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NUTS Codes Guide

Overview

The Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics (NUTS) is a hierarchical classification system that divides the economic territory of the European Union into regions at three different levels. In the context of public procurement, NUTS codes identify the location where a contract will be performed or where the contracting authority is based.

NUTS codes are mandatory in procurement notices published in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) and are crucial for suppliers seeking opportunities in specific geographical areas.

Purpose and Benefits

NUTS codes serve several important functions in the procurement context:

Geographical targeting: Allows suppliers to find opportunities in specific regions
Statistical analysis: Enables analysis of procurement patterns by region
Cross-border procurement: Facilitates identification of opportunities across EU borders
Standardization: Provides a consistent way to reference locations across the EU
Place of performance: Clearly indicates where contract work must be executed

NUTS Structure

The NUTS classification has a hierarchical structure with three levels:

NUTS Levels

Level	Description	Typical Population Range
NUTS 1	Major socio-economic regions	3-7 million
NUTS 2	Basic regions for application of regional policies	800,000-3 million
NUTS 3	Small regions for specific diagnoses	150,000-800,000

Coding System

NUTS codes use alphanumeric characters in the following format:

First two letters: Country code (e.g., DE for Germany)
Following digit(s): Hierarchical level codes

Example: "FR104" breaks down as:

FR = France (country)

1 = NUTS level 1 (Region: Île-de-France)

0 = NUTS level 2 (Department: Paris region)

4 = NUTS level 3 (Department: Paris)

NUTS in Procurement Documents

NUTS codes are specified in several sections of standard procurement forms:

Contracting authority location: Indicates where the buyer is based
Place of performance: Specifies where the contract will be executed
Delivery location: Where goods should be delivered or services provided
Project site: For construction works, specifies the building location

Contracting authorities must include the appropriate NUTS code in all regulated procurement notices.

Example: A construction project in Barcelona would use:

ES51 (NUTS 2 - Catalonia)

ES511 (NUTS 3 - Barcelona Province)

Country-Specific NUTS Codes

Each EU member state is divided according to the NUTS hierarchy. Here are some examples:

Germany (DE)

NUTS 1: 16 states (Länder)
NUTS 2: 38 government regions (Regierungsbezirke)
NUTS 3: 401 districts (Kreise)

France (FR)

NUTS 1: 9 territorial groups (Z.E.A.T. + DOM)
NUTS 2: 27 regions (including 5 overseas departments)
NUTS 3: 101 departments (départements)

Italy (IT)

NUTS 1: 5 groups of regions
NUTS 2: 21 regions
NUTS 3: 110 provinces

Spain (ES)

NUTS 1: 7 groups of autonomous communities
NUTS 2: 19 autonomous communities and cities
NUTS 3: 59 provinces

NUTS in Contract Notices

When publishing contract notices, the correct use of NUTS codes is essential:

For Works Contracts

Use the NUTS code of the specific location where construction will take place.

Example: For a bridge construction in southern Finland:

FI1C1 (NUTS 3 - Varsinais-Suomi)

For Supply Contracts

Use the NUTS code of the delivery location(s). Multiple NUTS codes may be used if delivery is to several locations.

Example: For IT equipment delivery to multiple government offices across Poland:

PL (NUTS 0 - Country code for Poland)

Or list specific regional NUTS codes if delivery is limited to certain regions

For Service Contracts

Use the NUTS code of the location where the service will be performed.

Example: For consulting services to be provided in Brussels:

BE100 (NUTS 3 - Arr. de Bruxelles-Capitale)

LAU - Local Administrative Units

Below the NUTS 3 level, the EU has defined Local Administrative Units (LAUs) for more detailed geographical references:

LAU 1: (formerly NUTS 4) - Districts/municipalities
LAU 2: (formerly NUTS 5) - Communes/parishes

LAU codes may be used in procurement notices to provide more precise location information, particularly for smaller works contracts.

Finding and Using NUTS Codes

Several tools are available to help find the appropriate NUTS codes:

When searching for procurement opportunities, suppliers can:

Filter TED notices by specific NUTS codes
Set up alerts for opportunities in chosen regions
Target specific areas where they have operational capabilities
Identify cross-border opportunities in neighboring regions

NUTS and Cross-Border Procurement

NUTS codes facilitate cross-border procurement by:

Standardizing location references across all EU languages
Enabling targeted searches for opportunities in border regions
Supporting regional development through transparent opportunity identification
Facilitating statistical analysis of cross-border procurement patterns

Example: A German company near the French border could search for opportunities using:

DE13 (NUTS 2 - Freiburg Region, Germany)

FR421 (NUTS 3 - Bas-Rhin, France)

NUTS Updates

The NUTS classification is reviewed approximately every three years. The current version is NUTS 2021 (in effect since 1 January 2021). When using NUTS codes, it's important to ensure you're referring to the current classification.

Major changes in each update are documented by Eurostat and reflected in procurement systems.

References and Resources

For detailed information on NUTS codes, consult these official resources: