CPV 796 – Recruitment Services

What does CPV 796 cover?

CPV group 796 covers recruitment and personnel placement services for public contracting authorities. These include executive search and the placement of senior managers, specialist recruitment for technical and administrative roles, temporary staffing and agency work, the management of selection processes, assessment centre services and employer branding consultancy. Public contracting authorities commission external recruitment service providers when specialist expertise is required or when particular confidentiality is demanded.

Executive search for public enterprises and public-law bodies is a significant procurement area. Municipal utilities, federal agencies and public institutions commission personnel consultancies to identify and select managing directors, board members and senior officials. External recruiters are regularly engaged for the appointment of senior positions in municipal energy companies, hospitals and housing associations, where market insight and discretion are essential.

Temporary staffing and agency work are relevant for public bodies with fluctuating staffing needs. Authorities experiencing seasonal peaks in workload, temporary projects or personnel shortfalls due to parental leave and sick leave use staffing agencies as a flexible capacity buffer. Agency work in Germany is governed by the Temporary Agency Work Act (Arbeitnehmerüberlassungsgesetz, AÜG), which sets binding rules on maximum assignment duration and equal pay. Further information on the CPV system is available from the European Commission (SIMAP) and from Regulation (EC) No 213/2008.

Typical Services in CPV 796

Service	Description
Executive search	Identification and selection of senior managers for public enterprises
Specialist recruitment	Recruitment of technical and administrative professionals
Temporary staffing / agency work	Flexible personnel deployment under the AÜG
Assessment centre	Diagnostic selection procedures for candidate evaluation
Employer branding consultancy	Employer brand concepts for public sector organisations

Examples of Tenders with CPV 796

• Executive search for the management of a municipal utility: A municipal energy company procures the search and selection of a new technical managing director — market analysis, direct approach of suitable candidates, aptitude assessment, presentation of a shortlist and support throughout contract negotiations.
• Framework contract for temporary staffing at a federal agency: A federal agency procures a framework contract for agency work in commercial and IT functions — provision of temporary workers for peak periods, parental leave cover and project support, with defined qualification profiles and response times.
• Specialist recruitment for a state data centre: A state data centre procures recruitment services for IT security specialists and cloud architects — active sourcing, pre-screening of applicants, conduct of interviews and suitability assessment.

Current tenders with CPV 796 are published on TED (Tenders Electronic Daily) and on national procurement platforms.

Who is CPV 796 relevant for?

Public Contracting Authorities

Municipal enterprises, federal agencies, public hospitals, universities and public-law bodies with staffing needs in specialist areas are the contracting authorities under CPV 796. Shortages of qualified professionals and competition for talent with the private sector are driving demand for external recruitment services.

Companies and Bidders

Personnel consultancies with public sector experience, staffing agencies holding an AÜG licence, headhunters specialising in the public sector and aptitude diagnostics providers are the relevant bidders. A valid AÜG licence for temporary staffing, demonstrated references with public contracting authorities, relevant industry certifications and a discreet approach to executive search are typical qualification requirements. Information on eligibility requirements and procurement procedures is available from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK).

How does Bond help with CPV 796?

Tender Match – Automatically Find Tenders (CPV 796)

With tender.match, personnel consultancies and staffing agencies automatically receive all relevant tenders with CPV 796 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 recruitment 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 796)

For companies looking for suppliers, subcontractors, or consortium partners for recruitment projects, company.match provides direct access to qualified firms from an EU-wide database of over 28 million companies. Especially for larger recruitment mandates that a single firm 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 796

What does the CPV code 79600000 mean?

The CPV code 79600000 designates recruitment services in the European classification system for public contracts. It covers executive search, specialist placement, temporary staffing and all other services relating to the identification and selection of personnel for public contracting authorities.

How do I find tenders with CPV 796?

Tenders with CPV 796 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 legal requirements apply to temporary staffing in the public sector?

Staffing agencies must hold a licence for agency work under the Temporary Agency Work Act (AÜG). Minimum wage provisions and equal pay rules apply. The maximum assignment period of 18 months must be observed. In terms of procurement law, the VgV and the UVgO govern the award of such contracts.