national procurement platforms.

Who is CPV 555 relevant for?

Public Contracting Authorities

School authorities, municipal social services departments, hospital operators, federal and state authorities with canteen requirements, youth welfare offices, prison services and barracks administrations are the main contracting authorities. Contracts are typically awarded for several years and often include sustainability and nutritional quality requirements.

Companies and Bidders

Contract catering companies, school meal providers, hospital caterers, meals-on-wheels operators and large hospitality businesses with institutional catering experience are typical bidders. HACCP concepts, DGE certification or equivalent nutritional standards, references for comparable catering contracts, staffing capacity and food safety certifications are generally required. Further information on eligibility requirements and procurement procedures is provided by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK).

How does Bond help with CPV 555?

Tender Match – Automatically Find Tenders (CPV 555)

With tender.match, catering companies and institutional food-service providers automatically receive all relevant tenders with CPV 555 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 canteen and catering 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 555)

For companies looking for suppliers, subcontractors, or consortium partners for canteen and catering projects, company.match provides direct access to qualified firms from an EU-wide database of over 28 million companies. Especially for larger institutional catering 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 555

What does the CPV code 55500000 mean?

The CPV code 55500000 designates canteen and catering services in the European classification system for public contracts. It covers the ongoing operation of institutional food-service facilities including school canteens, works restaurants, hospital catering and meals-on-wheels services procured by public contracting authorities.

How do I find tenders with CPV 555?

Tenders are published on TED (Tenders Electronic Daily) for EU-wide procedures for national tenders. Bond automatically aggregates all relevant tenders from over 1,000 portals and delivers them filtered by company profile.

What are the requirements for participating in tenders with CPV 555?

Bidders must generally provide an HACCP concept, food safety certifications, nutritional quality standards compliance, references for comparable institutional catering contracts and staffing capacity evidence. For school catering, DGE-compliant menus and a nutritional concept are often required. Details are governed by the VgV and the UVgO depending on the contract value.